Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows:

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1 3ºESO UNIT 3 THE PASSIVE VOICE Use of Passive: Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action. Example: My bike was stolen. In the previous example, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know, however, who did it. Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows: Example: A mistake was made. In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake.). Form of Passive: Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle Example: A letter was written. When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following: the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle) the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped) Examples of the Passive Tense Subject Verb Object Present Simple Active: Rita writes a letter. Passive: A letter is written by Rita. Past Simple Active: Rita wrote a letter. Passive: A letter was written by Rita. Present Perfect Active: Rita has written a letter. Passive: A letter has been written by Rita. Future Simple Active: Rita will write a letter. Passive: A letter will be written by Rita. Modal Verbs Active: Rita can write a letter. Passive: A letter can be written by Rita. 1

2 More Examples of the Passive Tense Subject Verb Object Present Continuous Active: Rita is writing a letter. Passive: A letter is being written by Rita. Past Continuous Active: Rita was writing a letter. Passive: A letter was being written by Rita. Past Perfect Active: Rita had written a letter. Passive: A letter had been written by Rita. Future Perfect Active: Rita will have written a letter. Passive: A letter will have been written by Rita. Conditional Simple Active: Rita would write a letter. Passive: A letter would be written by Rita. Conditional Perfect Active: Rita would have written a letter. Passive: A letter would have been written by Rita. Try turning these active sentences into the passive: 1. Somebody ate my jam sandwich People must not leave luggage unattended at the airport Did Jonathan finish that job?... 2

3 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. 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.. As you can see in the examples, adding by Rita does not sound very elegant. That s why it is usually dropped. Personal and Impersonal Passive Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb that needs an object (transitive verb) can form a personal passive. Example: They build houses. Houses are built. Verbs without an object (intransitive verb) normally cannot form a personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the subject of the passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive verb in passive voice, you need an impersonal construction therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive. Example: he says it is said Impersonal Passive is not as common in English as in some other languages (e.g. German, Latin). In English, Impersonal Passive is only possible with verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know). Example: They say that women live longer than men. It is said that women live longer than men. Although Impersonal Passive is possible here, Personal Passive is more common. Example: They say that women live longer than men. Women are said to live longer than men. The subject of the subordinate clause (women) goes to the beginning of the sentence; the verb of perception is put into passive voice. The rest of the sentence is added using an infinitive construction with 'to' (certain auxiliary verbs and that are dropped). Sometimes the term Personal Passive is used in English lessons if the indirect object of an active sentence is to become the subject of the passive sentence. 3

4 EXERCISES A. Read the first chapter from Oscar Wilde s The Canterville Ghost and highlight any examples you find of the passive voice. When the American, Mr. Otis, bought Canterville Castle, everyone told him that this was very foolish, as the place was haunted. But Mr. Otis answered, I come from a modern country, where we have everything that money can buy. And if there were such a thing as a ghost in Europe, we would have it at home in one of our museums. A few weeks later, on a lovely July evening, Mr. Otis, his wife and their children, Washington, Virginia and the twins, went down to their new home. When they entered the avenue of Canterville Castle, the sky suddenly became dark and a spooky stillness was in the air. Mrs. Umney, the housekeeper, led them into the library of the castle, where they sat down and began to look around. Suddenly, Mrs Otis saw a red stain on the floor just by the fireplace and said to Mrs. Umney, I am afraid something has been spilt there. Yes, madam, said the old housekeeper in a low voice, blood was splashed on that spot. How terrible, said Mrs Otis; I don t want any blood-stains in my sitting-room. It must be removed at once. The old woman smiled and answered, It is the blood of Lady Eleanore de Canterville, who was murdered on that spot by her husband, Sir Simon de Canterville, in Sir Simon disappeared seven years later. His body has never been found, but his ghost still haunts the Castle. The blood-stain is a tourist attraction now and it cannot be removed. That is all nonsense, said Washington, the eldest son of the Otis family, it will be cleaned up by stain remover in no time, and he took a bottle of stain remover out of his pocket and cleaned the spot. But as soon as the blood-stain had disappeared, the room was lit up by a terrible flash of lightning and a fearful peal of thunder made the whole building shake Write down the examples of the passive that you have found and then turn them into active sentences. 2. Change the following into the passive voice: a. Everyone told him that it was very foolish. b. Money can buy a lot of things. (Here with can be used instead of by ) c. Mrs. Umney, the housekeeper, led them into the library of the castle. d. A fearful peal of thunder immediately shook the building. 4

5 B. Hadrian's Wall Fill the gaps with the correct tenses in the active or passive voice, as appropriate. 1. In the year 122 AD, the Roman Emperor Hadrian (visit)... his provinces in Britain. 2. On his visit, the Roman soldiers (tell)... him that Pictish tribes from Britain's north (attack)... them. 3. So Hadrian (give)... the order to build a protective wall across one of the narrowest parts of the country. 4. After 6 years of hard work, the Wall (finish)... in It (be) kilometres long and about 4 metres high. 6. The Wall (guard)... by 15,000 Roman soldiers. 7. Every 8 kilometres there (be)... a large fort in which up to 1,000 soldiers (find)... shelter. 8. The soldiers (watch)... over the frontier to the north and (check)... the people who (want)... to enter or leave Roman Britain. 9. In order to pass through the Wall, people (must go)... to one of the small forts that (serve)... as gateways. 10. Those forts (call)... milecastles because the distance from one fort to another (be)... one Roman mile (about 1,500 metres). 11. Between the milecastles there (be)... two turrets from which the soldiers (guard)... the Wall. 12. If the Wall (attack)... by enemies, the soldiers at the turrets (run)... to the nearest milecastle for help or (light)... a fire that (can / see)... by the soldiers in the milecastle. 13. In 383 Hadrian's Wall (abandon) Today Hadrian's Wall (be)... the most popular tourist attraction in northern England. 15. In 1987, it (become)... a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 5

6 C. Turn these sentences into the passive. 1. Cows produce milk Two teenagers are sailing a boat across the Atlantic McDonalds served the new huge Whopper last week Kristen Stewart has played Bella in the series of films for four years The mechanic has not repaired the DVD recorder The teacher is not going to open the window They speak English and French at this hotel The little boy broke the window last week Jill uses the computer quite often Did the secretary defend some colleagues? Last year they published ten books Molly has not knitted this cardigan George will visit Mark in London next year.... 6

7 14. Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning conductor Why do people trust that corrupt politician?... D. Verbs with two complements turn these sentences into the most appropriate form of the passive. They will award Samuel a grant. They offered you a better job.. They should tell us the truth.. They have given Peter a good piece of advice... They are showing Barbara the new models... They might teach me three languages... They sent Dave lovely Christmas cards... They would supply you with money if necessary... They can't have told the parents that awful lie... They won't offer me a car... 7

8 They didn't teach us Greek.... They showed me a new flat... E. Express these sentences in the most appropriate form of the passive voice. 1. They say (that) the man is a thief. 2. We understand that he dislikes children. 3. They say that he was very rich in the past. 4. People believe that he left the country two months ago.. 5. People think that he has deserted his family. 6. We think he is waiting there now. 7. People say he was working very hard. 8