Unit 5 - Passives

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 3-6

Passive or Active?

Jack the Ripper

Watch the video. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAF_SPDBKuM

Underline the passives in this text and dicuss your findings in your group.

What is the subject in this sentence?

The lion bit the man.

(Onderwerp)

The lion bit the man.

What is the object in this sentence?

The lion bit the man.

The cat bites the man.

The man is bitten (by the cat)

Passive sentences in 5 steps

1. Identify the subject, verb and object 
   
2. Identify the tense by looking at the verb
   
3. Use object as new subject (singular/ plural)
   
4. Add form of 'to be' and change verb into past participle
   
5. Add rest of the sentence and agent if needed
   

am/ is/ are + past participle

Active

Someone cleans the office everyday 

My boss doesn't ask me to work late.

Passive

The office is cleaned every day. 

I am not asked by my boss to work late.

was/ were + past participle

Active

Someone painted our house last month.

The noise did not wake me up.

Passive

Our house was painted last month.

I was not woken up by the noise.

have/has been + past participle

Active

UPS has delivered the letters. 

Thomas has written many books. 

Passive

The letters have been delivered by UPS. 

Many books have been written by Thomas. 

How to recognize a passive sentence...

- Check if there is a form of 'to be' used (am, are, is, was, were, been)

- Is it followed by a participle?

- Is it followed by 'by + noun or pronoun? If not, can it be followed by  'by zombies'?

Are all answers 'yes'? Congratulations, you have a passive sentence.

What makes a sentence passive?

Passive exercises

Decide whether the sentence is active or passive.

The Government is planning a new road near my house.

1. passive
2. active

They often listen to music

1. passive
2. active

She is reading the newspaper now.

1. passive
2. active

These cars are produced in Japan.

1. passive
2. active

Boys like to play soccer.

1. passive
2. active

Cricket is played in Australia.

1. passive
2. active

The friends have been looking forward to meeting her.

1. passive
2. active

The search will be stopped because of the storm.

1. passive
2. active

This room has been painted blue.

1. passive
2. active

The Government is planning a new road near my house.

1. passive
2. active

'Boys like to play soccer.'

1. Passive
2. Active

'This room has been painted blue.'

1. Passive
2. Active

'Cricket is played in Australia.'

1. Passive
2. Active

'The friends have been looking forward to meeting her.'

1. Passive
2. Active

'The search will be stopped because of the storm.'

1. Passive
2. Active

How to recognize a passive sentence...

- check if there is a form of 'to be' used (am, are, is, was, were, been)

- is it followed by a participle (voltooid deelwoord)?

- is it followed by 'by + noun or pronoun? If not, can it be followed by 'by zombies'?

Are all answers 'yes'? Congratulations, you have a passive sentence.

ACTIVE= He steals a bike.

ACTIVE

ONDERWERP = WIE /WAT het doet staat vooraan de zin.

PASSIVE: The bike is stolen.

PASSIVE

DE ACTIE  staat vooraan. NIET wie het doet

Passive exercises

Fill in the correct form of the verb.

Mr Alan ________ Geography at school.

1. teaches
2. teacher
3. were taught
4. was teached

German __________ in Austria.

1. speaks
2. is spoken
3. is speaked
4. speaketh

A lot of houses ___________ by the earthquake in 1906.

1. were destroying
2. destroy
3. have destroyed
4. were destroyed

Henry Ford ________ the assembly line.

1. invented
2. was invented
3. is invented
4. were invented

The bus driver ________ yesterday.

1. hurts
2. were hurt
3. was hurt
4. is hurting

You should ________ your workbooks to study more.

1. is open
2. was open
3. open
4. opened

Houses ________________ .

1. have being built
2. have been built
3. have being build
4. have been build

Passive exercises

Make you own passive sentence.

Make a passive.
Start with 'a goal'...

Make a passive.
Start with 'the oranges'...

Make a passive.
Start with 'the girl...'

Make a passive. Start with 'a goal'...

Make a passive. Start with 'the oranges'...

Practice 

Easy

https://www.english-4u.de/en/grammar-exercises/passive3.htm

intermediate

https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/passive-exercise-5.html

Advanced

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/passive_quiz.htm

www.englisch-hilfen.de

www.englisch-hilfen.de

learnenglish.britishcouncil.org

a4esl.org