IC3- Reading comprehension

UNIT 3
PASSIVE VOICE
PAGE 36
 Voices

Active voice Passive voice

The secretary reserved The rooms for the buyers were reserved
the rooms for the buyers. by the secretary.

the subject is the agent the subject receives the action of a

or the doer of the verb transitive verb

The passive voice

The active voice

The pattern of the passive voice is always

be + past participle with no object following it.
 Active or passive?
Active or passive may be confused you.
We have two forms:
1/ Subject + ______ + object: require an active form verb in the
blank. (active form require an Object)
Teenagers spend their pocket money mostly on buying clothes.
V(active) O
2/ Subject + ______ + adverbial phrase may require a passive form
verb in the blank.
The application was supposed to be sent only to the new employees.
V (passive) adverbial phrase
 Passive expressions used with prepositions
The executives were satisfied with the presentation.
Our team is composed of the best employees in our company.
Some passive expressions are used with prepositions (ex: satisfied+with,..)other
than by, and should be learned by heart.
These include the following:
be disappointed / be frightened / be surprised + at
be engaged / be interested / be involved + in
be composed / be made / be tired + of
be dedicated / be known / be married + to
be bored / be crowded / be filled / be pleased / be satisfied + with
Note:
1. Active sentences with a passive meaning
Tomatoes peel easily if you scald them in hot water.
=Tomatoes are peeled easily if you scald them in hot water.
 Some verbs (cut, peel, read, sell, wash,..) are used with a passive meaning
despite their active forms
2. Certain verbs are followed by gerunds in active forms, but the meanings
denoted by these gerunds are in fact passive
→ the gerunds can be replaced by to be + past participle.
Ex:
The old closet needs painting. = The old closet needs to be painted.
deserve/require / want / need + gerund [ = to be + past participle]
 Passive voice of causative verbs
The boss made the secretary complete the order sheet.
The secretary was made to complete the order sheet by the boss.
……….. made + O + V1 → ………..was made + to V1
Causative verbs in the passive voice have the form
be + p.p. + to + infinitive
Note: to have
The director had the machines repaired.
The boss had the order sheet completed.
…….. have + O (things) + PP
 Passive voice of verbs of perception
I saw Mr. Pitt go down the stairs.
Mr. Pitt was seen to go (=going) down the stairs (by me).
….see +O + V1… → ……be + PP + to V1 /(V-ing)

The passive form of verbs of perception is:

be + past participle + to + infinitive.
 Intransitive verbs cannot be used in the passive voice
Some of the items I ordered arrived two days later.
“arrived” is in active form
Only transitive verbs can have a passive form.
Be careful not to use intransitive verbs in passive construction.
These verbs are often misused by foreign speakers of English.

appear exist arrive happen become

remain come stay disappear occur take place
 Verbs that express the meanings of possession, existence or a
state cannot be used in the passive voice
We had the meal with the buyers from the Philippines.
The manager became the general manager when I got
back from my business trip.
had, become must be in active forms

The following verbs (some of them are transitive) cannot be used in

the passive voice:
become belong to have lack meet resemble
 Core formation of the passive voice
Be + PP (V3/-ed)

Perfect tenses to-infinitives

[have / has / had + been +PP] [to + be + PP]

Auxiliaries Relative clauses

[auxiliary + be + PP] [relative pronoun + be + PP]
Do exercises in books
Grammar Practice – p 41, 42
Learn Vocabularies – p 43
Check-up test – p 44, 45, 46
Check-up test
THE END OF THE LESSON!