Transcript The Passive Voice - Tallinn University

The Passive Voice
Anneli Hallaste
Tartu 2010
Active / Passive
How are these sentences different in
meaning?
a) Tommy ate the last
of cake.
Tommy
piece
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thum
b_409/1245094506VIb15R.jpg
b) The last piece of
cake was eaten.
WHO
DID
THIS???
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What is the passive voice?
The passive voice is the structure we use
when we DO NOT SAY WHO or WHAT
performs an action.
He was robbed.
“Normal” sentences
are called active.
Someone robbed him.
In Estonian – passiiv,
umbisikuline tegumood
When do we use the passive?
1) When we do not know
who does something.
http://kunaljanu.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/i
st2_1457667-confusion-1.jpg
2) When it is not important
who does something.
http://www.pollsb.com/photos/o/21992know_care_next.jpg
When do we use the passive?
HE
OBVIOUSL
Y DID IT!
3) When it is obvious
who does something.
http://www.fugly.com/media/IMAGES/Random/
guilty_puppy.jpg
4) When we want to
hide who does
something (to not
show blame).
http://www.vjja.org/eAdvocate/Winter2008/Book_J
acket_Mistakes_Were_Made.jpg
The verb in the passive
BASIC STRUCTURE:
BE + III
English IS SPOKEN here.
The cake WAS EATEN.
The house HAS BEEN BUILT.
What happens to “be”?
The verb “be” follows the main
rule of the tense.
For example:
Present Perfect = have + III
I have eaten an apple.
In the passive:
have + III form of “be” + III form of main verb
An apple has been eaten by me.
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How do we form the passive?
The object (sihitis) of the active sentence becomes
the subject (alus) of the passive sentence.
Susan painted a picture.
A picture
was painted
by Susan.
Find the object in these sentences
1) I read books.
2) We serve dinner
at three o’clock.
3) Did you feed the
cat already?
4) The students were
writing a test.
5) He had taken all
of the money.
1) BOOKS
2) DINNER
3) THE CAT
4) A TEST
5) ALL OF THE
MONEY
Present tenses in the passive
Tense
Active
Passive
Present
Simple
Present
Continuous
I write letters.
Letters are
written by me.
I am writing
letters.
Letters are
being written by
me.
Present
Perfect
I have written
letters.
Letters have
been written by
me.
Past tenses in the passive
Tense
Active
Passive
Past Simple
I wrote letters.
Letters were
written by me.
Past
Continuous
I was writing
letters.
Letters were
being written by
me.
Past Perfect
I had written
letters.
Letters had
been written by
me.
Future and modals
Tense
Active
Passive
Future
Simple
be going to future
I will write
letters.
Letters will be
written by me.
I am going to
write letters.
Modals (can,
should,
must, etc.)
I must write
letters.
Letters are
going to be
written by me.
Letters must be
written by me.
Choose the correct option
The letter ……….. yet.
a) wasn’t sended
b) weren’t sent
c) wasn’t sent
Sorry!
Try again
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Correct! 
Do the next one
I can’t fix this dress.
The passive is:
a) This dress I can’t fix.
b) This dress can’t be fixed.
c) This dress can’t fix.
Sorry!
Try again.
http://www.coolfunpics.com/slides/Good_Luck_Road_Sign.jpg
Correct! 
Do the next one.
She has done her homework.
The passive is:
a) Her homework is been done.
b) Her homework has been doing.
c) Her homework has been done.
Sorry!
Try again.
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Correct! 
Well done!
See if you can do:
Exercise 1 (multiple choice)
Exercise 2 (changing from active to passive)
THANK YOU
FOR LISTENING!
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