passives

PASSIVESUse, Verb forms and Exercises

Rosario Pindado Santos

USEWe use the active to say what the subject does. For example:

I speak English everyday at work

He repaired the flat tyre on that car

ACTIVE OR PASSIVE? EXERCISE

Put the sentences in the correct box.

USEWe use the passive to say what happens to people and things, to say what is done to them. For example:

The car is being repaired

MIX AND MATCH Exercises

Match the beginning and the ending of the sentences.

USEWe use the passive form when we don’t know who did the action.

For example:

The car was damaged while it was parked on the street.

The shirts were made in Turkey

PUT THE WORDS IN THE CORRECT ORDER EXERCISE

Form the sentences in the passive.

USEWe use the passive form when what is done is more important than who did it.

For example:

It was approved by Gerry last week

I was informed by the human Resources Manager only two days ago

MIX AND MATCH EXERCISE

Mix and match the sentences.

CAN YOU REMEMBER THE SENTENCES? EXERCISE

Can you remember the sentences?

Including a By-Phrase I

IDENTIFYING INFORMATION:

A passive clause per

mits the focus to be placed on the known information.

A by-phrase with

the agent (source of

the action) is included only

when it adds identifying, important information. Usage

note.

Including a By-Phrase I

Including a By-Phrase II

NONIDENTIFYING INFORMATION

A by-phrase is not included:

(1) when it adds repetitive, unimportant, or unspecific information (someone, anyone);

(2) when the speaker is avoiding mention of the agent. (e.g., Mistakes were made.)

Including a By-Phrase II

VERB FORMS IActive verb forms Passive verb forms

• Simple Present I drive• Simple Past I drove• Present Perfect I have driven• Past Perfect I had driven• will-future I will drive• Future Perfect I will have driven• Conditional I I would drive• Conditional II I would have driven

• Simple Present I am driven• Simple Past I was driven• Present Perfect I have been driven• Past Perfect I had been driven• will-future I will be driven• Future Perfect I will have been driven• Conditional I I would be driven• Conditional II I would have been driven

VERB FORMS IIActive

(Progressive/Continuous)Passive

(Progressive/Continuous)

• Simple Present I am driving• Simple Past I was driving• Present Perfect I have been driving• Past Perfect I had been driving• will-future I will be driving• Future Perfect I will have been driving• Conditional I I would be driving• Conditional II I would have been driving

• Simple Present• I am being driven• Simple Past• I was being driven• Present Perfect*• I have been being driven• Past Perfect*• I had been being driven• will-future*• I will be being driven• Future Perfect*• I will have been being driven• Conditional I*• I would be being driven• Conditional II*• I would have been being driven

PASSIVE SENTENCES WITH TWO OBJECTS

Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means that one of the two objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an object.

Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you want to put the focus on.

PASSIVE SENTENCES WITH TWO OBJECTS

  Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2

Active: Rita wrote a letter to me.

Passive: A letter was written to me by Rita.

Passive: I was written a letter by Rita.

PASSIVES WITH TWO OBJECTS EXERCISES

Rewrite the sentences with the two possibilities.

Get + Noun + Participle

Do or Have Something Done

(causative)DO A JOB UNTIL COMPLETED We use get to say that we worked on something until it was done. The participle is more adjective than verb.

John got the wood chopped.Then, he got the hedge trimmed.Next, he got the weeds out of the yard.Last, he got the dogs washed.

CAUSATIVE SENTENCES EXERCISES

Passive/Causative sentences

CREDITS

http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/passivesum.htmlhttp://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/passive/menu.php

http://www.agendaweb.org/verbs/passive-present-past-exercises.html

http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/passive.html