Grammar Practice in Context - David Bolton, Noel Goodey 1997
17 The passive (1) Forms and main uses: He was taught by his parents
Quick reference
• The passive with the verb be (is/was/has been, etc.) + the past participle. The tense of the verb be changes to form the different tenses in the passive.
• The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. Active: The cat killed the mouse. Passive: The mouse was killed by the cat.
• Some verbs are followed by an infinitive, for example modal verbs (can, must, should, will, would, etc.). When these verbs are used in a passive construction, we use a passive infinitive (be + past participle). All tickets must be shown. That shouldn’t be allowed.
Note the past form of the passive infinitive - have/has been + past participle.
You might have been hurt. Your room should have been cleaned
Note that we also use the passive infinitive construction after verbs like want to, expect to, agree to, hope to, etc. She wants to be liked They agreed to be photographed
• A passive sentence is usually more formal than an active sentence. Compare:
We ’ll send you a letter. (Informal) A letter will be sent to you. (Formal)
Note that in a passive construction we can mention the person or thing that does the action (the agent) after the word by. The house was bought by a local businessman.
• We use the passive when the person or thing doing the action isn’t important, or isn’t known, or is understood. My bike’s been stolen Ten people were killed.
1 Put the verb in brackets into the passive.
1 The idea of a tunnel between England and France ... at the beginning of the 19th century. (put forward)
2 A tunnel ... in 1878 but it ... (start) (not complete)
3 Work on the present Channel tunnel ... in 1987. (begin)
4 Two tunnels ... side by side. (construct)
5 Seven people ... during the construction of the tunnel. (kill)
6 It ... in 1994. (open)
7 The first trains were unreliable and several … by many hours. (delay)
8 Nowadays the tunnel ... by thousands of people every day. (use)
9 The sea crossing ... by many people. But passengers, cars and freight ... under the Channel in half the time by rail. (prefer) (transport)
2 Here are the details of a house for sale. Complete the text by putting these verbs into the past simple passive or the present perfect passive: add, install, modernise, build, rebuild, buy.
The house (1) ... in the 18th century. It (2) ... by the present owners in 1980. Since then it (3) ... completely ... and central heating (4) ... A new bedroom and a shower room (5) ... also ... The roof (6) ... less than year ago.
3 Put a tick (/) after the better or more natural of the two alternatives.
1 A Police are looking for a missing girl.
В A missing girl is being looked for by the police.
2 A Someone last saw her on Tuesday evening.
В She was last seen on Tuesday evening.
3 A A man in a red Ford Escort was talking to her in St Andrews Road.
В She was being talked to by a man in a red Ford Escort in St Andrews Road.
4 A She was wearing a black T-shirt and jeans.
В A black T-shirt and jeans were being worn by her.
5 A None of her friends have heard from her.
В She has been heard from by none of her friends.
6 A A reward is being offered for any information useful to the police.
В Someone is offering a reward for any information useful to the police.
[…]
[…] …
4 Read the questions in this general knowledge quiz. Complete the second question so that it has a similar meaning to the first, using a passive construction.
Example: Where do they speak Dutch? Where is Dutch spoken?
1 In which country do they make the most bicycles?
In which country ... the most bicycles ...?
2 In which country are they producing the most oil at the moment?
In which country ... the most oil ... at the moment?
3 Who invented dynamite? Who ... dynamite ...?
4 In which city are they going to hold the next Olympics? In which country ... the next Olympics ...?
5 In which country will they play the next football World Cup?
In which country ... the next football World Cup ...?
6 How many times have astronauts visited the moon? How many times ... the moon ...?
5 The workers at an engineering company are very worried. Change the following sentences from active to passive, using a passive infinitive.
Example: They don’t want the management to treat them like machines. They don't want to be treated like machines.
1 They want the management to pay them more.
2 They want the management to consult them about changes.
3 They think the management should have told them about the company’s problems.
4 The management ought to have offered them longer holidays.