Passive Voice

Tense Subject Verb Object

Simple Present Active: Rita writes a letter

Passive: A letter is written (by Rita)

Simple Past Active: Rita wrote a letter

Passive: A letter was written (by Rita)

Present Perfect Active: Rita has written a letter

Passive: A letter has been written (by Rita)

Future Active: Rita will write a letter

Passive: A letter will be written (by Rita)

Modals Active: Rita can write a letter

Passive: A letter can be written (by Rita)

Present Active: Rita is writing a letter

Progressive Passive: A letter is being written (by Rita)

Past Progressive Active: Rita was writing a letter

Passive: A letter was being written (by Rita)

Past Perfect Active: Rita had written a letter

Passive: A letter had been written (by Rita)

Future II Active: Rita will have written a letter

Passive: A letter will have been written (by Rita)

Conditional I Active: Rita would write a letter

Passive: A letter would be written (by Rita)

Conditional II Active: Rita would have written a letter

Passive: A letter would have been written (by Rita)

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)

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 2 Grammar focus
Focus 2 : the passive

D. Complete the chart

Subject to be Past participle

The Lingua for travelers by

was designed travelers.
Traveler

Mandarin Chinese ……………………… ……………………. by over a billion people.

Words and phrases ……………………… ……………………. on the display.

When the first the audio quality was

electronic poor.
translators ……………………. …………………….

E. Complete the rule

We form the passive with the verb …………….. and the past
Participle of the verb.
We use the passive when :
 We know / don’t know who does something :
The bicycle was invented 200 years ago.
 It is important / not important to say who does something :
Spanish is spoken in many South America countries.

If we want to say who does something, we use by :

Mandarin Chinese is spoken by over a billion people.

F. Which sentences are active and which are passive? Write A or P

1. A : My colleague wrote the reports. ………............
B : The reports were written by my colleague ……………….
2. A : He left his computer on all night. ……………….
B : His computer was left on all night. ……………….
3. A : English is spoken all over the world. ……………….
B : Many people all over the world speak English. ……………….
4. A : I made a mistake in my report. ……………….
B : My laptop was made in Korea. ……………….
5. A : The offices are cleaned every day. ……………….
B : The cleaner cleans our offices every day. ……………….

G. Make sentences in the passive

1. First computer / build / in 1936 The first computer was built in 1936.
2. First smartphone / introduce / in 2007
3. In the 1990s / tapes and CDs / replace / MP3s
4. most expensive cell phone in the world / make / of gold and diamonds
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 5. about 120 million cell phone / throw away / every year in the US
6. first text message / send / by a Canadian engineer / in 1989
7. about 60.000 videos / post / on YouTube / every week
8. ebay / invent / by a French scientist / in 1995
9. trillions of text messages / send / worldwide / every year
10. Amazon / start / in 1994 / by Jeff Besoz

2 Grammar focus
Focus 1 : the passive

A. Put the verb tenses A and B in the column on the left. Then complete the passive
sentences.

A Present Continuous B Present Perfect

Tense Active Passive

Make sure the room

1. Make sure somebody has ……………………………. and the
prepared the room and has technical equipment
checked the equipment. …………………………………

Don’t block the view when

2. Don’t block the view when you are
showing visuals. visuals………………………….............

B. What did the people say in these situations? Make passive sentences with the words
in brackets.
1. My phone is missing. ( I hope / it / not /steal )
I hope it hasn’t been stolen.
2. The co-workers are in the seminar room. ( they / train / by Nicole )
3. Your office looks different. ( the walls / paint ?)
4. The photocopier is working again. ( it/ repair / yesterday )
5. This company is big. ( 300 people / employ / here )
6. There were three applicants for the job. ( they / interview / right now )

C. Underline the modal verb in the active sentences 2 to 4. Complete the passive
sentences.

Active Passive

1. You must photocopy handouts in Handouts must be photocopied in

advance. advance.

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2. Speak loudly enough so that
everyone can hear and understand
you.
Speak loudly enough so that you
…………………..and ……………………. by
everyone

Questions ……………………… for the end of

3. You should save questions for the
end of your talk. your talk.

4. People might not take you seriously. You …………………. seriously.

The passive infinitive after modal verb is formed with be + ……………

D. Change the sentences into the passive. Use the modal verb in brackets.

1. Don’t make appointments before next week. (can) Appointments can be made next
week.
2. Solve the problem soon! (must) …………………………………………..
3. Don’t make a decision before the next meeting. (should)
…………………………………………….
4. Postpone the meeting until next month. (can) ………………………………………………
5. Do something before it’s too late. (should) …………………………………….
6. Don’t make the same mistake again. (must) ………………………………………

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