The Passive Voice

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The Passive Voice
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Use of the Passive
The 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.
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• Example My bike was stolen.
• In the example above, the focus is on the fact
  that my bike was stolen. I do not know,
  however, who did it.

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• 2. Sometimes a statement in passive is more
  polite than in 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!!)

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Examples (all forms)
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Form-. To make the passive we use subject be
past participleIn passive sentences we can use
by the agent to say who or what does the
action. We only include the agent when it is
important or unusual information.
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PRESENT SIMPLE

• Murderes are usually sentenced to life
  imprisonment.

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PRESENT CONTINUOUS

• The trial is being held at the moment.

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PRESENT PERFECT

• My car has been stolen.

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PAST SIMPLE

• Jim was arrested last year.

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PAST CONTINUOUS

• The cinema was being rebuilt when it was set
  on fire.

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PAST PERFECT

• We saw that one of the windows had been broken.

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FUTURE

• The prisoner will be released next month.
• The verdict is going to be given tomorrow.

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INFINITIVE WITH TO

• People used to be imprisoned for stealing
  bread.

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INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO

• You can be fined for parking on a yellow line.

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GERUND

• He paid a fine to avoid being sent to jail.

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Note

• We do not use the Present Perfect Continuous and
  Past Perfect Continuous in the passive
• He has/had been being arrested (WRONG!!!)

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OTHER PASSIVE STRUCTURES
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• After certain verbs (e.g. enjoy) we use being
  past participle
• Everyone enjoys being told they are good at what
  they do
• After certain verbs (e.g want) we use to be
  past participle
• Most of us want to be rewarded in some way.
• After prepositions we use beingpast participle
• Every actor dreams of being nominated for an
  Oscar.
• After the first/second/last (noun) we use to
  bepast participle
• The first Academy Awards ceremony to be televised
  was in 1953.

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• After have to and used to we use bepast
  participle
• The ceremony had to be postponed in 1993 because
  of a
• flood.
• Newspapers used to be given the winnersnames in
  
• advance.
• After modal verbs we use bepast participle
• The names wouldnt be published until afterwards.
• Note We can use all modal verbs (can, must,
  will, could,
• might, etc)in passive verb forms.
• He cant be trusted. All bags must be checked in
  at
• reception.

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It is said that He is thought to

• This formal structure is used in news
  reports and on tv with the verbs KNOW, TELL,
  UNDERSTAND, REPORT, EXPECT SAY and THINK.
• It makes the information sound
  MORE IMPERSONAL!

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Examples

• It is said that the company may close.
• It is thought that prices will go up.
• The man is said to be in his 40s.
• He is believed to have left the country.

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•  
• 1. We should clean these windows before tomorrow.
• 2. The workers gave the boss some flowers. 
• 3. The police followed the thieves into a
  building.
• 4. The mechanic cant fix my car.
• 5. The neighbour has told us the news.
• 6. The students painted the walls last year.
• 7. The old woman feeds the pigeons every day.
• 8. They will pick up John at this office.
• 9. She showed the visitors the new house.
• 10. You shouldnt throw litter on the ground.
• 11. The teacher asked the students a very
  difficult question at the oral exam.
• 12. First, we have to read the text and then, we
  have to do the
• exercises.
• 13. His parents promised Tom a hundred Euros if
  he passed the test
• 14. Did they repair all the windows?
• 15. The news surprised us all.