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Using The Passive Voice CLT Communicative Language Teaching Resources Conv - 48867
Using The Passive Voice CLT Communicative Language Teaching Resources Conv - 48867
The objective of a sentence in the active A: Has anyone repaired the dishwasher?
voice becomes the subject of a passive verb. B: Yes, it has just been repaired. (just - repair)
A passive construction is made up of a
subject (receiver of the action) + verb to 1 A: Has anyone repaired the dishwasher ?
be + past participle of main verb. B: No, it _______________________(not yet –repair)
If you’re changing an active structure into
the passive form, use the verb to be in the 2 A: Have you thrown those old love letters away ?
passive in the same tense of the main verb. B: I don’t remember but they ___________________
( should - not – throw away) in my opinion.
They are making a cake for her. (active)
A cake is being made for her. (passive)
3. A: Your cat doesn’t look well.
2 Use of Active x Passive Sentences B: You’re right. It doesn’t. It should ________(take)
to the vet.
Read these examples attentively:
a) Contractors build 100,000 new homes 4. A. Have they sold their old car?
in this country every year. B. I think it ____________ ( could – sell ) if it didn’t
b) More than 100,000 new homes are cost so much!
built in this country every year (by
contractors)
5. A. Why didn’t she come to your party?
B. Because she ___________________ (not – invite)
Notice that in sentence a) we place the
focus on who does the action, while in
sentence b) we emphasise what happens
6. A: Do they include service in the bill?
rather than who does the action. B: Yes, service _______________ (include)
We can say that when people emphasise the 7. A: Will they postpone the meeting?
facts or actions, they prefer to use the B. I’m sure the meeting ________________(postpone)
passive voice and when they give more
importance to who does the action they use 8. A: Can we leave our bicycles in the driveway?
the active voice in English. B: No. Bicycles ______________________ (leave) in
the driveway.
3 The agent is only included – with by -
if it adds important information.
9. A: Are they paving the street?
This garden was designed in 2001
B: Yes, the street _______________________(pave)
by my uncle Jeffrey .
4 The passive voice is also used to
10. A: Were they serving dinner when you arrived?
describe processes.
B: Yes, dinner _______________________ (serve)
Eggs and milk must be added to the bread
dough. when I arrived.
5. If you build a passive sentence with a 11. A: Were you late for dinner? Had they served dinner
modal verb (should, can, could, may, might, when you arrived?
must) you’ll use a passive infinitive ( be B: No, I wasn’t late. Dinner _________________
bought, be solved, be built, be done, etc.) (not- serve) when I arrived.
Task II
1. This bridge isn’t used very often.
2. French and English are spoken in Montreal.
3. Flights are cancelled every weekend.
4. New computers are bought every year.
5. New expensive cars are being bought for the senators.
6. That silly reality show is being watched (by millions of people) every Saturday night.
7. An apple pie is being baked for us.
8. A surprise party was organised for my birthday.
9. We’ve been shown the new machine in the factory.
10. I wasn’t told that George had married an Italian girl.
11. He didn’t know his conversation had been recorded.
12. Sue should have been invited to his party.
13. This mobile phone has probably been left in the taxi.
14. It could have been taken by now.
15. You can be picked up before 6 a.m. at the hotel, if you want.
16. The missing boy can’t be found.
17. It seems that the dishwasher hasn’t been repaired.
18. His office has just been cleaned.
19. His book will certainly be translated into many foreign languages.
20. Your complaint must be sent to the head office.