16G BOOK II PASSIVE VOICE
We use active sentences to say what the subject does:
Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492.
We use passive sentences to say what happens to the object:
America was discovered in 1492.
The passive is used when the performer or the person who makes the action is
unknown, unimportant or implicit.
The pope was assassinated last night. (We don’t know who assassinated him)
This office is cleaned everyday. (It is not important to mention who cleans it)
Portuguese is spoken in Brazil. (the Subject, people from Brazil, is implicit)
If you want to mention who performs the action, you must use “by” at the end.
America was discovered by Christopher Columbus.
The passive is made with a form of to be and the past participle of the main verb:
ACTIVE PASSIVE
Somebody cleans the room everyday The room is cleaned everyday
Somebody is cleaning the room now The room is being cleaned now
Somebody has cleaned the room The room has been cleaned
Somebody is going to clean the room The room is going to be cleaned
Somebody should clean the room The room should be cleaned
Somebody cleaned the room yesterday The room was cleaned yesterday
Somebody was cleaning the room The room was being cleaned
Somebody had already cleaned the room The room had already been cleaned
Somebody was going to clean the room The room was going to be cleaned
The room should have been
Somebody should have cleaned the room cleaned
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Exercise I: Change the following sentences into passive voice.
Ex. Somebody paints the institute once a year. The institute is painted once a year.
1. People speak German, French and Italian in Switzerland.
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2. Somebody stole my car last week.
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3. Somebody accused me of stealing some money.
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4. They have postponed the concert twice this year.
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5. I did not realize that somebody was following me.
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6. We couldn’t travel because they had cancelled all the flights.
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7. I think that they will tell me about the concert.
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8. You should wash this sweater by hand.
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9. They are going to build a new airport near the river.
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10. They had to take the injured man to the hospital.
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Exercise II: Change the following sentences into active voice.
Ex. The entire house was painted by Liam. Liam painted the entire house.
1- At dinner, six shrimp were eaten by Harry.
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2- A movie is going to be watched by us tonight.
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3- The students’ questions are always answered by the teacher.
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4- The treaty is being signed by the two kings.
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5- For the bake sale, two dozen cookies will be baked by Susan.
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6- Instructions will be given to you by the director.
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7- Sugar cane had been raised by some people in Hawaii.
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8- People say that The Grand Canyon will be viewed by thousands of tourists this year.
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9- The comet must be showed to the science class by the teacher.
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10- The metal beams were eventually corroded by the saltwater.
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