Passive Structures (Obj+Caus+Imp)

Passive Structures

Passive voice

• Focuses on the ACTION rather than in the AGENT and WHO or WHAT EXPERIENCES it.

• Common in FORMAL LANGUAGE (YOU NEED TO USE IT IN YOUR WRITINGS)

• Three different types of PASSIVE SENTENCES.

  • OBJECT(s)

  • CAUSATIVE

  • IMPERSONAL

Passive 1- OBJECTS

• Verb: to be + past participle.

• STRUCTURE: Object (Direct or Indirect) + verb (passive)+ (DO/IO) + C + (by agent).

• We use by when we want to mention the agent of the action because it is worthwhile being mentioned.

• It can be used in ANY tense and also with Modal Verbs

Causative Forms

• Used to express that SOMEONE ELSE DOES SOMETHING FOR YOU

• It can be used in ANY tense

• STRUCTURE

  1. Subject + GET/HAVE + object + Past Participle

  Example: I got my hair cut yesterday.

  2. Subject+ GET + AGENT+ to infinitive + object.

     I got MY SISTER to walk my dog when I was on holidays.

     Subject+ HAVE+ AGENT+ bare infinitive + object.

     I had MY SISTER walk my dog when I was on holidays.

Multiple Choice

Change 'You should go to a doctor to look at that.' to the causative.

• You should have looked at that by a doctor.

• You should have a look at that doctor .

• You should get that looked at by a doctor.

Multiple Choice

Change 'Heidi wants to go to a manicurist to do her nails.' to the causative.

• Heidi wants a manicurist who done her nails.

• Heidi wants to have done her nails by a manicurist.

• Heidi wants to have her nails done by a manicurist.

Multiple Choice

Change 'I will make the principal expel you from this School.' to the causative.

• She will have expelled you by the principal .

• She will have the principal expelled.

• She will have you expelled by the principal.

Multiple Choice

Change 'We're paying a mechanic to fix our car.' to the causative.

• We're getting our car fixed by a mechanic.

• We'll having a mechanic to fix our car.

• We're getting the mechanic fixed to pay our car.

Multiple Choice

Change 'The barber cut my hair yesterday.' to the causative.

• I get the barber cut my hair.

• The barber had cut my hair.

• I had my hair cut by the barber.

Impersonal Reporting

• Expresses commonly held believes or ideas.

• Uses passive reporting verbs like: say, believe, think, claim...

• For example:

  ACTIVE: People argue that dogs make better pets than cats:

  It is argued that dogs make better pets than cats

  Dogs are argued to make better pets than cats.

Impersonal Reporting

• For example:

  ACTIVE: They claim that the suspect stole from the bank.

  It is claimed that the suspect stole from the bank.

  The suspect is claimed to have stolen* from the bank.

  *NOTE that here we need to use a PERFECT INFINITIVE as the tense of the main sentence is PAST!

Multiple Select

"They said the president had made the decision" (choose 2)

• It was said that the decision had been made by the president"

• The decision was said to be make.

• The president is said to make the decision.

• The president was said to have made the decision"

Multiple Choice

People believe the company stole over a million pounds

• It is believe that the company stole over a million pounds

• The company is believe to stole over a million pounds

• The company is believed to have stolen over a million pounds

• The company is believed to steal over a million pounds

Multiple Choice

They claim the criminal is living abroad

• The criminal is claim to be living abroad

• It is claim that the criminal is living abroad

• The criminal is claim to living abroad

• It is claimed that the criminal is living abroad

Multiple Choice

Active: "People believe that bats bring luck"

Impersonal Passive: _____________________

• It was said that bats bring luck.

• It is said that bats bring luck.

• Bats believed to bring luck.