•The presentation is divided into three levels: • • • = Lower-intermediate/Intermediate • = Upper-intermediate • = Advanced The passive The passive Lower-intermediate/Intermediate level •Look at the sample sentences: •The government raised interest rates by 1%. •Interest rates were raised by 1%. •They have closed fifty retail outlets over the last year. •Fifty retail outlets have been closed over the last year. • • We use an ACTIVE VERB (wrote, plays) We use a PASSIVE VERB (were published, is played) We use BY… if we want to introduce the agent (who or what causes the action): Apple was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. the passive to say WHAT THE SUBJECT DOES to say WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SUBJECT be (is/was/has been…) + the past participle (done/cleaned/built…) The passive Lower-intermediate/Intermediate level When is the passive used? The passive Lower-intermediate/Intermediate level the passive and tenses •Passive voice is used in all tenses: •English is spoken all over the world. • PRESENT SIMPLE •Charles University was founded in 1348. • PAST SIMPLE •I have been invited to a conference. • PRESENT PERFECT •The project will not be finished in time. • FUTURE SIMPLE •The drug is going to be tested on animals. • FUTURE WITH GOING TO • The passive Lower-intermediate/Intermediate level practice •Rewrite the sentences using passive voice: •1.Somebody cleans Tom’s office twice a week. •Tom’s office ________ twice a week. •2. Sam repaired the car. •The car _____________ Sam. •3. Many tourists have recently visited the castle. •The castle _____________________ many tourists. •4. Someone will finish the translation by 5 p.m. •The translation _____________ by 5 p.m. •5. They are going to serve a delicious dinner tonight. •A delicious dinner _______________ tonight. • is cleaned was repaired by has recently been visited by will be finished is going to be served The passive Lower-intermediate/Intermediate level practice •Decide whether to use active or passive voice and fill in the gaps: •The police _____ just ___________ (announce) that the Portnoy's Bank ____________ (rob) yesterday. Two men __________ (enter) the bank at 4.30 with guns in their hands. Customers and bank clerks ____________ (ask) to lie down on the floor and one of the bank clerks ___________ (make) to fill the robbers' bags with money. After that the two men _____ (leave) the bank quickly. The police officer Jason Gregson says that more than 200,000 pounds ____________ (steal) yesterday, but nobody ____________ (injure). Jason Gregson believes that the robbers ______________ (find) soon. The bank ________________ (close) since yesterday. have announced was robbed entered were asked was made left were stolen was injured will be found has been closed The passive Upper-intermediate level passive and tenses •Passive voice is used in all tenses including the following: • •The data is being processed right now. • PRESENT CONTINUOUS •Many valuable buildings had been destroyed before the government started protecting historical buildings. • PAST PERFECT •The customer was being served when all the lights went out. • PAST CONTINUOUS •The project will have been completed by Friday. • FUTURE PERFECT •The book would be published if it were written by a famous writer. • CONDITIONAL • The passive Upper-intermediate level •Rewrite the following active sentences using the passive form: • •They are going to close the factory. •The factory __________________. •They are still considering the matter. •The matter_____________________. •They were making every effort to end the strike. •Every effort ___________________________. •They had finished the work by the end of 2006. •The work _______________________________. •By 2020 women will have achieved full equality. •By 2020 full equality for women _________________. • • is going to be closed is still being considered was being made to end the strike had been finished by the end of 2006 will have been achieved practice The passive Upper-intermediate level verbs with two objects •Look at the sample sentences: •The company sent the supplier a letter. (1)The supplier was sent a letter (by the company). (2) A letter was sent to the supplier (by the company). • •A passive sentence is made by turning the object of an active sentence into the subject of a passive sentence. If a verb has two objects (a direct object and an indirect object), two passive sentences can be made. • •Both options are grammatically correct but the first option is more common in English. •This applies mainly to the following verbs: give, lend, offer, pay, send, sell, show, promise, tell. • indirect object direct object The passive Upper-intermediate level practice •Rewrite the following active sentences into passive sentences, each starting with a different subject in each of them. You may need to omit the agents. •They have offered me the job. 1.I have been offered the job. 2.The job has been offered to me. •They showed us the financial statements. 1.We were shown the financial statements. 2.The financial statements were shown to us. •Someone promised the employees higher salaries. 1.The employees were promised higher salaries. 2.Higher salaries were promised to the employees. •They will pay the workers £50 every Friday. 1.The workers will be paid £50 every Friday. 2.£50 will be paid to the workers every Friday. The passive Upper-intermediate level causative get and have •Look at the sample sentences: •I’m getting/having the photocopier repaired at the moment. •I will need to get/have my blood pressure checked. • • •In the passive form, causative get and have mean “arrange for somebody else to do something (and usually pay for it)”. •Active form: •I’ll get the supplier to repair the photocopier. •Shall I have my doctor check my blood pressure? •In the active form, causative get and have mean “ask or cause somebody to do something”. • •These structures can be used in all tenses. • get/have + object + past participle The passive Upper-intermediate level practice •Rewrite each sentence so that it contains causative get/have in the passive form: •1. A translator is translating a business letter for me. •I’m having/getting a business letter translated. •2. The Dean will have a painter to paint a portrait for him. •The Dean will have/get his portrait painted. •3. Isn’t it time someone fixed your television? •Isn’t it time you had/got your television fixed? •4. Helen’s publisher has just published her book. •Helen has just had/got her book published. •5. I had a dressmaker make a dress for me. •I had/got my dress made by a dressmaker. •6. I should get someone service my car. •I should have/get my car serviced. •7. The men are going to install central heating in our warehouse. •We are going to have/get central heating installed in the warehouse. The passive Upper-intermediate level reporting with passive verbs (1) •Look at the following examples: • It is reported that the Finance Minister is going to resign. • It has been acknowledged that the company is understaffed. • It can be seen that prices rose sharply in September. • • •We often use the following passive structure to report what people say/think…, particularly if we want to avoid mentioning who said/thought… what is reported: •This pattern can be used with the following verbs: •agree, announce, assume, calculate, claim, consider, decide, declare, discover, estimate, expect, feel, find, know, mention, propose, recommend, say, show, suggest, suppose, think, understand. •With verbs agree, decide, forbid, hope, plan, and propose, the following structure can be used: • •Example: It was agreed to set up a committee. • • • • it + passive verb + that clause it + passive + to-infinitive The passive Upper-intermediate level reporting with passive verbs (2) •Look at the following examples: • •It is said that the company is almost bankrupt. •The company is said to be almost bankrupt. • •It was expected that the damage would be extensive. •The damage was expected to be extensive. • •It has been confirmed that some findings of the study are invalid. •Some findings of the study have been confirmed to be invalid. • •A reporting sentence does not have to start with „it“, it may also start with the subject of the reported sentence. The verb in the passive form is followed by an infinitive. • • • • subject + passive verb + to-infinitive The passive Upper-intermediate level •Complete the second sentence and keep the meaning as close to the first sentence as possible, using the word given. The word must not be changed. •1. They say the country is on the verge of civil war. SAID • The country __________ on the verge of civil war. •2. People thought the President was ill. BE • The President ______________ ill. •3. They thought he was the best actor for the part. CONSIDERED • He _________________ the best actor for the part. •4. The directors decided to discuss the matter later. AGREED • It __________ that the directors ____________ the matter later. •5. The court ordered him to pay a fine of £100. WAS • He ___________________________ by the court. •6. People believe that he owns houses all over the city. OWN • He ______________ houses all over Brno. •7. Reports say that D1 highway is blocked by traffic jams. BE • Highway D1 ______________________ traffic jams. practice is said to be was thought to be was considered to be was agreed would discuss was ordered to pay a fine of £100 is believed to own is reported to be blocked by The passive Advanced level the passive gerund •Look at the sample sentences: •She enjoys being interviewed. •Her boss insists on being updated regularly. •I hate being constantly told what to do. •Being served quickly is very important for customers in a restaurant. • •Gerunds function as nouns. They are not verbs in the continuous form. Gerunds can be both active and PASSIVE. • • active She likes telling people what to do. She tells people what they are supposed to do and she likes it. passive He hates being told what to do. Other people tell him what to do and he hates it. The passive Advanced level practice •Use the verb in brackets to form a passive gerund. •1. The students don’t look forward to ___________(TEST) on their math skills. •2. The customer insists on ___________ (GIVE) a refund for his purchase. •3. Martha hates ____________ (PUSH) into staying late at work. • •4. _____________ (ASK) unpleasant questions is a necessary part of a job interview. •5. _____________ (FORCE) to resign from a top job was very difficult for the director. being tested being given being pushed Being asked Being forced The passive Advanced level reporting about an earlier event •Look at the following sample sentences. •He is believed to have earned his money by smuggling. • (They believe that he has earned his money by smuggling.) •Lucy was known to have graduated from Oxford. • (Everybody knew that Lucy had graduated from Oxford.) • • • • • •If the reported event happens before the reporting, we use perfect infinitives or perfect continuous infinitives, depending on whether the verb in the reported clause was simple or continuous. Subject + passive reporting verb + to-infinitive (perfect or perfect continuous) The passive Advanced level reporting about an earlier event •The reporting may happen in the present: •and the reported event in the past: • • • •Everybody knows that she was/has been studying Spanish for years. •She is known to have been studying Spanish for years. • •The reporting may also happen in the past: •and the reported event in the earlier past: • • •Everybody thought that the organizers had been preparing for days. •The organizers were thought to have been preparing for days. • • • They believe… The counterfeits were made in China. The counterfeits are believed reporting to have been made in China. reported event They claimed… The documents had been signed by the CEO. The documents were claimed reporting to have been signed by the CEO. reported event The passive Advanced level practice •Rewrite the following sentences with the passive form of the reporting verb and active or passive infinitive: • •1. They believe that the tourists are safe. • The tourists ________________ safe. •2. They reported that the suspect has fled the country. • The suspect _____________________ the country. •3. People think that the soldiers were killed by rebels. • The soldiers __________________________ by rebels. •4. Everybody knows that cancers is caused by smoking. • Cancer______________________ smoking. •5. Everyone thought that the documents were destroyed in the fire. • The documents ______________________________ in the fire. •6. Everybody assumed that Lucy had finished the project the day before. • Lucy __________________________ the project the day before. • • are believed to be was reported to have fled are thought to have been killed is known to be caused by were thought to have been destroyed was assumed to have finished The passive Advanced level verbs which cannot be used in the passive voice •Intransitive verbs – verbs which do not take an object – cannot be passive: •He was walking too slowly. •We arrived late. • •Certain state verbs are not used in the passive even if they are transitive (take an object). These are for example: belong, suit, lack… •John has three sisters. •I’m afraid Friday doesn’t suit me. • •Some verbs are always passive •I was born in 1965. •The area is inhabited by families with small children. • The passive Advanced level additional points •Active verbs with a passive meaning: •The new tablet doesn’t sell as well as they supposed. •The sign on the door read “No entry”. • •Active gerunds after need, require and want also have a passive meaning. •The room needs painting. (i.e. It should be painted.) •The gas bombs require careful handling. (i.e. They should be handled carefully.) • •Passive verbs with an active meaning: •My mother is retired now. (i.e. She has retired.) •Those times are gone. (i.e. Those times have gone.) • The passive active and passive tenses chart SIMPLE PRESENT and SIMPLE PAST The active object becomes the passive subject. am/is/are + past participle was/were + past participle Active: Simple Present The movie fascinates me. Passive: Simple Present I am fascinated by the movie. Active: Simple Past The movie bored me. Passive: Simple Past I was bored by the movie. PRESENT and PAST CONTINUOUS (PROGRESSIVE) Passive form: am/is/are + being + past participle was/were + being + past participle Active: Present Continuous June is helping Su and Ling. Passive: Present Continuous Su and Ling are being helped by June. Active: Past Continuous Susan was cleaning the kitchen and patio. Passive: Past Continuous The kitchen and patio were being cleaned by Susan. The passive active and passive tenses chart PRESENT PERFECT, PAST PERFECT and FUTURE PERFECT Passive form: have/has been + past participle had been + past participle Active: Present Perfect Jack has sent the gifts. Passive: Present Perfect The gifts have been sent by Jack. Active: Past Perfect Steven Spielberg had directed the movie. Passive: Past Perfect The movie had been directed by Steven Spielberg. Active: Future Perfect John will have finished the project next month. Passive: Future Perfect The project will have been finished by next month. The passive active and passive tenses chart FUTURE TENSES Passive forms: will + be + past participle is/are going to be + past participle Active: Future with WILL I will mail the gift. Jack will mail the gifts. Passive: Future with WILL The gift will be mailed by me. The gifts will be mailed by Jack. Active: Future with GOING TO I am going to make the cake. Sue is going to make two cakes. Passive: Future with GOING TO The cake is going to be made by me. Two cakes are going to be made by Sue. The passive active and passive tenses chart PRESENT / FUTURE MODALS The passive form follows this pattern: modal + be + past participle Active: WILL / WON'T (WILL NOT) Sharon will invite Tom to the party. Passive: WILL / WON'T (WILL NOT) Tom will be invited to the party by Sharon. Active: CAN / CAN'T (CAN NOT) Mai can foretell the future. Passive: CAN / CAN'T (CAN NOT) The future can be foretold by Mai. Active: MAY / MAY NOT Her company may give Katya a new office. MIGHT / MIGHT NOT The lazy students might not do the homework. Passive: MAY / MAY NOT Katya may be given a new office by her company. MIGHT / MIGHT NOT The homework might not be done by the lazy students. Active: SHOULD / SHOULDN'T Students should memorize English verbs. Passive: SHOULD / SHOULDN'T English verbs should be memorized by students. Active: OUGHT TO Students ought to learn English verbs. Passive: OUGHT TO English verbs ought to be memorized by students. Active: HAD BETTER / HAD BETTER NOT Students had better practice English every day. Passive: HAD BETTER / HAD BETTER NOT English had better be practiced every day by students. Active: MUST / MUST NOT Customers must not use that door. Passive: MUST / MUST NOT That door must not be used by customers. Active: HAS TO / HAVE TO Sara and Miho have to wash the dishes every day. DOESN'T HAVE TO/ DON'T HAVE TO The children don't have to clean their bedrooms every day. Passive: HAS TO / HAVE TO The dishes have to be washed by Sara and Miho every day. DOESN'T HAVE TO/ DON'T HAVE TO Their bedrooms don't have to be cleaned every day. Active: BE SUPPOSED TO Janet is supposed to clean the living room. They aren't supposed to make desserts. Passive: BE SUPPOSED TO The living room is supposed to be cleaned by Janet. Desserts aren't supposed to be made by them. The passive active and passive tenses chart PAST MODALS The past passive form follows this pattern: modal + have been + past participle Active: SHOULD HAVE / SHOULDN'T HAVE The students should have learned the verbs. The children shouldn't have broken the window. Passive: SHOULD HAVE / SHOULDN'T HAVE The verbs should have been learned by the students. The window shouldn't have been broken by the children. Active: OUGHT TO Students ought to have learned the verbs. Passive: OUGHT TO The verbs ought to have been learned by the students. Active: BE SUPPOSED TO (past time) I was supposed to type the composition. Frank and Jane were supposed to make dinner. Passive: BE SUPPOSED TO (past time) The composition was supposed to be typed by me. Dinner was supposed to be made by them. Active: MAY / MAY NOT That firm may have offered Katya a new job. MIGHT / MIGHT NOT That firm might have offered Katya a new job. Passive: MAY / MAY NOT Katya may have been offered a new job by that firm. MIGHT / MIGHT NOT Katya might have been offered a new job by that firm.