4. USE
We use the passive to say what happens to people and
things, to say what is done to them. For example:
The car is being repaired
5. MIX AND MATCH Exercises
Match the beginning and the ending of the sentences.
6. USE
We use the passive form when we don’t know who did the
action.
For example:
The car was damaged while it was parked on the
street.
The shirts were made in Turkey
7. PUT THE WORDS IN THE CORRECT ORDER
EXERCISE
Form the sentences in the passive.
8. USE
We use the passive form when what is done is more
important than who did it.
For example:
It was approved by Gerry last week
I was informed by the human Resources Manager only two
days ago
10. CAN YOU REMEMBER THE SENTENCES?
EXERCISE
Can you remember the sentences?
11. Including a By-Phrase I
IDENTIFYING
INFORMATION:
A passive clause permits the focus to
be placed on the known information.
A by-phrase with the agent (source of the action)
is included only when it adds identifying,
important information. Usage note.
13. Including a By-Phrase II
NONIDENTIFYING INFORMATION
A by-phrase is not included:
(1) when it adds repetitive, unimportant, or unspecific
information (someone, anyone);
(2) when the speaker is avoiding mention of the agent.
(e.g., Mistakes were made.)
15. VERB FORMS I
Active verb forms Passive verb forms
• Simple Present
I drive
• Simple Past
I drove
• Present Perfect
I have driven
• Past Perfect
I had driven
• will-future
I will drive
• Future Perfect
I will have driven
• Conditional I
I would drive
• Conditional II
I would have driven
• Simple Present
I am driven
• Simple Past
I was driven
• Present Perfect
I have been driven
• Past Perfect
I had been driven
• will-future
I will be driven
• Future Perfect
I will have been driven
• Conditional I
I would be driven
• Conditional II
I would have been driven
16. VERB FORMS II
Active (Progressive/Continuous) Passive (Progressive/Continuous)
• Simple Present
I am driving
• Simple Past
I was driving
• Present Perfect
I have been driving
• Past Perfect
I had been driving
• will-future
I will be driving
• Future Perfect
I will have been driving
• Conditional I
I would be driving
• Conditional II
I would have been driving
• Simple Present
• I am being driven
• Simple Past
• I was being driven
• Present Perfect*
• I have been being driven
• Past Perfect*
• I had been being driven
• will-future*
• I will be being driven
• Future Perfect*
• I will have been being driven
• Conditional I*
• I would be being driven
• Conditional II*
• I would have been being driven
17. PASSIVE SENTENCES WITH
TWO OBJECTS
Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in
passive voice means that one of the two objects
becomes the subject, the other one remains an
object.
Which object to transform into a subject depends
on what you want to put the focus on.
18. PASSIVE SENTENCES WITH
TWO OBJECTS
Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2
Active: Rita wrote a letter to me.
Passive: A letter was written to me by Rita.
Passive: I was written a letter by Rita.
19. PASSIVES WITH TWO OBJECTS EXERCISES
Rewrite the sentences with the two possibilities.
20. Get + Noun + Participle
Do or Have Something Done (causative)
DO A JOB UNTIL COMPLETED
We use get to say that we worked on something until
it was done. The participle is more adjective than
verb.
John got the wood chopped.
Then, he got the hedge trimmed.
Next, he got the weeds out of the yard.
Last, he got the dogs washed.
