222 Passive of modal verbs

Passive of modal verbs

Rules and regulations

What are the laws about driving in your country?

• age

• what to wear

Multiple Select

What's the legal age for driving in Ecuador? (2 options)

• 18

• 16 with some requirements

• 20

• 17 with your parents permission

People can drive at the age of 18. What do you think should be done to improve the law?

Drivers must be forced to respect the law.

Drivers must be forced to respect the law.

• In the sentence above the word must indicates that something is necessary to be done.

• As you can notice, the modal verb must is followed by the verb to be plus a verb in past participle. You must be familiar with this structure, right?

• Yes, it is the passive voice! But, as you can see, it is used with modal verbs.

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct sentence that's in passive voice.

• Drivers must be smart.

• Reckless drivers could be treated as criminals.

• Cars should be cheap.

• Drivers have to be listening.

Passive of modal verbs

• The sentence starts with the receiver of the action not the doer. If the action is done by the subject of the sentence, then it should not be passive voice.

• After the subject (receiver of the action) the modal verb is placed followed by the verb to be and then the verb in past participle. Example: Drivers must be forced to respect the law. (Los conductores deben ser obligados a respetar la ley.)

• In the previous example, who does the action? This answer is not in the sentence. Who receives the action? Drivers.

You can drive at the age of 18, but it doesn't ensure drivers are responsible.

Laws have to be enforced. (Las leyes tienen que ser cumplidas.) = It's extremely necessary.

Reckless drivers must be sent to prison. (Los conductores imprudentes deben ser enviados a prisión.) = It's necessary.

Drivers should be given more severe penalties. (Los conductores deberían ser dados castigos más severos. Notice that it doesn't sound natural in Spanish.) = It's a suggestion.

Drivers ought to be taught to care about others. = It's a suggestion.

More cameras to track driving behavior could be installed in the city. (Más cámaras para rastear el comportamiento al volante podrían ser instaladas en la ciudad.) = It's possible.

Fill in the Blank

Translate to Spanish:

Reckless drivers should be fined.

Fill in the Blank

Translate to English:

Los conductores imprudentes tienen que ser enviados a prisión.

Multiple Choice

What modal verb is used to express "It is possible."?

• must

• should

• ought to

• could

• have to

Multiple Choice

What modal verb is used to express "It is extremely necessary."?

• must

• should

• ought to

• could

• have to

Multiple Select

What modal verb is used to express "It is a suggestion."?

• must

• should

• ought to

• could

• have to

Multiple Choice

What modal verb is used to express "It is necessary."?

• must

• should

• ought to

• could

• have to

Fill in the Blank

Change to passive voice:

You have to pay all your debts.

Fill in the Blank

Change to passive voice:

They should send all criminals to prison.

Fill in the Blank

Change to passive voice:

They ought to invest a higher percentage of the national budget in health and education.

Discussion

• Read the opinions given in the next slide and give some suggestions to improve society.

• Example: Opinion - Taxi drivers are so reckless. - Give ideas related to this opinion. Answer - I think they should be given higher fines. Taxi drivers could be forced to take human relationships courses.

• Record a 3 minute video with your discussion.

Start recording on Teams and discuss.

What can be done to enhance our society? Think about the following opinions.

• People can vote at the age of 16, but they are just voting as their parents.

• Some people don't have a credit card because they don't like them, but they are required to buy online.

• The divorce rate has increased. What can be done?