the passive

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

welcome!

Road map

• Black story
• The passive 

Black Story

Two dead men are seated at a table. A game of chess and a pistol lie on the table. 

What happened?

The two men were in a submarine stranded on the ocean floor. There was enough air for only a few hours.

There was only one bullet in the gun, so the men played a game of chess to see who would be allowed to shoot himself and who would have to suffocate....

Lesson Goal

At the end of this class you can:

- recognise the passive 

- understand the use of the passive 

- apply the passive to sentences with a clear context

- make active sentences passive. 

Imporant because:

you can use the techniques in your letters and essays (Part of the 5H PTA). 

Passive or Active?

Harry & Meghan

'However, it was thought that this could not have been a legal ceremony as it lacked witnesses and a registered venue, and was instead likely to have been an informal exchange of vows'.

'In an interview with the Italian newspaper la Repubblica, Welby was asked about what happened'. 

                                                                     --   The Guardian 31 March 2021

Man charged in murder investigation

A man has been charged in connection with the investigation into the murder of a 52-year-old man in Dublin's south inner city on Monday. The man, who is in his 40s, was arrested yesterday and questioned at Pearse Street Garda Station.He has since been charged and is due in court this morning.

A woman in her 30s, who was also arrested as part of the investigation, has been released without charge and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. 

Isaac Horgan was found sitting on a couch in his flat at Markievicz House at around 11am on Monday. He had been stabbed in the upper leg and was pronounced dead a short time later in hospital.

                                                                                                                                                      --  RTE - 31 March 2021

What makes a sentence passive?

Passive: what, why & when

What: A sentence is passive when the subject of the sentence receives someone or something else's action. 

Why :

• it creates more distance/it sounds more businesslike
• you focus on what happened and not on who 'did' the action.

When: for instance in essays and papers, newspapers

Passive: how

How:

Example:

John carried  Jill  across the threshold. 

subject / onderwerp =  John

verb / werkwoord = carried

direct object / lijdend voorwerp = Jill

                         

Passive: how

How:

Example:

John carried  Jill across the threshold 

Jill was carried across the threshold by John

subject / onderwerp = Jill

verb / werkwoord = was carried

add 'by' 

                         

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.

Make this sentence into a passive:

The lion bit the man.

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 asks me to work late every night.

Passive

The office is cleaned every day (by someone)

I am asked to work late every night (by my boss). 

was/ were + past participle

Active

Someone painted our house last month.

The noise did not wake me.

Passive

Our house was painted last month.

I was not woken 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.

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

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

Homework

Study Grammar p. 94 TB B.  The passive.