520 / Grammar FocusTHE PASSIVE VOICE

ACTIVE: Ceruantes wrote Don Quixote.PASSIVE: Don Quixote was written by Cervantes.

Read the two paragraphs below. Which version flows bettefi

I. The first horses in North America arrived in the 1500s. They were brought by Spanishsotdiers and [ater used by missionaries for transportation. Soon, they were adoptedby Native Americans at[ over the western territories. They became part of the greatbuffalo cutture of the Ptains lndians.

ll. The first horses in North America arrived in the 1500s. Spanish sotdiers brought them,and later missionaries used them for transportation. Soon, Native Americans at[ overthe western territories adopted them. They became part of the great buffato cultureof the Ptains lndians.

1. Verbs that cant be used in the passiveMost transitive verbs can be used in the passive. A transitive verb is one which has an object, e.g.atch The police caught the thief. ) The thief was caught by the police.Intransitive verbs cannot be used in the passive. An intransitive verb is one which does not have anobject, e.g. fall ) Rodney fell and hurt his leg.Here are some intransitive verbs. None of these verbs can be used in a passive form:

appearcollidediefalllierisestand

arrivecomedisappearhappenlookseemtake place

becomeconsist ofemergehaveoccursitvanish

collapseconstituteexistlastresemblesleepwait

2 Forming the passiveThe passive is formed with the verb to be in the appropriate tense + the past participle of the mainverb. In the case of modals, e.g. could, musfi it is formed with the modal + be + past pafticiple.

Tense Subiect Verb'to be' Past Pafticipresent simple I Letters are delivered twice a daypresent continuous I The old castle is being restored.past simple I The Parthenon was built in the Sth century BC.past continuous I Our hotel room was being cleaned when we arrived.present perfect I Two paintings have been stolen from the gallery.past perfect I They had been warned about the danger.future I You will be paid next Friday.modals I Food should be consumed before the sell-by date.

l[OfE: In informal English, get can sometimes be used instead of be to form the passive. The agent isnot generally mentioned: Tom got stopped for speeding on the highway.

3. Choosing an active or passive formIn an active sentence, the subject is the person or thing that does the action:Liverpool beat Manchester United last Saturday.

In a passive sentence, the subject of the verb is the person or thing that is affected by the action:Manchester United were beaten by Liverpool last Saturday.

When we want to focus on the person or thing affected by the action instead of the doer of the action,we use the passive.

4. Including the agent (doer)When we use the passive, we can choose to include the agent or not. The agent is the person or thingresponsible for the action: The record is held bv Sheila Richards.

We do not include the agent:

a. When the agent is not impoftant.Trespassers will be prosecuted by the landowner.

b. When we don't know who the agent is and we would have to use the words'somebody' or'aperson'. My car has been stolen by somebody.

c. When the agent is obvious.The thief was sentenced to five years in prison by the judge.

d. When the agent has already been mentioned.Some of Stephen King's books have been written by Stephen King under thepseudonym Richard Bachman.

Exercises

A.,1 What do these words mean? Use it can ... or it can't ... . Use a dictionary if necessary.

If something is

,2 Complete these sentences with the following verbs (in the correct form):arrest carry cause +c make repair -sa+ spend wake up

Sometimes you need have (might have. should have etc.).1 The situation is serious. Something *wt .....b-q...dp..n9-.... before it's roo late.2 I haven't received the letter. It might ....h*.:f.p..k?&n....?.9\|.... to rhe wrong address.3 A decision will not

........... unril rhe next meeting.4 Do you think that more money should on education?5 This road is in very bad condition. It should a long time ago.6 The injured man couldn't walk and had to ..................-....

electrical fault.8 I told the hotel receptionist I wanted to .............-.--.. at 5.30 the next morning.

3 Rewrite these sentences. lnstead of using somebody or they etc., write a passive sentence.

3 Somebody is using the computer at the momenr.

4 I didn't realise that somebody was recording our conversation.

5 'V7hen we got to the stadium, we found that they had cancelled the game.

6 They are building a new ring road round the city.

7 They have built a new hospital near the airport.

4 Malce sentences from the words in brackets. Sometimes the verb is active, sometimes passive.1 There's somebody behind us. (i think / we / follow) .....1....tI9I1k....W.k.r-9.*#5....fu11.o.y.d-,...2 This room looks different. (you / paint / the walls?) .....H.*.y9...9.q*....P.Unk.&...fu-e-..w.&f.1........

4 I"Iy umbrella has disappeared. (somebody / take) Somebody5 Ann can't use her office at the moment. (it / redecorate) It .........................7 The photocopier broke down yesterday, but now it's OK. (it / work / again; it / repair)

It,...............................

8 \7hen I went into the room, I saw that the table and chairs were not in the same place.

9 The man next door disappeared six months ago. (he I not I see / since then)

10 I wonder how Jane is these days. (I I not I see / for ages)

11 A friend of mine was mugged on his way home a few nights ago. (you I ever I mug?)

B. Active vs Passive: Error Corrcction

Correct the errors in these senfences:

1 I'll never forget the earthquake that was happened in Turkey in 1999. It occurred on August 17.2. The earthquake was taken place in the middle of the night causing my city to vanish over night.3. Evefihing was shaken and was moved around. Our car outside was collided with other cars that

were parked on the street.

4. The eafthquake was lasted only a couple minutes but in that short time every thing was destroyed.5. After it stopped, I looked around. The house I had been sleeping in was destroyed, The house wasresembled a house made of cards that had fallen down.

6. I looked outside for something familiar. Everything was disappeared. There were just stones androcks on the ground.

7. I heard people walking around and shouting, I was afraid. Suddenly my father was appeared infront of me. I was so relieved.

B. In the next few hours, people were emerged from the fallen buildings and were walking in thestreet looking for family.

9. My family, which was consisted of five people, was now only made up of two.

C, Omifting the agentWhy is there no agent in the following senfences? Match the sentence with the most appropiate reason,a-d. There may be more than one reason.

Example: The secretary was given a pay raise. ) c, The agent is obvious. lt must have been heremployer.

1, Gauguin's most impoftant paintings were produced during the years he spent in Tahiti.2. Silence must be observed at alltimes.3. The house had been redecorated since my last visit.4. I was told to be there by five at the latest.5. Oh my goodness

- I've been robbed!

6. Smith was given a five-year sentence for his pat in the robbery.

D. Passives with'get'Circle the correct verb forms to complete fhe senfences.

1. When two people first meet they... get acquainted get dressed get worried2. When it's late at night, most people.,. get married get tired get drunk3. People who stay out in the sun too long... get arrested get lost get sunburned4. Some people drink too much at a party and they... get crowded get drunk get worried5. Married people who argue too often sometimes... get sunburned get scared get divorced6. When a movie isn't very interesting, people... get excited get scared get bored7. Drugs that are trafficked illegally... get confiscated get arrested get replaced

8. If a person has a problem, he or she... gets bored gets married gets frustrated9. People who commit a crime should... get excited get arrested get tired

10. A couple who love each other very much usually ... get married get divorced get promoted

E. Active to PassivePutthefollowing shorf fexfs intothepassive. Donotincludetheagentunless it'simportant.

1. The police arrested Smith at Newtown Hospital last night. Doctors were taking him to the operatingtheater when the police arrived. One of his accomplices had accidentally shot him in the knee duringthe get-away. The police are interrogating Smith at Sunhill Police Station. They will charge him witharmed robbery. They have charged him twice for similar offences in the last five years.

Smith was arrested...

2, The government will close three more coal mines over the next two years. They have already closeda total of six since they came into office. They are asking miners to consider voluntary redundancy.

Three more coal mines...

3. Tlcket Event is a program that customers use to draw the layout of their theater or concert hall,including the stages and seats. For each seat they add the row and seat numbers, plus any otherspecial restrictions. With this electronic layout travel agents show the layout to ticket buyers andreserve seats for them.

The Ticket Event program is connected to the BART system. Whenever customers change thelayout they notify the BART Ticket Event group. Ticket Event uses DistribSoft to distribute thelayout of the Ticket Event module of the BART system. Within 24 hourc, all booking agencies canuse the updated layout.

Ticket Event is a program that is used...