Use of English

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Unit 10:
Celebrations
Unit 10: Celebrations

1. passive voice: with or

without agent

2. vocabulary: words
associated with the topic
of celebrations
a) We use the passive voice to talk about
actions or events in which the agent, or the
“doer” of the action, is obvious, unknown or
unimportant.
Example:
• All the houses are decorated on
Christmas.
(Who decorates the houses? it’s obvious that
people so it’s not necessary to mention them)

b) We also use the passive voice to emphasize

the action, the results of the action or the
receiver of the action.
• Mothers are given presents on Mother’s
day.
(Who gives the presents? it’s not necessary to
mention, the emphasis is on the receiver, the
mothers)

c) The passive is also used to stress a process

or event.
• Thanksgiving is celebrated in the USA.
(the emphasis is on the event of Thanksgiving)
 Remember:
The passive voice can be used in
different tenses:
In order to form sentences in
passive voice, you need to know
1. present simple
the regular and irregular verbs in
past participle.
2. past simple

3. present / past progressive

Click on this link for a complete
list of irregular verbs:
4. present perfect simple
https://www.gingersoftware.com
/content/grammar-
Form:
rules/verbs/list-of-irregular-
*BE + VERB (PAST PARTICIPLE)
verbs/
*The verb to be changes depending on
the tense.
 Passive voice in present simple ➢ Affirmative:
Observe:
Object + be + verb (past participle)
(am / is / are)
➢ Active voice:
Turkey is eaten on Thanksgiving day.
• People decorate their houses on Christmas.
➢ Negative:
➢ Passive voice:
Object + be (not) + verb (past participle)
(am / is / are)
• Houses are decorated on Christmas. (by people
Thanksgiving day isn’t celebrated in Peru.
– no agent necessary)
➢ Question forms:
People decorate their houses on Christmas.
(Wh) + be + object + verb (past participle)?
(am / is / are)
• When is “turron doña pepa” eaten in Peru?
It’s eaten in October.
Houses are decorated on Christmas.
• Is the national anthem sung in July?
Yes, it is.

Object + be + verb (past participle)

(am / is / are)
 Passive voice in present simple

Look at these examples:

(a)People eat “paneton” at Christmas.

(p) “Paneton” is eaten at Christmas.

Remember:
(a) People see fireworks at night.
Do not mention the agent: (by … ) if it
(p) Fireworks are seen at night. is obvious, unknown or unimportant.

(a) People wear new clothes that day.

(p) New clothes are worn that day.

(a) active voice

(p) passive voice
 Passive voice in past simple ➢ Affirmative:

Observe: Object + be + verb (past participle)

(was / were)
➢ Active voice:
The cake was prepared by my mom.
• The children opened the presents at midnight.
➢ Negative:
➢ Passive voice:
Object + be (not) + verb (past participle)
• The presents were opened by the children at (was / were)
midnight. (by the children-agent)
The grapes weren’t bought yesterday.

The children opened the presents at midnight. ➢ Question forms:

(Wh) + be + object + verb (past participle)?

(was / were)
The presents were opened by the children.
When were the presents bought?
They were bought in November.
Object + be + verb (past participle)
Was pumpkin pie made by you?
(was / were)
No, it wasn’t. It was made by my mom.
 Passive voice in past simple

(a) My mom made a delicious pie

yesterday.

(p) A delicious pie was made by my mom Remember:

yesterday.
We mention the agent: by … only if it
(a) My friend bought some snacks for my necessary.
party.

(p) Some snacks were bought by my friend

for my party.

(a) Someone sent me a card last night.

(p) I was sent a card last night.

(a) active voice

(p) passive voice
 Passive voice in present continuous ➢ Affirmative:

Observe: Object + am/is/are+being + verb (past part.)

➢ Active voice: Lots of yellow clothes are being sold for New Year
‘s day celebration..
• People are buying a lot of presents these days.
➢ Negative:
➢ Passive voice:
Object + am/is/are (not)+being + verb (pp)
• A lot of presents are being bought these days. (by
people – no agent necessary) “Piñatas” aren’t being used at birthdays anymore.

➢ Question forms:
People are buying a lot of presents these days.
(Wh) + am/is/are+ object + being + verb(pp)?
A lot of presents are being bought these days.
Where is yellow underwear being sold?
It’s being sold at the market now.

Are many presents being bought now?

Yes, they are. It’s Christmas time!
Object + are /is /am +being + verb (past participle)
 Passive voice in past continuous
Observe:
➢ Active voice:
• People were buying a lot of presents yesterday
evening.
➢ Passive voice:
• A lot of presents were being bought yesterday
evening. (by people – no agent necessary)
People were buying a lot of presents yesterday
evening.
A lot of presents were being bought yesterday
evening.
Object + was / were +being + verb (pp)
➢ Affirmative:
Object + was/were+being + verb (past part.)
Lots of yellow clothes were being sold last New
Year celebration..
➢ Negative:
Object + was/were (not)+being + verb (pp)
“Piñatas” weren’t being used at birthdays
anymore last year.
➢ Question forms:
(Wh) + was/were+ object + being+ verb(pp)?
Where was yellow underwear being sold?
It was being sold at the market yesterday.
Were a lot of presents being bought last year?
No, they weren’t. It was a hard time for people.
 Passive voice in present and past
continuous
(a) People are buying more online products
these days.
Remember:
(b) More online products are being bought
these days. The present continuous is used to talk
about actions happening now.
(a) They were closing the stores at 11: 00 pm
last NewYear.
The past continuous is used to talk about
(b) The stores were being closed at 11:00 pm actions that were in progress in a
last NewYear. particular time in the past.

(a) active voice

(p) passive voice
 Passive voice in present perfect ➢ Affirmative:
Observe: Object + have /has + been + verb (past part.)
➢ Active voice: The Christmas tree has been pushed by the cat.
• Someone has broken my new tablet. ➢ Negative:
➢ Passive voice: Object + have /has (not) + been + verb (pp)
• My tablet has been broken. (by someone – no The Christmas lights haven’t been turned on.
agent necessary)
➢ Question forms:
Someone has broken my new tablet. (Wh) + have/ has+ object + been+ verb(pp)?

Where have the presents been hidden?

My new tablet has been broken. They have been hidden in the living room.

Has the turkey been roasted yet?

Object + have / has + been + verb (pp) No, it hasn’t yet. It’ll be ready in a fem minutes.
 Passive voice in present perfect

(a) People have taken lots of pictures

recently.
Remember:
(p) Lots of photos have been taken recently.
We use the present perfect to talk about
(a) Someone has stolen the Christmas past action with no specific time.
decoration.

(p) The Christmas decoration has been

stolen.

(a) active voice

(p) passive voice
Exercise I. Make these active voice sentences into passive voice sentences. Start the passive voice with the words
in bald.

1. Brazilian people wear white clothes on New Year.

_________________________________________________________
2. They celebrated Carnivals on February 10th.
_________________________________________________________
3. People hide colorful eggs on Eastern.
_________________________________________________________
4. Patty and Mildred Hill wrote the song “Happy birthday to you” in 1893.
_________________________________________________________
5. President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863.
_________________________________________________________
6. Some people are buying more gift cards these days.
_________________________________________________________
7. They are closing the stores very early this week.
_________________________________________________________
8. Someone was watching the Wong parade from his window last year.
_________________________________________________________
9. Rich businesspeople have donated a lot of presents to poor children.
_________________________________________________________
10. They have put up a beautiful Christmas tree in the main square.
_________________________________________________________
Exercise II. Write the questions in passive voice (present simple or past simple) for the answers.

1. A: When ___________________?
B: It’s celebrated on February 14th.

2. A: Where ___________________?
B: It’s celebrated in The United States.

3. A: When ____________________?
B: Turkey is eaten on Christmas and New Year.

4. A: When ____________________?
B: Yellow clothes are worn on New Year.

5. A: Where ___________________?
B: Wong’s parade is displayed in Miraflores or Surco.

6. A: Who _____________________ by?

B: The song “happy birthday to you” was written by Patty and Mildred Hill.
7. A: Why ____________________?
B: Presents are given on birthdays to celebrate life.

8. A: Where __________________?
B: Green clothes are worn in Ireland on Saint Patrick’s day.

9. A: Who __________________ by?

B: Mother’s day was created by Ana Jarvis.

10. A: Why __________________ on Easter?

B: Eggs are decorated because they represent Jesus' resurrection.
• annual
• celebrate
• Christmas
• event
• fair
• fireworks display
• gather
• in honor of
• parade
• symbolize
• Thanksgiving
• tradition
Exercise III. Complete the conversations with the correct word.

1. A: We have a __________ in my family.

B: Really? What is it?
A: We always have dinner together on New Year.
• annual
2. A: Why is Valentine’s day celebrated?
B: I think it’s celebrated ________________ a priest named Valentin. • celebrate
• Christmas
3. A: What’s your favorite celebration?
B: It’s definitely ______________. I love to ________ with my family. We are all together. • event
• fair
4. A: Why are eggs painted on Easter?
B: Because they _________ fertility and happiness. • fireworks display
• gather
5. A: How are you going to ________ your birthday this year?
B: I’m not sure. I think I’ll throw a party at home. • in honor of
• parade
6. A: I love to see the ___________________ on New Year?
B: Yeah. Me too. They’re so beautiful and noisy, though. • symbolize
• Thanksgiving
7. A: Are you going to the ________ ceremony at work?
B: Yes! it’s only once a year. I love that __________. • tradition
8. A: When is _____________ celebrated in Canada?
B: I’m not sure. I think it’s in October.
• annual
9. A: Are you going to the Christmas ___________ next week?
• celebrate
B: Yes. let’s go together.
• Christmas
A: Ok. They sell all different kinds of beautiful things.
• event
• fair
• fireworks display
• gather
• in honor of
• parade
• symbolize
• Thanksgiving
• tradition
 Sources & Credits

● https://thenounproject.com/
● https://dictionary.cambridge.org/es/diccionario/ingles-espanol/credit
● https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/list-of-irregular-verbs/
● https://andertoons.com/
● English Discoveries Student platform
● Exercises: Guisella Villavicencio Vargas

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