Passives

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 3

Zinsontleding

'He walked his dog.'

Active or passive?

Wat is het ONDERWERP?

Wat is het GEZEGDE (werkwoorden)?

Wat is het LIJDEND VOORWERP?

Active sentences

The subject (onderwerp) of the sentence DOES the action.

I am reading a book.

She is drawing a dog.

They are listening to music.

Passive sentences

When the subject (onderwerp) DOES NOT DO the action or if it is NOT important who does the action.

The student is taught ...

The man was bitten ...

The sandwich was eaten ...

Passive sentences

How do we form a passive sentence?

'to be' (past/present) + voltooid deelwoord (-ed of 3e rijtje van de onregelmatige werkwoorden)

Active to passive

When turning active sentences into passive sentences:

1. An active sentence needs -> onderwerp / werkwoord(en) / lijdend voorwerp -> only then can you change it to passive.
2. The tense in the active sentence stays the same in the passive sentence.

Active to passive

Present Simple:

He teaches English. - active

English is taught (by him). - passive

Present Continuous:

He is teaching English. - active

English is being taught (by him). - passive

Active to passive

Keep this in mind!

Present and Past Continuous:

'to be' stays the same as in the active sentence + being + volt.dlw

The dog is chasing the cat.

The cat is being chased by the dog.

BUT WHYYYYYY?

We use passive sentences in formal writing, because it sounds less personal.

Examples of formal writing:

News articles

Essays

Job applications

Academic writing (HBO/University)

The garbage truck is being chased by the dog.

1. active
2. passive

The child is eating bananas.

1. active
2. passive

She is writing a letter to her grandma.

1. active
2. passive

The next book in the series is being written.

1. active
2. passive

They are building a house.

1. active
2. passive

The report was send out yesterday.

1. active
2. passive

My birthday cake is being made at the moment.

1. active
2. passive

The dog is chasing a squirrel.

1. active
2. passive

Rewrite this active sentence into a passive sentence:
She is stealing a bike.

Rewrite this active sentence into a passive sentence:
Alex makes tea.

Rewrite this active sentence into a passive sentence:
Alex had made a painting.