THE PASSIVE

1
THE PASSIVE

• GRAMMAR

2
STRUCTURE

• BE PAST PARTICIPLE
• Spielberg directed the film Jaws 1.
• Jaws 1 was directed by Spielberg.
• The police arrests criminals.
• Criminals are arrested by the police.

In the same tense we would use in the active
sentence.
3

• When we change an active sentence to a passive
  sentence

Subject
Verb
Direct Object
Kurt Cobain
wrote
the song Smells like teen spirit.
The song Smells like teen spirit.
was written
BY Kurt Cobain
Agent
Verb
Subject
4
BY AGENT

• In a passive sentence, we use BY AGENT. We use
  it when it is important information.
• But we omit BY AGENT
• when the agent is unknown,
• when the agent is not very important,
• if we do not want to name the agent.
• The criminal has just been arrested (by the
  police).
• He was given a nice present (by them).

5
USE

• We use the passive voice
• to emphasize the action (the verb) rather than
  who or what carried out the action (the agent).
• to put the most imporant idea at the beginning of
  the sentence.
• Many rock stars have held concerts here.
• Concerts have been held here by many rock
  stars.

6
VERBS WITH TWO OBJECTS

• Some sentences, have two objects DIRECT OBJECT
  and INDIRECT OBJECT. Then, it is more common to
  use the INDIRECT OBJECT as a SUBJECT.

Subject
Verb
IO
DO
They
showed
me
their last album.
I
was showed
their last album
(BY them).
Subject
Verb
DO
Agent
7
THE PASSIVE WITH REPORTING VERBS

• We can use the passive to report feelings and
  beliefs.
• The agent is only included if it is necessary.
• Reporting verbs commonly used accept, believe,
  expect, hope, know, say, think, understood.
• There are two different structures
• Subject passive reporting verb to
  infinitive U2 is said to be a great band.
• It passive reporting verb that It is known
  that many pop singers come from England.