ENGLISH V

UNIT 5
ENGINEERING IN BOTH COLOMBIA AND THE WORLD

UNIT V - MODULE I - GRAMMAR

Passive Voice

The passive voice is very useful in English especially in research reports . It is well
known that the passive voice is used in situations in which the receiver needs to be
emphasized whereas in active voice the agent is the one who needs to be
emphasized. Some authors have stated that the passive voice is not recommended
since its use allows evasion of responsibility; however, it continues being constantly
used, especially in research reports, as stated above.

The passive voice follows the following structure:

:
-a subject which is normally the object of the active sentence
-an auxiliary verb ( be or get) +the past participle of the verb

Example:

One Hundred Years of Solitude was written by Gabriel García Márquez.

Subject: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Verb: was written
Object: the agent: by Gabriel Garcìa Márquez

Only transitive verbs accept passive voice (verbs followed by an object).

The passive is used in various tenses: present, past, present perfect. Future,future
perfect, present progressive, past progressive, future progressive.
Tense Auxiliary Example
Present is, are The courses are offered every semester.
Past was, were English VII was not offered last semester
Present perfect has been, have been English 2 and 3 have been offered recently
Past perfect had been English had not been offered before.
Future: will be French will be offered in a near future.
Future perfect will have been If I had known, the courses would have been
designed before.
Present progressive is being, are being Some English books are being written right now.
Past progressive was being, were being. This text was being designed last year.

As shown is a passive expression which is used in research articles. It is the

abbreviation of: As it has been shown… (Present perfect).
There is another expression which is used in passive voice, it is: could have been
Example: This material could have been written by an expert in law.

The following is a list of irregular verbs in past participle. Here you will find present,
past and past. The form of the past participle is the one to be used in passive voice.
The past participle of the verb is also used after the verb to Have (has, have, had)
when it acts as an auxiliary verb in perfect tenses.

Examples of sentences using passive voice:

The engineer was killed in a crave accident.

Subject: the engineer
Auxiliary verb: was
Verb in past participle: killed
Object: in a crave accident

The articles were written last year for the international conference.
Subject: The articles
Auxiliary verb: were
Verb: written
Object: for the international conference
 Present Past Past participle
Arise Arose Arisen
awake Awoke Awoken
Be was/were Been
Beat Beat Beaten
become Became Become
Begin Began begun
Bend Bent bent
Bet Bet bet
Bite Bit bitten
Bleed Bled bled
Blow Blew blown
Break Broke broken
Bring Brought brought
Build built built
Burn burned/burnt burned/burnt
Burst burst burst
Buy bought bought
Can could been able
Catch caught caught
choose chose chosen
Come came come
Cost cost cost
Cling clung clung
Creep crept crept
Cut cut cut
Deal dealt dealt
Dive dove/dived dived

Dig dug dug

Do did done
Draw drew drawn
Dream dreamed/dreamt dreamed/dreamt
Drink drank drunk
Drive drove driven
Eat ate eaten
Fall fell fallen
Feed fed fed
Feel felt felt
Fight fought fought
Find found found
Fit fit fit
Flee fled fled
Fling flung flung
Fly flew flown
Forget forgot forgotten
forbide forbade/forbad forbidden
forgive forgave forgiven
freeze froze frozen
Get got got
Give gave given
Go went gone/been
grind ground ground
grow grew grown
hang hung hanged/hung
have had had
hear hear heard
hide hid hidden
Hit hit hit
hold held held
hurt hurt hurt
keep kept kept
knit knit/knitted knit/knitted
kneel kneel kneel
know knew known
Lay laid laid
lead led led
leap leapt leapt
learn learned/learnt learned/learnt
leave left left
lend lent lent
Let let let
lie (lie down) lay lain
light lit/lighted lit/lighted
lose lost lost
make made made
mean meant meant
meet met met
must hat to had to
pay pad paid
prove proved proven
quit quit quit
put put put
read read read
ride rode ridden
ring rang rung
rise rose risen
run ran run
say said said
see saw seen
sell sold sold
seek sought sought
send sent sent
set set set
sew sewed sewed/sewn
shave shaved shaved/shaven
shake shook shaken
shine shone shone
shoot shot shot
show showed shown
shrink shrank/shrunk shrunk/shrunken
shut shut shut
sing sang sung
sink sank sunk
Sit sat sat
sleep slept slept
slide slid slid
smell smelled/smelt smelled/smelt
speak spoke spoken
speed sped sped
spend spent spent
spill spilled/spilt spilled/spilt
spin spun spun
spit spat/spit spat
split split split
spread spread spread
spring sprang sprang
spoil spoiled/spoilt spoiled/spoilt
stand stood stood
steal stole stolen
stick stuck stuck
stink stank/stunk stunk
sting stung stung
strike struck struck
swear swore swore
sweep swept swept
swim swam swum
swing swung swung
take took taken
teach taught taught
tear tore torn
tell told told
think thought thought
throw threw thrown
understand understood understood
upset upset upset
wake woke woken
weave wove woven
weep wept wept
wear wore worn
win won won
write wrote written
Exercise 1.

In the following sentences, select the expression in passive voice:

a) It can practically be said, according to some leaders, that there are two
advantages: better knowledge of the geographical and cultural context.
b) Mechanical, physical and chemical properties of materials need to be
evaluated.
c) The reports were handed one hour ago.
d) My TV set was not repaired because it was too old and its parts were nor found.
e) The boxing match was lost in the last round.
f) The stores will not be opened this weekend, although, they are on sales.

Exercise 2

Use the correct form of the verb to complete the following sentences, using the
verb in parenthesis.

Example Chapters I, II, and III _________in the previous class (explain).
Chapters I, II, and II were explained in the previous class.

a. R-4 model car ____________easily because it is not a new model. (steal)

b. On sales, stores _______________until late. (open)
c. Many students ____________in the last protest. (arrest).
d. d Some of my friends ____________to the party. (invite).
e. This new building _______________a year ago. (construct).
f. f. My apartment ___________and one of the thieves _________ by the police
(rob). (catch).
g. People on the beach ______________ by a huge wave. (hit)
h. After the storm, the snow _________________by the workers. (remove)