Online Aviation English - English Teacher Oxford - www.englishteacheroxford.co.

uk

Active and passive.

Active
The word order of an active sentence is:

subject + verb + object eg Maintenance check the plane.

Passive
The word order of an passive sentence is:

object + verb + (by + subject) eg The plane is checked by maintenance.

Active Passive
Present simple: Present simple:
Maintenance check the plane. The plane is checked by maintenance.

Present continuous: Present continuous:

Maintenance are checking the plane. The plane is being checked by
maintenance.
Future simple: Future simple:
Maintenance will check the plane later. The plane will be checked by maintenance.

Going to: Going to:

Maintenance are going check the plane The plane is going to be checked.
later.

2nd conditional: 2nd conditional:

Maintenance would check the plane, if it The plane would be checked if it was
was involved in an accident. involved in an accident.

Present perfect: Present perfect:

Maintenance have checked the plane. The plane has been checked by
maintenance.

Past simple: Past simple:

Maintenance checked the plane, yesterday. The plane was checked by maintenance.

Past continuous: Past continuous:

Maintenance were checking the plane, The plane was being checked by
when they found a crack in the fuselage. maintenance, when a crack was found.

Past perfect: Past perfect:

The investigators discovered that The investigators discovered that the plane
maintenance had checked the plane 2 days had been checked 2 days before the crash.
before the crash.

© Copyright English Teacher Oxford 2009

Online Aviation English - English Teacher Oxford - www.englishteacheroxford.co.uk

Read the following active sentences and change them to passive sentences.

1. ATC have cleared us for departure.

We have been cleared for departure by ATC.
2. A bird strike has cracked the windscreen.
________________________________________________________

3. A steward reported a disturbance in the cabin.

________________________________________________________

4. ATC told us to climb to FL 135.

________________________________________________________

5. Lightening is striking us.

________________________________________________________

6. A student pilot is flying the plane.

________________________________________________________

7. The maintenance crew are repairing the runway.

________________________________________________________

8. A tow-truck is towing CEL 235.

________________________________________________________

9. The pilot has reported severe turbulence .

________________________________________________________

10. Terrorists have hijacked the plane.

________________________________________________________

© Copyright English Teacher Oxford 2009

Online Aviation English - English Teacher Oxford - www.englishteacheroxford.co.uk

Answers:

2. The windscreen has been cracked (by a bird strike).

3. A disturbance was reported in the cabin (by a steward).
4. We were told to climb to FL 135 (by ATC).
5. We are being struck by lightning.
6. The plane is being flown by a student pilot.
7. The runway is being repaired (by the maintenance crew).
8. CEL 235 is being towed (by a tow-truck).
9. Severe turbulence has been reported (by the pilot).
10. The plane has been hijacked (by terrorists).

© Copyright English Teacher Oxford 2009