Communicative English Language Skills 2

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Passive Voice

📝Pre-tutor Question: Identify all the passive voice in the given

dialogue below.

👨 Boss: John, this is the third time you’ve been late this week.
You were needed in that meeting today. Fortunately, the deal was
done, but it almost didn’t happen. Could you tell me why you been
late yesterday?

👤John: I’m sorry, but I was stuck in traffic. My car was sitting in
the same spot for thirty minutes.

👨 Boss: If you’re getting stuck in traffic everyday, then you

should leave the house earlier.

👤John: I know, but that isn’t the problem. Today was the first
time that I was stuck in traffic. And it wasn’t normal rush-hour
traffic, either.
👨 Boss: what do you mean?

👤John: Today traffic was stopped by a zebra.

👨 Boss: A zebra?

👤John: Yeah. I saw it. The zebra walked right in front of my car.
It was almost hit by another car. Other animals were seen on the
freeway, too. It was crazy.

👨 Boss: You expect me to believe that you were delayed by a

zebra?

👤John: It’s true! It was talked about on the radio. It is thought that
the animals escaped from the zoo.

👨 Boss: I am going to check out your story. But what about

yesterday? You were ab hour late?

👤John: Yesterday, I was driving to work when my car was

stopped by a policeman. I was pulled over and the policeman said
that my car had been seen at the scene of a crime. When I was
pulled over the policeman asked me to get out of the of the car.
My hands were handcuffed behind my back. He said that my car
had been seen on the camera of a gas station that had been
robbed. Then, the policeman got a call on his radio saying that
the robbers had been caught by another policeman. They were
being held in custody. The policeman let me go, but half an hour
already passed.
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👨 Boss: I will check the news and get back to you. Now go to you
work.

News 📺

The men who had been robbing the gas stations in the area have
been arrested by the police. They had stolen the car of a local
man, but they were forced to go on foot once the stolen vehicle
was found by the police. The robbed cash hasn’t been recovered
yet. The robbers are now being questioned by the police. It is
hoped that the money will be finally recovered from them. More
details will be provided soon.

And earlier today, some animals escaped from the zoo. One of
the animal feeders had a seizure right when they were opening
the animal’s cages, and the animals were released from their
cages, and the animals were released from their cages by
mistake. The animals were recaptured by the zoo, and they were
put back into their cages. The animal’s feeder is now being
treated in the hospital after collapsing in the zoo.

👨 Boss: I’m going to call him right now. Hi john, it’s Michael. I’m
sorry I didn’t believe you. I just watched the news. They were
talking about how a car was stolen and how the animals were
accidentally released. I want you to know that I trust you and and
feel like I can rely on you.

👤John: Thanks, I appreciate you saying that.

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👉 Inbox your answers to: @Campus_hand_out

What is the “Passive Voice?”

• A sentence generally begins the object or person that the
action is performed on.
• The passive voice is used to show interest in the person or
object that experiences an action rather than the person or
object that performs the action. In other words, the most
important thing or person becomes the subject of the
sentence

The receiver of the action is more important

Example: The pyramids were built nearly 5,000 years ago by

the ancient Egyptians.
(We want to emphasize “pyramids” more than “ancient
Egyptians”)

• Sometimes we use the passive voice because we don't know

or do not want to express who performed the action

✓ My car has been stolen!

✓ I noticed that a window had been left open
✓ The room was cleaned

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Forming the passive voice

Object +Verb (+ by subject)

The room was cleaned (by john)
(Verb 'to be' +past participle)

Converting active voice to passive

Active Voice Passive Voice

I me

He him
You you
We us
She her
They them
It it
Who whom

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 In the active voice, the subject of the sentence DOES the action:

John painted the house last week.

Subject / verb / object

In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence RECEIVES the

action.

The house was painted last week.

Subject / verb

To change an active voice sentence to a passive voice sentence:

1. Make the object of the active sentence into the subject of the
passive sentence.
2. Use the verb “to be” in the same tense as the main verb of the
active sentence.
3. Use the past participle of the main verb of the active sentence

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Tense change

Exercise 1) Change the following sentences to passive form.

1. He reads a novel.

2. He does not cook food.

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3. Does he purchase books?

4. They grow plants.

5. She teaches me.

6. Alemu is singing a song.

7. Abebe is not chopping vegetables.

8. Is Yonas buying a table?

9. They are serving poor people.

10. She is disturbing Dinesh.

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Exercise 2) Change the following sentences to passive form.

1, Rahel has challenged her.

2, john has not written an article.

3, Have they left the apartment?

4, She has created this masterpiece.

5, I have read the newspaper.

6, hermela cleaned the floor.

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7, Aisha bought a bicycle.

8, micheal called my friends.

9, I saved him.

10, The bills were paid by Miraya.

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Exercise 3) Change the following sentences to passive form.

1, Bety was painting the wall.

2, Manish was repairing the car.

3, Were you reciting the poem?

4, She was baking the cake.

5, She was watching me.

6, Misha had cleaned the floor.

7, Melkam had not received the parcel.

8, Vishal had solved the doubt.

9, Had they caught the thief?

10, I had paid fifty thousand.

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Exercise 4) Change the following sentences to passive form.

1, Kriya will sew the bag.

2, Disha will not arrange the things.

3, Will you mop the floor?

4, They will post the letter.

5, jerry will save money.

6, They will have brought the toy.

7, hana will not have changed the table cover.

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8, Will she have written the notes.

9. They will have won the match.

10, Vijay will have washed a shirt.

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