A sentence has two parts. For example, in the
sentence |
Uncle Tom | worked on the railway
the first part, ‘‘Uncle Tom”, 1s the name of the person (or thing) we are talking about. This is the, Subject.
The second part tells us something about the Subject; it tells us what Uncle Tom does or did.
This part is called the Predicate.
Here are some further examples:
No. Subject . Predicate
I I went to visit Uncle Tom.
2 We walked up to the front door.
3 Tom was smoking his pipe.
4. Tom was thanked by Sir Joseph.
5 A carriage was taken into Tom’s garden.
6 The tickets. were collected by Tom.
The Predicate always contains the verb of the
sentence, e.g. went, walked, was smoking, was thanked, was taken, were collected.
Now you will notice that in some of those sentences (viz. 1, 2 and 3), the Subject does the action. In that case we say the verb is in the Active Voice. ..
157
158° ESSENTIAL ENGLISH
But in others of them (viz. 4, 5 and 6), the Subject -does not do the action, e.g.
“Tom was thanked.” (He didn’t do the thanking ; he received it.)
“A carriage was taken.” “The tickets were collected.”
(The carriage and the tickets didn’t do anything.)
In these sentences, in which the Subject is not the doer of the action but the receiver of it, the verb is in
the Passive Voice.
The Passive Voice is made by using some part of the verb fo be and a Past Participle. 'That is the reason why the Past Participle is generally given to you in the ‘“‘principal parts” of the verb.
Present Tense Passive
If the verb is in the Present Tense, we use the Present Tense of the verb to be and the Past Participle of the verb, e.g.
Active Passive
Tom cleans the waiting- The waiting-room is cleaned
room. by Tom.
Tom collects the tickets. The tickets are collected by Tom.
Mr. Priestley teaches the The students are taught by
students. Mr. Priestley.
The grocer sells eggs. Eggs are sold by the grocer.
An electric fire warms the The room is warmed by an
room. electric fire.
LESSON TWENTY-THREE 159
Past Tense Passive
If the verb is in the Simple Past Tense we use the past tense of the verb to de and the Past Participle of the verb, e.g.
- Active .Passtve
Tom cleaned the waiting- room,
Tom collected the tickets.
Mr. Priestley taught the
students
The grocer sold eggs.
An electric fire warmed the room,
The waiting-room was ..:cleaned by Tom,
The tickets were collected by Torn.
The students were taught by Mr. Priestley.
‘Eggs were sold by the grocer.
The room was warmed by an electric fire.
Future Tense Passive „
If the verb is in the Simple Future Tense we use the Future Tense of the verb to be and the Past Participle of the verb, e.g.
Active. Passive
Tom will clean the wait- ing-room, .
Tom wiil
— tickets..
Mr. Priestley will teach the students.
The grocer will sell eggs.
An electric fire will warm the room.
collect the -
The waiting-room will be cleaned by Tom.
The tickets will be collected by Tom.
The students will be taught by Mr. Priestley.
Eggs will be sold by the
_ grocer.
The room will be warmed
by an electric fire.
160 ESSENTIAL ENGLISH |
We use the Passive Voice when we are more interested in the action than in the person or _ people who do the action. So, quite often when you are turning a sentence from the Active Voice into the Passive Voice, it is not necessary to put in the doer of the action; in fact, to put it in often makes-the sen- tence seem unnatural. The following sentences will
illustrate this. The parts given here in brackets ought to be Íleft out: -
Active
Passive
English is spoken ail over the world (by people).
All the questions on the paper must be answered
(by you). |
People speak English all over the world.
You must answer all the questions on the paper.
Somebody built this house in 1500.
I wrote Lesson 22 specially to illustrate Passive Voice.
The house was builtin 1500
(by somebody).
Lesson 22 was specially written (by me) to illus- trate Passive Voice.
Now read Lesson 22 again and note all the examples given there of the Passive Voice.
Active Voice
Subject, doer of the action; Object, receiver of the action.
LESSON TWENTY-THREE 161 EXERCISES
I. Give the Subject and the Predicate of the following
sentences:
pu bY ND ‘©
1Ó.
They are coming on Thursday.
Hob wanted a holiday.
Lucille was taken in a friend’s car.
Sir Joseph was rather surprised.
Uncle Albert knocked on the door.
The door was opened by Mr. Priestley.
The rabbit was killed by the dog.
Mr. Priestley will teach us tomorrow.
We shall be taught by Mr. Priestley tomorrow.
He will be in that old railway carriage of hís. -
Pick out the verb in each sentence and say whether tt is Active Voice or Passive Voice.
II. Turn the following from Active Voice into Passive
Voice: |
1.
au YN
Hob opers the door.
Mary helps the teacher.
The porter takes the luggage to the train.
Mrs. Priestley welcomes the visitors.
Susan brings in the coffee.
I finish my work about five o’clock.
(Leave out the doer of the action as you were told on page 160).
Susan washes the dishes.
Lucille drives the car.
Sir Joseph Binks gives Tom a small cheque.
Mr. Priestley brings some students for tea.
. Hob tells the students about Uncle Tom.
. My friend takes me to the cinema.
. Hob sends some cigarettes to Uncle Albert.
. Her brothers and sisters meet Frieda at the. station.
. We use your books in our class (see note on 6).
. Hob tells us jokes.
162 ESSENTIAL ENGLISH
17. Susan draws the curtains and clears away the dishes.
18. Mrs. Priestley cooks the breakfast and makes the toast.
19. We open the boxes and take out the cigarettes (see note on 6).
20. They give Uncle Tom a cheque and a railway carriage (see note on 6).
III. Re-write all the sentences in V1. in the Past Tense Active, and then turn all your answers into the Past
Tense Passive.
Crossword -
† Ie fs |+ [s 1z”
7
8 3
tì
2 +5
1% 6 7 He
ẹ 20
CLUES
ACROSS DOWN
1. A high hill, x. You buy things with this.
+, Before long. 2, Helpful.
8. To be in want of. 3. To-move the head backwards g. Youcan’t get butter without this. and forwards. , 11. In the picture in Book I, Mrs. 4. Preposition.
riestley was —ing. 5. Your great-great-grandfather
"x2. Second person plural (or singular).
13. The noun (plural) and verb are 6.
spelled the same but pro- fo.
nounced differently. I1.
15. Past tense of ‘‘to lend.” 14.
17. Opposite of “yes.” 16.
19. Preposition. 17.
20. Past tense of ‘‘to dare.” 18.
is yours.
Opposite of “old.”
To be in debt,
You see this during the day.
Past tense of ‘‘to say.”
Finish, 18 reversed.
Opposite of “off,”
LESSON 24