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Esl Prin Tables 2009515192446754066636
Esl Prin Tables 2009515192446754066636
Date: ……………………………………………
A verb is said to be in the active voice when the Forms of verb “Be”:
subject does the action. (present) = am, is , are
A verb is said to be in the passive voice when the (past) = was, were
sentence shows what is done to the subject. (present participle) = being
(past participle) = been
The past participle of a verb is:
The passive is used: verb + ed (regular verbs):
when the agent (the person who does the action) is paint painted
unknown, unimportant or obvious from the context. rd
3 column in the list of irregular verbs:
The president was shot. break broken
The criminal was arrested. (by police)
when the action is more important than the agent as in A. Write the past participle of
the following verbs:
instructions, processes or headlines.
1. want …………………………
Thirty people were injured in the explosion.
2. buy …………………………
to make more polite or formal statements.
3. decide …………………………
The car hasn’t been cleaned.
4. marry …………………………
to put emphasis on the agent.
5. choose …………………………
The new library will be opened by the president.
6. drop …………………………
7. make …………………………
We form the passive with the verb to be and the past 8. draw …………………………
participle of the main verb: to be + past participle (PP)
The passive forms are:
Change the underlined active verbs
Present simple: am/is/are + PP
into the passive form:
Jim’s car is serviced twice a year.
Present continuous: am/is/are being + PP Adam hit the ball.
Dinner is being prepared now. The ball was hit by Adams.
Past simple: was/were + PP Someone is ringing the bell.
Jim’s car was serviced last week. The bell …………………………………….
Past continuous: was/were being + PP
Mom washes the carpet.
Dinner was being prepared at 7 last night.
The carpet ………………… by Mom.
Present perfect: has/have been + PP
Lunch has already been eaten. Children should drink milk.
Past perfect: had been + PP Milk ……………………… by children.
Trees had been cut. I have paid my checks.
Future simple: will be + PP or am/is/are going to be + PP Checks …………………………… by me.
Dinner will be prepared soon. Tim will write a story.
Dinner is going to be prepared at seven.
A story ………………………… by Tim.
Future perfect: will have been + PP
Tom needs to do this work.
Checks will have been paid by Tuesday.
Infinitives: (to) be + PP This work needs ……………………….
The dishes need to be cleaned now. Dina may invite some friends.
Modals: modal + be + PP Some friends ……………………………
The dishes should be cleaned. by Dina.
Changing from active into passive:
subjectverbobjectcomplimentTake this sentence as an example:Alanhas drawn Maryseveral
times.Make the object of the active verb the subject in the new sentence.
Mary ………
ActivePassiveThey don’t call the office.The office isn’t called.They don’t ring the officers.The
Note: Never use (do, does, or did) with the passive voice. See the examples:
officers aren’t called.They didn’t call the officer.The officer wasn’t called.They didn’t call the
officers.The officers weren’t called.Did they call me?Was I called?Do they know me?Am I
Note: If there is a
known?Add the rest f the sentence. preposition with the verb,
do not forget it.
Mary has been drawn several times.
Sue looks after the children.
Make the subject of the active sentence the agent of the passive sentence. The agent is introduced
with by.
The children are looked
Mary has been drawn several times by Alan. after by Sue.
Note: Don’t write the agent if it is not specific (people, someone, somebody, etc...). It is
preferable not to mention the subject if it is a pronoun (I, you, we, he, she, it, they).
Active and passive in sentences that take two objects; a direct and indirect object:
Mariesentme a funny email. subjectverbindirectEither
objectdirect object object or a direct
an indirect
Passive (1): I was sent a funny email. object may become the subject of a
Passive (2): A funny email was sent to me. passive sentence.
F. Change the following sentences with two objects from active into passive:
Past The crime was shocking me. I was being shocked by the murder.
Continuous The crime was shocking us. We are being shocked by the murder.
Present Jake has mailed the letter. The letter has been mailed by Jake.
Perfect Jake has mailed the letters. The letters have been mailed by Jake.
Jake had mailed the letter. The letter had been mailed by Jake.
Past Perfect
Jake had mailed the letters. The letters had been mailed by Jake.
Jake will mail the letter. The letter will be mailed by Jake.
Future
Jake is going to mail the letter. The letter is going to be mailed by Jake.
Simple
Jake is going to mail the letters. The letters are going to be mailed by Jake
Future Jake will have mailed the letter. The letter will have been mailed by Jake.
Perfect Jake will have mailed the letters The letters will have been mailed by Jake.
Jack needs to mail the letter. The letter needs to be mailed.
Infinitives
Jack needs to mail the letters. The letters need to be mailed.
Jake can mail the letter. The letter can be mailed by Jake.
Jake could mail the letters. The letters could be mailed by Jake.
Jake may mail the letter. The letter may be mailed by Jake.
Jake might mail the letters. The letters might be mailed by Jake.
Jake should mail the letter. The letter should be mailed by Jake.
Modals
Jake must mail the letters. The letters must be mailed by Jake.
Jake would mail the letter. The letter would be mailed by Jake.
Jake has to mail the letter. The letter has to be mailed by Jake.
Jake has to mail the letters. The letters have to be mailed by Jake.
Jake ought to mail the letter. The letter ought to be mailed by Jake.
Answer key:
Activity A:
1. wanted
2. bought
3. decided
4. married
5. chosen
6. dropped
7. made
8. drawn
Activity B:
1. The ball was hit by Adams.
2. is being rung
3. is washed
4. should be drunk
5. have been paid
6. will be written
7. to be done
8. may be invited
Activity C:
1. You will be given some advice by the lawyer.
2. The policeman was asked for directions.
3. The treasure had been found by the pirates.
4. The package is going to be taken later by Peter.
5. The machine has already been stopped.
6. The trainees are always encouraged by the coach.
7. The floor needs to be wiped right now.
8. New rules might be suggested by the employees.
Activity D:
1. The new changes weren’t noticed.
2. The furniture won’t be delivered.
3. The taxes haven’t been collected yet.
4. This poem wasn’t studied well by the students.
5. Credit cards are not accepted here.
6. Trees were not being planted at seven.
7. This plant shouldn’t be watered daily.
8. The applicants are not being interviewed.
Activity E:
1. Was the boy hit by the driver yesterday?
2. Will all the suspects be questioned by the police?
3. Has the house contract been signed?
4. Is English spoken in Spain?
5. Who was the vase in the sitting room broken by?
6. Are chestnuts being roasted now?
7. Can the top of this mountain be reached?
8. Was the piano being played very loudly?
Activity F:
1. Martin was given some letters by the secretary. / Some letters were given to Martin by the secretary.
2. I was sent an invitation by my friend. / An invitation was sent to me by my friend.
3. Laura is being shown some pictures by Mike. / Some pictures are being shown to Laura by Mike.
4. Jane will be bought a new car by Kevin next week. / A new car will be bought to Jane by Kevin next week.
5. Tom is always lent some money by Joe. / Some money is always lent to Tom by Joe.
6. He will be paid a lot of money by the company. / A lot of money will be paid to him by the company.
7. Will Dan be awarded a scholarship be the college?/ Will a scholarship be awarded to Dan by the college?
8. The criminal is denied some rights by the court. / Some rights are denied to criminal by the court.
Activity G:
1. The fox was hunted with a gun.