PASSIVE VOICE NANG CAO

THE PASSIVE VOICE I.Look at these sentences : -Active : Mr.Brown wrote the report.. The Active object becomes the passive subject.. + The position of adverbs and preposition phrases in

THE PASSIVE VOICE I.Look at these sentences :

-Active : Mr.Brown wrote the report

S V O

-Passive : The report was written by Mr.Brown

1 2 3 4 5

II.Remember these things :

1 The Active object becomes the passive subject

2 Adding “ TO BE “ after the subject (To Be =The same form as the active verb and in agreement with its subject

3 Setting the past participle

4 Adding the preposition “ By”

5 The Active subject becomes the passive object after BY

* NOTE :-The words such as I , YOU , WE , THEY…… PEOPLE , ONE ,

ANYONE , ANYBODY , SOMEONE , SOMEBODY , EVERYONE , ….is

omitted from Passive voice

+ The position of adverbs and preposition phrases in passive

sentences:

-Adv of place stand before BY + Agent

-Adv of time stand after BY + Agent

-Adv of manner usually stand between BE and PP

III THE PASSIVE FORMS :

1.PRESENT SIMPLE : S + IS / ARE / AM + P.P

-Mr.Green teaches English => English is taught by Mr Green

2.PAST SIMPLE : S + WAS / WERE + P.P

-Nam wrote this letter => This letter was written by Nam

3.PRESENT – PAST CONTINUOUS : S + IS / ARE / AM + BEING + PP

WAS / WERE

-The police are questioning Tom =>Tom is being questioned by the police

4.PRESENT PERFECT – PAST PERFECT : S + HAVE / HAS + BEEN

+ PP

HAD

-The fire has destroyed many houses => Many houses have been destroyed by the fire

5.MODAL VERBS : S + CAN / MAY / MUST / WILL / SHALL + BE + PP

USED TO /BE GOING TO/HAVE TO

*Two common passive constructions with verbs expressing

opnions and rumours like SAY , REPORT ,THINK , ASSUME , BELIEVE

,RUNOUR ,……

a) S + BE + PP + V5

b) IT + BE + PP + THAT –CLAUSE

-People say that prevention is better than cure

a)Prevention is said to be better than cure

b)It is said that prevention is better than cure

-Everybody believed that he had died of SIDA

a)He was believed to have died of SIDA

b)It was believed that he had died of SIDA

*Passive voice with relative pronouns :

E.g :The teacher who teach him English is my father

=>He is taught English by the teacher who is my father

E.g :I don’t know whom the doctor will examine next

=>I don’t know who will be examined next by the doctor

*Note :The relative pronoun must be placed right after the noun or

pronoun it qualifies

+Who ( A) -> By whom (P )

+ Whom ( A ) -> who (P)

E.g :Who invented the telephone ?

=>By whom was the telephone invented ?

*Passive voive in imperative sentences :

E.g :-Write down your name and address =>Let your name and

address be written down

-Take off your hat => Let your hat be taken off

-Let talk to her =>Lewt her be talked to by us

-Don’t let the others see you => Don’t let you be seen by the others

*Other Patterns :

-I’d like them to make me a cup of tea =>I’d like (myself ) to be made a cup of tea

-It’s necessary to call him up =>It’s necessary for him to be called

up

-It’s impossible to do this =>It’s impossible for this to be done

*EXERCISE :

*Change into passive voice :

1 The teacher corrects our exercises at home

2 Ali’s absence worried his mother

3 They are building several new schools in our town

4 We have made great progress in industry ,science and medicine

5 Sam killed a lion last week

6 You must hand in your report before the end of this month

7 I had just finished the job when the factory closed

8 Noone has opened that box for the past hundred years

9 Are you going to mail these letters soon ?

10 He should have finished the report yesterday

11 Scientists began to carry out researches on SIDA two years ago

12 They say that he is the richest man in our town

13 I can assure you I will arrange everything in time ( 2 passive )

14 We are to pity rather than despise these homeless boys ( 2 passive )

15 We haven’t moved anything since they sent you away to cure you ( 3 passive )

*FURTHER PRACTICE :

1 She fell into water because somebody pushed her

2 What ought we to do about this ?

3 It is time they brought the cows in

4 What questions did the examiner set ?

5 Somebody must do something for these poor men

6 Nobody has made mistakes

7 Nobody has answered my question properly

8 Somebody has brought this child up badly

9 The teacher promised Jane a prize if she worked well

10 Nobody has ever spoken to me like that before

11 I hate people looking at me

12 Teachers should make lessons more interesting for school children

13 I ‘d like someone to read to me

14 We shall lock the house up for summer and the old gardener will look after it ( 2 passive )

15 People say tortoises live longer than elephants

16 One cannot eat an orange if nobody has peeled it ( 2

passive )

17 Don’t let the others see you

18 Did anybody ever teach you how to behave ?

19 It surprised me to hear someone had robbed you ( 2 passive )

20 People ought to tell us how much they expect of us ( 2 passive )

*ANSWER KEY :

1 She fell into water because she was pushed.

2 What ought to be done ?

3 It is time the cows were brought in

4 What questions were set by the examiner ?

5 Something must be done for these poor men

6 No mistakes have been made

7 My question has not been properly answered

8 This child has been badly brought up

9 Jane was promised a prize (by the teacher)if she worked well

10 I have never been spoken to like that before

11 I hate being looked at

12 Lesson should be made more interesting for school children

13 I’d like to be read to

14 The house will be locked up for summer and looked after by the old gardener

15 Tortoises are said to live longer than elephants (It’s said that tortoises live longer…)

16 An orange cannot be eaten if it hasn’t been peeled

17 Don’t let yourself be seen (Passive reflexive )

18 Were you ever taught how to behave ?

19 I was surprised to hear you had been robbed

20 We ought to be told how much is expected of us

THE END