The%20Passive

1
The Passive
2
Sample sentences

• The window was broken last night.
• Our IT system is being renewed at the moment.
• A loan can be arranged within six days.
• Interest rates were raised by 1.
• I have been offered a new job.
• A new job has been offered to me.

3
We use the passive

• 1. When who does the action is not important.
• The new design hasnt been chosen.
• 2. When who does the action is clear from the
  situation
• I was being asked some difficult questions at the
  interview.
• 3. When who does the action is unknown
• The window was broken last night.

4

• Passive can be formed ONLY with transitive verbs
  those that have an OBJECT
• Someone is walking in the street.-NO OBJECT
• Somebody damaged in transit.

the goods
OBJECT
5
ACTIVE PASSIVE

• ACTIVE Subject Object
• speak .
• PASSIVE

Mexicans
Spanish
is spoken
in Mexico.
6
ACTIVE PASSIVE

• Subject Object
• founded .
• by .

Richard Branson
Virgin Records
was founded
7
Form
TO BE past participle
8
Steps in making an active sentences passive

• Adam Smith wrote The Wealth of Nations.
  (active)
• Find the object of the active sentence.
• Put the object at the beginning of the passive
  sentence.
• Put the verb TO BE in the tense of the main verb
  of the active sentence.
• Add past participle of the main verb of the
  active sentence
• Add BY subject of the active sentence (if
  necessary)
• 1. The Wealth of Nations
• 2. The Wealth of Nations
• 3. was (because of WROTE)
• 4. written
• 5. by Adam Smith.
• The Wealth of Nations was written by Adam Smith.
  (passive)

9
ACTIVE PASSIVE

• Subject Object
• wrote .
• by
• Romeo and Juliet was written by
  Shakespeare.

Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet
was written
10
ACTIVE PASSIVE

• Subject Object
• is shipping next week.
• next week by
• The goods are being shipped next week by our
  supplier.

Our supplier
the goods
are being shipped
11
ACTIVE PASSIVE

• Subject Object
• will not finish by next month.
• by next month.
• The project wont be finished by next month.

They
the project
wont be finished
12
ACTIVE PASSIVE

• Subject Object
• can arrange within six days.
• within six days.
• A loan can be arranged within six days.

We
a loan
can be arranged
13
Verbs with two objects

• They promised
• give, lend, offer, promise, sell, send, take
  smth. to smbd.
• book, buy, keep, make, prepare, save smth. for
  smbd.

me
a better salary.
indirect object
direct object
14
ACTIVE PASSIVE

• Subject Indirect object Direct object
• offered
• 1.
• I was offered a new job.
• 2.
• A new job was offered to me.

They
a new job
me
I
was offered
was offered
me
to
15
ACTIVE PASSIVE

• Subject Indirect object Direct object
• gave
• 1.
• We were given a large order.
• 2.
• A large order was given to us.

They
a large order
us
We
were given
was given
us
to
16
THE PASSIVE USES

• If we want to mention who performs the action we
  can use a phrase beginning with by
• The decision was taken by the committee.
• The missing file has been found by one of the
  cleaners.
• The goods are being shipped next week by our
  supplier in China.

17
THE PASSIVE USES

• Active or passive If it is important to say who
  performs an action, we can use the active or we
  can use the passive and the word by
• ACTIVE Peter Franks runs the Marketing
  Department.
• PASSIVE The Marketing Department is run by Peter
  Franks.
• Both of these sentences are correct.

18
THE PASSIVE USES

• If we were already talking about Peter Franks,
  we would probably use the active
• Peter Franks is an old colleague of mine. He
  works for Butterfield International, and he runs
  the Marketing Department.
• If we were talking about the Marketing
  Department, we would probably use the passive
• The Marketing Department is a large and very
  successful division that employs over 100 people.
  It is run by Peter Franks.

19
THE PASSIVE USES

• Systems and processes
• The passive is often used to talk about systems
  and processes, because we are more concerned with
  the process itself than who carries it out. For
  example, here is a description of the wine-making
  process

20
Wine is made from the fermented juice of grapes.
Grapes are picked at optimum sugar/acidity
levels. After picking, the grapes are taken to
the winery, de-stemmed and crushed in a variety
of presses. The juice is then clarified by
settling or by centrifuge, yeast and sugar are
added and the wine is left to ferment in tanks.
When fermentation is finished the wine is poured
into a clean tank to stabilise. It can then be
filtered and bottled and left to mature.
21
Active ?Passive

• Thank you for your order for Pcplus software
  which we received this morning. Our team is
  dealing with your order, and we expect that we
  will deliver the package to you within 10 working
  days. I have included our current price list as
  an attachment. Please note we only guarantee
  these prices until 31 December. Thank you for
  choosing soft.com.

• Thank you for your order for Pcplus software
  which was received this morning.
• Your order is being dealt with by our team and we
  expect that the package will be delivered to you
  within 10 working days.
• Our current price list has been included as an
  attachment.
• Please note that these prices are guaranteed
  until 31 December.

22
Complete each sentence with a passive verb. You
may need a negative form.

• The goods _________ (damage) in transit last
  night.
• This advert _________ (see) by thousands of
  people every day.
• The project _________ (finish) by the end of the
  month.
• Fifty retail outlets _________ (close) over the
  last year.
• 5. All of our IT systems currently _________
  (review).
• 6. Your order _________ (can/ship) until we
  receive payment.

were damaged
is seen
will not be finished
have been closed
are currently being reviewed
cannot be shipped