Friday 30 May 2008

The Passive Voice




The passive voice is normally used when we are interested in the person or thing affected by the action rather than in the performer of the action. It is also used when the performer of the action is unknown. Passive sentences can only be formed from active ones containing an object. Consider these sentences:


Active: Sir Isaac Newton discovered the law of gravity.

Passive: The law of gravity was discovered by Sir Isaac Newton.

Form of Passive Sentences:
(Passive) Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (Verb + -ed or 3rd column of irregular verbs) + (Agent = by-phrase)

Example:
Active: Mary wrote a letter.
Passive: A letter was written by Mary.

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

- the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
- the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
- the subject of the active sentence becomes the agent of the passive sentence (or is dropped)




To have a complete review on this topic, click on these links:

Explanation and activities. (Spanish).
Explanation and activities. (Beginners).
Explanation and activities. (Intermediate).
Explanation and activities. (Advanced).
Active or Passive Test.
.

8 comments:

maka said...

Marisa I am Maka 4ºB, we(lourdes4ºB, lourdes4ºC and I) want to be going to visit you but we have asked your address and we have said before that you ask yourself to know if you want to go and see whether or not. Here lets you my msn to send me an e-mail telling me if you want to visit. If you want to send your address to my msn.
MANY KISSES TEACHER AND THAT YOU BETTER SOON!!
My msn is:la_maka_loka_69@hotmail.com

distintas caras del mundo said...

Marisa soy cristina de tu clase, como estas?? espero que mejor que luisa y yo estamos preocupadas por lo del espiking el examen nos a salido muy bien era dificilillo jejejeje bueno cuando ables con gonzalo acuerdate porfavor de decirle si acemos el spiking o no porfavor que estamos un poco agoviadas venga pues muchos besitos y que te recuperes pronto

Marisa García said...

No os preocupéis por el speaking ahora, ya os lo diré la semana que viene. En principio la próxima semana no será, ya os lo comenté ayer. Centraros en los demás exámenes, y me alegro de que el de inglés os saliera bien, ya me lo traen este fin de semana para poder corregirlos.

Un abrazo y estudiad mucho.

Anonymous said...

Marisa, me llamo Samantha, y soy profesora de inglés en Sevilla. El blog es muy informativo y está bien hecho. Por favor visita mi blog y dime que te parece.

Marisa García said...

Hello Samantha, thanks for your comment. I have visited your blog, I realize you have just created it, but I think it is going to be really helpful. I'll keep on visiting you.

Marisa.

Marisa García said...

Hello my dear students, I'm writing to tell you that I want you to go on with your English lessons. You will be working this week during your English classes, so please, take your books to school. The teacher in charge will tell you to start and work with unit 9, so please do it, any doubt you may have, I am here, ok?

See you soon!
Marisa.

Angela y Zayra said...

Hola Marisa!
Somos Angela y Zayra estos son nuentros blog:
Angela:Lucha por un mundo mejor
Bueno el de Zayra te lo doy otro dia porque no se acuerda como se llama
Un abrazo y muchos besos de las dos.

Marisa García said...

Hello Ángela and Zayra, thanks for your comment. Ángela, I have seen your blog, it is really nice, and you have visits from Germany and somewhere else!!! Great, it's a good job. Go on improving it.

And don't forget to study for the English test tomorrow, and bring your books to the classes in order to do Unit 9.

Kisses.