ngữ pháp tiếng anh nâng cao, hỗ trợ các bạn học tốt chương trình ngữ pháp c1 tại trường, nâng cao khả năng học tập, phát triển kỹ năng ngữ pháp tại trường, tự tin sử dụng hợp lý cấu trúc. thành thạo trở thành người dùng tiếng anh giỏi.
5 GRA M M A R Passive Basic uses of the passive • Agent and instrument The person who performs an action in a passive sentence is called the agent’, introduced by by The agent may or may not be mentioned My purse was found by one ofthe cleaners A new wad has been built An object which causes something to happen is called an instrument, introduced by with He was hit on the head with a Hammer • Verbs with two objects Verbs which have two objects can be made passive in two ways I was handed a note A note was handed to me Other common verbs of this type are bring, give, lend, pass, pay, promise, sell, send, show, tell • Verbs with object and complement Some verbs have a noun or adjective which describes their object We elected Jim class representatire Everyone considered him afailure When these are made passive, the complement goes directly after the verb Jim was elected class representative He was considered afailure • Verbs which cannot be passive Most verbs with an object (transitive verbs) can be made passive, e.g drive is transitive because one can drive something (a car) However, a few transitive verbs may not be used in the passive These include become, fit (be the right size), get, have, lack, let, like, resemble, suit Verbs with no object (intransitive) cannot be passive, e.g sleep is intransitive; you cannot sleep something’ Therefore it is not possible to say ‘The baby was slept’ Instead the sentence must be active: The baby slept 33 ADVANCED LANGUAGE PRACTiCE Using and not nnentioning the agent • Change of focus The passive can change the emphasis of a sentence Jack won the prize (focus on Jack) The prize was won by Jack (focus on the prize) • Unknown agent The agent is not mentioned if unknown Two windows have been broken In this case, there is no point in adding an agent: ‘by somebody’ • Generalized agent If the subject is ‘people in generał’ or ‘you’, the agent is not mentioned Bicycles are widely used in the city instead ofpu blic transport • Obvious agent If the agent is obvious or has already been referred to, it is not mentioned Linda has been arrested! (we assume by the pohce) The company agreed to our reąuest and a new car p ark was opened • Unimportant agent If the agent is not important to the meaning of the sentence, it is not mentioned I was advised to ohtain a visa in advance • Impersonality Using the passive is a way of avoiding the naming of a specific person who is responsible for an action It has been decided to reduce all salaries by 10% In descriptions of processes, there is emphasis on the actions performed rather than on the people who perform them Then the boxes are packed into crates 34 GRAMMAR PASSIVE 1 Corre c t a ny v e rb form s w hich are im p ossib le or in a p propria t e A lot of homes in the area have been being broken into by burglars As I drove south, I could see that the old road was rebuilding I suppose the letter will have been delivered by now There is nothing more annoying than been interrupted when you are speaking V Jim was been given the sack from his new job Somehow without my noticing my wallet had been disappeared The new shopping centre was opened by the local M P A lot of meetings have been held, but nothing has being decided yet Com p le t e th e se cond sen t e nc e so th a t it has a sim ilar m e a n ing to th e first sen tence The crowd was slowly filling the huge stadium The huge stadium .by the crowd The inventor of the Computer simplified the work of accountants Since the Computer the work of accountants .simplified Someone has suggested that the shop should close I t that the shop should close ‘I’d take out some travel insurance if I were you, Mr Smith.’ Mr Sm ith take out some travel insurance The waitress will bring your drinks in a moment Your drinks in a moment Someone used a knife to open the window This window a knife You will hear from us when we have finished dealing with your complaint After your complaint you will hear from us An announcement of their engagement appeared in the local paper Their engagement in the local paper Nobody ever heard anything of David again Nothing David again 10 They paid Sheila £1,000 as a special bonus £ ,0 0 Sheila as a special bonus 35 ADVANCED LANGUAGE PRACTICE Re w rite e ach se n t e nc e in th e p assive , o m it t ing th e w ords u n d e rlin e d Someone left the phone off the hook all night The phoiA.6 wcis U ft o f f th e hoofe a i i lA/Lght The goyernment has announced that petrol prices will rise tomorrow A burglar broke into our house last week People asked me the way three times The fruit-pickers pick the apples early in the morning It s time the authorities did something about this problem Lots of people had parked their cars on the pavement The goyernment agreed with the report and so they changed the law You have to fili in an application form 10 They dont know what happened to the ship 11 Nobody has seen the groups leader sińce his arrest last month Co m p le t e e ach se n t e nc e w ith a p assive form o f th e v e rb in brack e ts The boxes (not/pack) yet Your food (still/prepare) The new ship (launch) next week Luckily by the time we got there the painting (not/sell) We had to go on holiday because our house (decorate) I’m afraid that next weeks meeting (cancel) If we dont hurry, all the tickets (sell) by the time we get there All main courses (serve) with vegetables or salad At least that is what is written on the menu The second goal (score) by Hughes in the 41st minutę 10 The cathedral (build) in the fourteenth century 11 Theres a lot of noise outside because the road (repair) 12 I was promised that the parcel (deliver) by 10.00, but it still hasn t arrived 36 GRAMMAR PASSIVE Re w rite e ach se n t e nc e in a m ore form al style so th a t it c o n t a ins a p assiv e form o f th e w ord g iv e n in CAPITALS Sorry, but we’ve lost your letter M.i^ fortu.iA-citeLy you.r Letter hcis beeiA- m.is.laid MISLAY The police are grilling Harry down at the station QUESTION They’ve found the remains of an old Roman villa nearby DISCOYER You’11 get a rise in salary after six months RAISE They stopped playing the match after half an hour ABANDON They stopped traffic from using the centre They took Chris to court for dangerous driving BAN PROSECUTE SERYE You usually eat this kind of fish with a white sauce I don t know your name INTRODUCE Co m p le t e e ach se n t e nc e w ith a p assiv e form o f th e v e rb in brack e ts, Nothing (see) of Paulina sińce her car (find) abandoned near Newbury last week As our new furniture (dehver) on Monday morning ril have to stay at home to check that it (not/damage) during transit The new Alhambra hatchback, which in this country (sell) under the name ‘Challenger’, (fit) with electric windows as standard For the past few days I (w ork) in Jacks office, as my own office (redecorate) It (announce) that the proposed new office błock (now/ not/build) because of the current economic situation A major new deposit of oil (discover) in the Arctic It (think) to be nearly twice the size o f the largest existing field Pictures o f the sur face o f the planet Mars (r ec eiv e) yesterday from the space probe ‘Rover 3’ which (launch) last year A large sum (raise) for the Fund by a recent charity concert but the target of £250,000 (still/not/reach) No decision (m ake) about any futurę appointment until all suitable candidates (interview) 37 ADVANCED LANGUAGE PRACTICE U nd e rlin e a ny uses o f th e a g e n t w h ich are unn e cessary 10 My jewellery has been stolen by a thiefl It has been decided by the authorities that Wednesday will be a school holiday Harry was pushed over by someone standing next to him in the ąueue The goods are transported by raił to our warehouse in the Midlands I was told by someone that you have a vacancy for a Computer operator Sue has been picked by the selectors for the national event The letter was sent by post on the 21st of last month The larger portrait was painted by a little-known Flemish artist It has been agreed by everyone that no smoking should be allowed As I arrived at the conference a note was handed to me by one of the delegates Co m p le t e th e t e x t w ith a su it ab le a c tiv e or p assive form o f th e v e rbs in bracke ts Dear M rs Patei, We are delighted t o inform you t h a t you (1 ) (se le c t) for a free holiday, According to our Information, you ( ) (answer) a telephone survey la s t month, a s a resu lt of which your name ( ) (enter) in th e holiday draw Now our Computer ( ) (choose) your name, so you and your family ( ) (invite) to spend a week in a European d estin a tion of your choice This offer ( ) (make) on th e condition t h a t you a t tend a special promotions day with other lucky fam iiies in your region who ( ) (offer) a sim iiar deai You ( ) (ask) t o a t te n d on any S a tu rd a y next month a t t h e Royal Hotel, M anchester Ifyou ( ) (in t ere st) in attending and taking up t h is offer, please (1 ) (de tach) th e slip below and return it t o us a s soon a s possible Co m p le t e th e t exts by w rit ing a p assiv e form o f a v e rb in th e box in e ach space announce assume cali destroy discover display print offer take write Text A It (1) that fossil remains of one of the largest ever sea creatures ( ) on an island in the North Sea The 150 million year old fossil, a type of pliosaur, ( ) 'Big Boy' by scientists, as it is over 15 metres long The remains ( ) to the Natural History Museum in Oslo, where, after conservation work, they ( ) in a special section of the museum 38 GRAMMAR PASSIVE Te xtB A bookseller has found a previously unknown poem by the English poet Shelley nearly 200 years after it ( ) The anti-war poem ( ) in a pamphiet first published in 1811 in Oxford when the poet was 20 It (8 ) until the recent discovery that all copies of the poem (9 ) , and experts are predicting great interest when the poem (10 ) i for sale in a book auction at the end of next month Re w rite e ach line w ith a p assiv e v e rb form DCDO dD FROM: The Mana^ing Director i O TO: All Staff We have decided to adopt a flexitime system for a trial period of three months It hcis beeiA, deoLded to a d o jt a fLe.Mtini,e system - fo r a t ń a l j^eńod o f three m-oiA-ths The details are here below, and we'll send out a formal document in due course We'll consult all members of staff through their line manager, and we'll seek feedback We'll collect and analyse comments before we make a decision as to whether we'll adopt the system permanently or not lt's aiso possible that we may extend the trial period for a further month The new system will require all employees to arrive between the hours of 8.00 and 10.00, and to leave after they have fulfilled their contractual obligations of eight hours 10 We hope that this arrangement meets with your approval -> SEE A LSO Grammar 6: Passive Consolidation 2: Units 5-8 39 GR A M M A R Passive Have and get something done, need doing • H ave/get something done This typically describes a service performed for us by someone else I ’veju st had/got my car sewiced I have/get it done every winter It can also describe something unfortunate that happens to someone ~We had/got our car broken into last month Get is more likely to be used than have when; i) there is a feeling that something must be done I really must get/have my hair cut ii) there is a feeling of eventually managing to something eventually got/had the c a r fix e d at the Fast Service garage iii) in orders and imperatives Get your hair cut! Note that get should not be used in the present perfect passive, where it would be confused with have got I ’v eju st had my hair cut (possible) I ’v eju st got my hair cut (not possible) • The need to have a service done can be described with need doing Your hair needs cutting Passive get Get can be used instead of be to form the passive in spoken language Martin got arrested at a football match Reporting verbs • Present reference With verbs such as believe, know, say, think, which report peoples opinions, a passive construction is often used to avoid a weak subject, and to give a generalized opinion With present reference, the passive is followed by the present infinitive The criminal is thought to be in hiding in the London area Yitamin C is known to be g o o d fo r treating colds • Past reference With past reference, the passive is followed by the past infinitive Smith is beliered to have left England last week 40 GRAMMAR PASSIVE • Past reporting verb If the reporting verb is in the past, the past infinitive tends to follow, though not always if the verb be is used People thought Sue h ad p aid too much Sue was thought to have paid too much T hepolice thought that the thiefw as still in the house The th iefw as thought to still be in the house • Past reference with two objects In this case there are two ways of making a passive sentence Ereryone knows the portrait was painted hy an Italian The portrait is known to have heen painted by an Italian • Continuous infinitive Past and present continuous infinitives are also used Mary is thought to be living in Scotland The driver is thought to have heen doing a U-turn Verbs with prepositions • Ending a sentence with a preposition It is possible to end a sentence with a preposition in a sentence where a prepositional verb is made passive Som ebody broke into our house Our house was broken into • By and with With is used after participles such zsfilled, packed, crowded, crammed The train was packed with commuters The difference between by and with may involve the presence of a person: Dave was hit by a branch (an accident) Dave was hit with a branch (a person hit him with one) • M ake is followed by to when used in the passive My boss m ade m e work hard I was made to work hard by my boss • Cover and verbs which involve similar ideas, such as surround, decorate, can use with or by Cover can also be followed by in Thefurniture was corered in dust The living room had been decorated w ithflow ery wallpaper • Common contexts for the passive The passive is common in technical and scientific writing, and generally in spoken and written contexts where there is less use of personal reference, sińce the audience may be unknown, or the speaker wants to remain impersonal 41 ADVANCED LANGUAGE PRACTICE D e cid e w h e th e r th e se n t e nc es in e ach p air have th e sam e m e a n ing Re w rite th ose w hich are differen t IVe just been to the hairdresser s What you think? lVe just cut my hair at the hairdresser s What you think? lVeJi/