The passive 1

The passive 101

Take out a notebook and your pen.

Why a Passive?

1. The 'object' of an action is made important.

Active:        People make most cars in Asia.

Passive:                                                                      

• Most cars are made in Asia.

Why a Passive?

2. The 'agent' of an action is unknown or irrelevant.

Active:          The police arrest many thieves in supermarkets.

Passive:                                                                                                        

• Many thieves in supermarkets are                arrested (by the police).

Passive Assignment*

1. Tim will make a survey tomorrow. 
2. Chiara had sent a letter before her ink dried up. 
3. Somebody saw him at the park yesterday. 
4. They are washing the dishes. 
5. I never watch the six o’clock news. 
6. They have written a lot of letters of complaint. 
7. She can’t give him the present because she has forgotten to bring it. 
8. The children bought some sweets at the sweetshop in the village. 

1. Tim will make a survey tomorrow. A survey will be made tomorrow by Tim.
2. Chiara had sent a letter before her ink dried up. A letter had been sent by Chiara before her ink dried up.
3. * Somebody saw him at the park yesterday. He was seen at the park yesterday.
4. * They are washing the dishes. The dishes are being washed.
5. I never watch the six o’clock news. The six o’clock news is never watched by me.
6. * They have written a lot of letters of complaint. A lot of letters of complaint have been written.
7. She can’t give him the present because she has forgotten to bring it. The present can’t be given to him by her because she has forgotten to bring it.
8. The children bought some sweets at the sweetshop in the village. Some sweets were bought at the sweetshop in the village by the children.

KEY:

The murderer _____ (arrest) yesterday.

1. is arrested
2. was arrested
3. arrests
4. was arresting

O3A _____ (teach) by Mr Tip this year.

1. teach
2. were taught
3. are taught
4. are teaching

Mr Tip _____ (teach)by Mr Buijkx as well!

The essays ____ (hand) in last Friday.

The pupils of O3A ____ (ask) to write an essay in a couple of weeks.

Rewrite in Passive (no-by-phrase):
J.K. Rowling wrote the first HP book in the 90s.

Rewrite in Passive (no-by-phrase):
People have eaten ice cream since ancient time.

Rewrite in Passive (no by-phrase):
Edgar Allen Poe wrote The Tell Tale Heart halfway the 19th century.