Present Passive

Present Passive Forms

by Daniel Sil

​What differences do you find between these two texts?

Nowadays, children ignore their parents. Children do not follow rules and ordes because they don't longer consider a parent an authority. Grandparents have taken the role of a parent for several decades. As a consequence our society is now questioning family values.

Nowadays, parents are ignored. Rules and orders are not followed because a parent is not longer considered an authority. The role of a parent has been taken by grandparents for several decades. As a consequence, family values are now being questioned.

When to use a passive form

• ​When who did the action is obvious, unimportant or unknown:

  • ​Nowadays, parents are ignored. (by their children)

• ​When the action itself is more important than who did it:

  • ​Rules and orders are not followed because a parent is not longer considered an authority.

• ​When we want avoid taking responsibility or we don't to say who or what is to blame:

  • Mistakes have been made in the past.​

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​Structure

• ​As any other sentence, these sentences have a subject, a verb and complement.

• The part of the verb is formed by the verb to be, which is conjugated in the tense you want to use and the past participle form of the action.

• Sometimes doing exercises in which you switch from active to passive help to get familiarized with the structure but in real life you will not have time to think your idea in active and then turn it into passive.

Multiple Choice

A: Why are there too many stray dogs?

B: Because, many pet dogs ______ every year.

• lose

• are losing

• are lost

• lost

Multiple Choice

A: The kids seem to bee happy.

B: Yes! The teachers ______ them some candies and toys.

• have been given

• were given

• have given

Multiple Choice

A: Do you know anything about the victims of the accident?

B: The injured people ______ to hospital but I don't know to which.

• has taken

• has been taaken

• has been taking

• took

Multiple Choice

A: Last month, the old school was demolished.

B: An now a new park _______.

• is being built

• have been built

• is building

• have been building

Multiple Choice

A: When's the next match?

B: The next ______ on Friday evening.

• is playing

• is being played

• will play

• plays