Skip to main content

The Passive Voice

THE PASSIVE VOICE
We use the passive voice when:
a- our focus is on the action not on the person who does the action.
b- it is not necessary to mention the doer of the action.
c- we don't know the person who does/did the action
Present simple
       
                      S          V         O
Active        Amin speaks English
Passive      English is spoken by Amin
            be (is/are)+ past participle

Exercise:  Put the sentences in the passive voice.

1- He opens the door
……………………………………………
2- We set the table
……………………………………………
3- They don't help you
……………………………………………
4- Does the police catch the thief ?
…………………………………………..
5- They wear blue shoes
……………………………………………
Present progressive

S          V             O
Leila is writing an e-mail
An e-mail is being written by Leila
be (is/are) + being + past participle

Exercise:  Put the sentences in the passive voice.
  • Sarais drinking a cup of tea
  • …………………………………
  • Ibrahim is milking the cows
  • …………………………………
  • Is she watering the flowers?
  • …………………………………
  • We are not playing football
  • …………………………………
  • My father is washing the car
  • ………………………………
                                   Past Simple
                        
                      S                V              O
Active        Columbus discovered America
Passive     America was discovered by Columbus
                  be (was/were) + past participle

Exercise:  Put the sentences in the passive voice.
1- She sang  songs
………………………………………….
2- We stopped the bus
…………………………………………
3- She didn't win the prize
…………………………………………
4- Did he send the letter?
………….…………………...................
5- A thief stole my car
……………….…………….................



Past progressive                   

S             V                     O
They were watching Television
Television was being watched by them
be (was/were) + being + past participle

Exercise:  Put the sentences in the passive voice.
  •  He was playing the guitar
  • ..................................................
  •  I was repairing their car
  • ........……………… …………..
  •  They were not eating dinner
  • …….………………………..
  •  Was she reading these lines?
  • ...........…………………………
  •  She was watching a film
  • ………………………………..


Passive with the Present perfect
                              
                   S        V             O                              S        V               O
Active         I have read the book                           I have read the books
Passive       The book has been read by me          The books have been read by me
                                        Be + have/has + been + past participle
Exercise: Put the following sentences in the passive voice.
1- I have eaten a hamburger              Hamburger…………………………………………….
2- They have not caught the thieves  The thieves…………………………………………….
3- Has she phoned him?                     Has he…………………………………………….
4- I have opened the present              The present…………………………………………….
5- Have they noticed us?                    Have we…………………………………………….


Passive voice with auxiliary verbs
                                     
Active      Samir      will/can/could/would/may/
                                 is going to/ should/ must        write a letter 

Passive    A letter   will/can/could/would/may/
                              is going to/ should/ must        be written by samir

                           Will/can/could/would … + be + past participle
Exercise: Put the following sentences in the passive voice.
  1. Adam saves     money………………………………………………………
  2. Anna opened the window………………………………………………
  3. We have done our homework……………………………………………
  4. I will ask a question……………………………………………………
  5. He can not draw the picture………………………………………………
  6. We are going to take a quiz tomorrow…………………………………




Answers
1-      Money is saved(b y (Adam)
2-      The window was opened (by Anna)
3-      Our homework has been done (by us)
4-      A question will be asked (by me)
5-      The picture cannot be drawn
6-      A quiz is going to be taken tomorrow

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Collocations

" Collocation refers to how words go together or form fixed relationships." (English Grammar Today in Cambridge Dictionary). "The combination of words formed when two or more words are often used together in a way that sounds correct: The phrase "a hard frost" is a collocation." (Cambridge English Dictionary) adult illiteracy adult literacy boarding school brain drain civic education common good communication technology critical thinking cultural diversity developed countries developing countries digital camera educational system equal opportunity equal rights formal education gender gap general assembly generation gap have access have fun health care high priority higher education human rights informal education information technology international organizations local community look forward make a mistake/mistakes mobile phone natural disaster non-formal education non...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Past Perfect

The Past Perfect Form:  had + past participle We use the past perfect to: Clarify order of two past actions (to show that one happened before the other) ·          In reported speech. ·          In conditional type three ·          To express a past wish Examples : I had phoned Jamal before I went out. Action 1 : I phoned Jamal. Action 2 : I went out Amin told me that he had been away for the whole week. If I had worked hard, I would have got the prize. I wish I had gone with you! Exercise : Put the verbs between brackets in the correct form. 1- Nadia (never read)..............................such an interesting story before she moved to university in Spain. 2- (Nadia, ever, study)..................................Spanish before she moved there? 3- She (be)............................
Post a Comment
Read more