THE PASSIVE VOICE AND ADVANCED

TEXT WRITING
UNIT
CFG13 ADMINISTRACIÓN Y FINANZAS - ASISTENCIA A LA
DIRECCIÓN
S
THE PASSIVE VOICE

GRAMMAR PRACTICE

COHERENCE AND COHESION

PHRASAL VERBS
THE PASSIVE VOICE
Use of the passive

We are interested in the object, not the agent.

 My friend took a piece of cake

(We are interested in who takes the cake)

A piece of cake was taken

(We are interested in what my friend takes)

Sometimes we don’t know who the agent is
I saw that the car had been stolen.

(We don’t know who stole the car)

Considered more formal.

Less individualistic.
Written language
Easier and clearer to read.
Spoken language
Less direct.
The agent can appear or not
The car was stolen by a man

(the man did it)

The car was stolen

(we don’t specify who did it)

FORMATION of the passive

Word order

Verb form

Agent
ACTIVE ORDER

Subject (agent) + verb + complements (object)

He took an orange
PASSIVE ORDER

Passive subject (object) + verb + agent

An orange was taken by him
PASSIVE VERB

To be (inflected) + past participle

 They do their homework - Their homework is done by them

They did their homework - Their homework was done by them

They will do their homework - Their homework will be done by them

BY + agent

Can be omitted
Their homework is done by them

or

Their homework is done

 SUBJECT OBJECT

I ME

YOU YOU

HE HIM

PRONOUNS SHE HER

IT IT

WE US

YOU YOU

THEY THEM
GRAMMAR PRACTICE
COHERENCE AND
COHESION
COHERENCE: logical order in the text.

Coherent order

COHESION: connection between different parts of the text.

Cohesion devices
Coherent order
Ways to organize information:

Chronological order

Spacial order

Order of importance

More general to more specific

Cohesion devices
Connection between parts of a sentence

Coordinating conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions

Connection between different sentences in a paragraph

Repetition of important words

Pronouns

Synonyms

Linking words

Use of grammar words (articles)

Linking words
PRHASAL VERBS