Passive voice

Passive voice

1. When the subject is unknown

If we don’t know the subject then we often want to place more emphasis on the action or the person who received the action.

Examples:

My bag was stolen!

My house was broken into last night.

In these examples, we don’t know who the criminals were. 

2. When the receiver of the action is more important.

In this case, the speaker decides to place more importance on the action or the receiver of the action.

Example:

The train was delayed

(It doesn’t matter who caused the delay. The important point is that the train is late and now we have to wait!)

The roads were destroyed by the typhoon. (Again the result is more important because we don’t have roads!)

3. When the subject is obvious.

In this case, we don’t need the subject because there is only one possible person or group of people responsible for the action.

Example:

He was arrested at 6 am.

(Only the police can arrest people)

The rubbish was collected this morning.

(It is obvious who collects the rubbish and it is more important that the rubbish was collected)

4 When the doer of the action is people in general.

Example:

It is accepted that you do not smoke indoors.

(The people who accept this situation, in this case, is “everyone”)

It was once thought that losing blood could cure diseases.

Let becomes be allowed to

• Let becomes be allowed to in the passive.

They let us stay up late to watch the film. -

We were allowed to stay up late to watch the film.

To get and to be

• We can use the verb to get instead of the verb to be in everyday speech when we talk about things that happen by accident or unexpectedly.

Your CD got scratched when I dropped it.

bring, tell, send, show, teach, promise, sell,

read, offer, give, lend

With verbs that can take two objects, such as bring, tell, send, show, teach, promise, sell, read, offer, give, lend, etc we can form two different passive sentences.

Jamie gave Rachel a DVD. (active)

Rachel was given a DVD by Jamie. (passive, more common) 

A DVD was given to Rachel by Jamie. (passive, less common)

In passive questions

with who, whom or which we do not omit by.

Who composed this piece of music?

Who was this piece of music composed by?

Impersonal/Personal passive

The verbs believe, consider, expect, know, report, say, think, etc have both personal and impersonal constructions in the passive.

active: People expect that Adele will sing the song.

passive:

It is expected that Adele will sing the song. (impersonal construction)

Adele is expected to sing the song. (personal construction)

Impersonal/Personal passive

active:

They say he was a brilliant musician.



passive:

It is said that he was a brilliant musician. (impersonal construction) 

He is said to have been a brilliant musician. (personal construction)

to be + past participle (III)

is

was

has been

will be

has to be

might,should,could,would

You try!

1. Almost everybody uses a computer these days.

Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. A loud noise woke me up this morning.

I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3. Somebody must tell him about the problem immediately!

He . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4. Nobody can complete this task in only one hour.

This task . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5. Many people have lost their jobs during this economic crisis.

Many jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6. When did somebody write this letter?

When was . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

...

7. Do you think they will discover a cure for cancer one day?

Do you think a cure for cancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8. They didn't advertise the job offer on the internet.

The job offer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9. My grandparents built this house over 60 years ago.

This house . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10. Nobody has seen her since last month.

She . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11. All the hotel staff are treating us really well.

We . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12. Has somebody found Jack's phone yet?

Has Jack's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .