Transcript Examples

UNIT 2
EMPHASIZING OBJECTS
“Language Information 3 ”
L.E.L.I. Yazmin Vanessa Barrera
Idea original
E.T.E. Karim Juárez Cortes
Diseño
PASSIVE VOICE

We use the passive voice when we want
to show that the action of the verb is
more important than the person or thing
doing or causing the action.
Examples:


The first mercury thermometer was
invented in 1714.
Oliver Twist was written by Charles
Dickens

Passive voice is used in English to focus the
attention on the action.
Example:
The telephone was invented in 1876.
Note that we are not mentioning who invented the telephone but
the action itself.
Form
+ Form of verb “to be”+ verb in past participle.
Example:
A letter was written.
A slice of cheese was eaten.
Some televisions were stolen last night.
A form of verb be is used in passive statements. It’s singular
or plural to agree with the subject, and it also tells the tense of
the passive construction.
TURNING FROM ACTIVE INTO PASSIVE
 Check this table to make clear the differences between active
voice and passive voice.
Active Voice
Active Voice
Alexander Graham Bell invented the
telephone.
Passive Voice
The telephone was invented by Alexander
Graham Bell.

To rewrite active voice sentences take into account these:
1. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject
of the passive sentence.
2. The subject of the active sentence becomes the object
of the passive sentence (or is dropped).
Active
SUBJECT
VERB
DIRECT
OBJECT
Millions of people use the Internet everyday.
Passive
AGENT
The Internet is used by millions of people every day.
Passive with by + agent
The agent of the a verb is the person, people or thing which performs the
action. If it is necessary to mention it, use the preposition by.
For example:
 The paper was invented by the Chinese.
The first mercury thermometer was invented in 1714 by Gabriel
Fahrenheit.
The compact disk was invented in 1965 by James Russell.
FORM
Tense
Active Voice
Passive Voice
Simple present
Mario feeds the dog three
times a week.
The dog is fed three times a
week.
Simple past
Mario fed the dog yesterday. The dog was fed yesterday.
Present perfect
Mario has fed the dog.
The dog has been fed.
Future simple “will”
Mario will feed the dog.
The dog will be fed.
Modal
Mario should feed the dog.
The dog should be fed.
FOR DESCRIBING OBJECTS:
When we describe objects, we usually use the following expressions:
Describing what something is used for







It’s something you use to …
It’s a machine you use to …
It’s an object you use to...
It’s a type of ( paper ) you use to …
It’s a type of (device) you use to…
It’s a thing for …
It’s stuff for …
Describing what something looks
like




It’s a type of …
They are made of …
It looks like …
They have …
EXAMPLES:
Compact Disc
• It is a device that we use to store digital data.
Television
• It is an object that we use for transmitting and receiving moving
images that are either monochromatic ("black and white") or color,
usually accompanied by sounds.
Thermometer
• It is a type of device that you use to measure temperature or
temperature gradient
Telephone
• It is an instrument that we use for talking with another person. It
converts voice and other sound signals into a form that can be
transmitted to remote locations and that receives and reconverts
waves into sound signals.
Look at the next examples and analyze the grammar
rule. After that check the previous ones.
After “… use to… ” we use the verb in infinitive.
It is something we use at home to open bottles of wine.
It is an object we use to clean the floor.
After “… use for …” we use the verb in gerund form.
It is a type of device that we use for sharpening a pencil’s
writing point.
It is a tool that we use for opening bottles of wine.
REFERENCES
Lingo4U ( 2001 – 2010) “Passive Voice” Consultada el día 9 de junio del 2010. http://www.ego4u.com/en/cramup/grammar/passive
Patricia K. Werner (2007) Mosaic 1 Grammar McGraw-Hill
Sue Kay & Vaughan Jone (2000) Inside Out Intermediate Macmillan
Sue Kay & Vaughan Jone (2000) Inside Out Upper Intermediate Macmillan
Virginia Evans, Jenny Dooley, Enterprise Student’s book Grammar 2, Express Publishing, 2000. USA
Chris Redston and Gillie Cunningham, face2 face Intermediate Student’s book. Cambridge University Press. 2006. United Kingdom
Jack C. Richards with Jonathan Hull and Susan Proctor. New interchange 2 ( 1997) Cambridge University Press. United Kingdom
IMAGES TAKEN FROM:
Thermometer:
http://themoderatevoice.com/20426/more-newspaper-corporate-illness-mcclatchy-will-cut-workforce-10-percent/
Oliver twist book : http://www.teachersbookdepository.com/title.aspx?bookid=964989
Televisions :http://www.freevectors.net/details/vector+televisions
Paper: http://iis.berkeley.edu/students
Compact disk: http://techpubs.sgi.com/library/tpl/cgibin/getdoc.cgi?coll=hdwr&db=bks&fname=/SGI_EndUser/PChall_XL_OG/apb.html
Telephone: http://www.peterme.com/archives/000275.html
Compact disk: http://www.krunker.com/2007/08/28/the-compact-disk-is-25-years-old/
Television: http://digo-lo-que-pienso.blogspot.com/2007/12/la-televisin.html