The Passive

Voice
 Active 0r Passive?
The Active Voice The Passive Voice

Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.

Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.
 Which language uses
the Passive Voice more:
English or Russian?
 Answer: English

What does it mean to us?

 Answer:
Some Russian sentences in
the Active Voice must be
translated into English in
the Passive Voice.
Compare these two sentences:
O Каждый год OOne ton of
средняя rubbish is
английская семья
thrown away
выбрасывает
тонну мусора.
every year by
(the Active Voice)
the average
British family.
(the Passive Voice)
When do we need Passive?
O 1) When the doer of the action is obvious:
The streets are swept every day.
When do we need Passive?
O 1) When the doer of the action is obvious:
The streets are swept every day.
O 2) When the doer of the action is unknown:
His car has been stolen.
When do we need Passive?
O 1) When the doer of the action is obvious:
The streets are swept every day.
O 2) When the doer of the action is unknown:
His car has been stolen.
O 3) to avoid an awkward or ungrammatical
sentence: see p.210 (awkward English – better
English). What is the rule?
When do we need Passive?
O 1) When the doer of the action is obvious:
The streets are swept every day.
O 2) When the doer of the action is unknown:
His car has been stolen.
O 3) to avoid an awkward or ungrammatical sentence: see
p.210 (awkward English – better English). What is the
rule? (Answer: the same subjects in both parts of a
sentence).
O 4) to make statements more polite, less straightforward:
You’ve been using my computer! (impolite)
My computer has been used! (polite)
How many tenses are there
O in the Active Voice? O in the Passive Voice?

? ?
How many tenses are there
O in the Active Voice? O in the Passive Voice?

16 ?
 How many tenses are there
O in the Active Voice? O in the Passive Voice?

16= 4+4+4+4
Ind|Cont|Perf|PerfCont 8= ?
 How many tenses are there
O in the Active Voice? O in the Passive Voice?

16=4+4+4+4 8= 3+2+3
Ind|Cont|Perf|PerfCont
Ind|Cont|Perf
The golden formula of
Passive
(the Passive Infinitive)

to be + V3
The Present Indefinite Passive
https://
en.islcollective.com/video-lessons/recycling-ho
w-are-bottles-recycled

Watch the video and answer the question:

What is the Present Indefinite
Passive used to describe?
The Present Indefinite Passive
is used to describe technological
processes.

For more examples go to ex.7 p.215

and ex.9 p.219 but before doing it study
the next two slides for the formation of
the Present Indefinite Passive.
 Video quiz sentences
1)

Fill the gap: Most of the collected bottles ________________________ (recycle).

2)

Fill the gap: Bottles ________________________ (separate) from other rubbish.

3)

Fill the gap: Then, they ________________________ (clean).

4)

Fill the gap: Next, they ________________________ (sort) by colour.

5)

Fill the gap: Later, they ________________________ (cut) into small pieces.
6)

Fill the gap: After that, they ________________________ (melt) and reformed.
7)

Fill the gap: They ________________________ (use) to make new plastic bottles.
The Present Indefinite Passive

am
is + V3
are
The Present Indefinite Passive

Breakfast is served at 9 o’clock.

questions:

Is breakfast served at 9 o’clock?

When is breakfast served?

Active form passive meaning
Study the examples (1):
O This car model sells well. (продается)
O The T-shirt washes well. (стирается)
O This dress irons badly. (гладится)
O My white coat shows dirt easily. (грязнится)
O Be careful! This statue breaks easily. (бьется,
хрупкое)

What do all of them mean?

Active form passive meaning
Study the examples (1):
O This car model sells well.
O The T-shirt washes and irons well.
O This dress irons badly.
O My white coat shows dirt easily.
O Be careful! This statue breaks easily.

What do all of them mean? (a property

‘свойство’)
Active form passive meaning
Study the examples (2):
O It says on the bottle to take a spoonful every
four hours. (на бутылке написано)
O The first line of the poem runs like this…
(звучит)
O The advertisement reads… (в объявлении
написано)

What do all of them mean?

The Past Indefinite Passive

was + V3
were
The Past Indefinite Passive

Dinner was served at 6 last night.

questions:

Was dinner served at 6 last night?

When was dinner served?

 By or with?

With + 1) instrument
2) material
by + agent 3) ingredient
 Be + V3 or get + V3?

Go to
https://learningapps.org/display?v=pz8zg9v8k20
The Future Indefinite Passive

will be + V3
The Future Indefinite Passive

Dinner will be served at 6 tomorrow.

questions:

Will dinner be served at 6 tomorrow?

When will dinner be served tomorrow?

The Passive Infinitive with modal
verbs
Bottles can be recycled. (есть возможность)
Bottles should be recycled.(следует, совет)
Bottles must be recycled. (должен, без вариантов)
The injured man had to be carried.(приходится, по
обстоятельствам)
Your luggage may be checked by a customs officer.
(возможно да, возможно нет)
The exercise doesn’t need to be done/ needn’t be done
in writing. (не нужно, нет необходимости)
 Commentary
The verb ‘to _serve_’ is used in
the _Present_ _Simple_ Passive
to denote _a habitual action_.
The subject doesn’t act, it is
acted upon.
The Present Continuous Passive

am
is + being + V3
are
The Present Continuous Passive

His house is being redecorated just now.

questions:

general: ?

special: when ?
The Present Continuous Passive

His house is being redecorated just now.

questions:

Is his house being redecorated just now?

When is his house being redecorated?

The Past Continuous Passive

was
+ being + V3
were
The Past Continuous Passive
The room was being cleaned when Lynn
arrived.
questions:

general: ?

special: When ?
The Past Continuous Passive
The room was being cleaned when Lynn
arrived.
questions:

Was the room being cleaned when Lynn

arrived?

When was the room being cleaned?

The Present Perfect Passive

have
+ been + V3
has
The Past Perfect Passive

had + been + V3
The Future Perfect Passive

will+have+been+V3