Passive (1) (is done / was done) Study this example: This house was built in 1930. 'Was built' is passive. Compare active and passive: Somebody built subject this house object in 1930. (active) This house subject was built in 1930. (passive) We use an active verb to say what the subject does: • My grandfather was a builder. He built this house in 1930. • It's a big company. It employs two hundred people. We use a passive verb to say what happens to the subject: • This house is quite old. It was built in 1930. • Two hundred people are employed by the company. When we use the passive, who or what causes the action is often unknown or unimportant: • A lot of money was stolen in the robbery, (somebody stole it but we don't know wbo) • Is this room cleaned every day? (does somebody clean it? - it's not important who) If we want to say who does or what causes the action, we use by...: • This house was built by my grandfather. • Two hundred people are employed by the company. The passive is be (is/was/have been etc.) + the past participle (done/cleaned/seen etc.): (be) done (be) cleaned (be) seen (be) damaged (be) built etc. For irregular past participles (done/known/seen etc.), see Appendix 1. Study the active and passive forms of the present simple and past simple: Present simple active: clean(s)/see(s) etc. passive: am/is/are cleaned/seen etc. • Many accidents are caused by careless driving • I'm not often invited to parties. • How is this word pronounced? Somebody cleans this room every day This room is cleaned every day. Past simple active: cleaned/saw etc. passive: was/were cleaned/seen etc. Somebody cleaned this room yesterday This room was cleaned yesterday. • We were woken up by a loud noise during the night. • 'Did you go to the party?' 'No, 1 wasn't invited.' • How much money was stolen? Passive (other forms) units 42-43 By UNIT RCISES 41 plete the sentences using one of these verbs in the correct form: s damage hold include invite make overtake show late write /[any accidents are caused by dangerous driving, cheese...................................................from milk. 'he roof of the building...................................................in a storm a few days ago. 'here's no need to leave a tip. Service...................................................in the bill. 'ou...................................................to the wedding. Why didn't you go? L cinema is a place where films................................................... i the United States, elections for President...................................................every four years, )riginally the book...................................................in Spanish and a few years ago it .................................................into English. fe were driving along quite fast but we...................................................by lots of other cars. 3 questions using the passive. Some are present and some are past. k about the telephone, (when/invent?) ..When was the Mephone jnvenltefil.?... k about glass, (how/make?) How......................................................................................................... k about Australia, (when/discover?).................................................................................................... k about silver, (what/use for?) ............................................................................................................... k about television, (when/invent?) ....................................................................................................... he verb into the correct form, present simple or past simple, active or passive. :'s a big factory. Five hundred people are employed (employ) there. Pater...................................................(cover) most of the Earth's surface. lost of the Earth's surface...................................................(cover) by water. he park gates................................................... (lock) at 6.30 p.m. every evening. 'he letter.....................................(post) a week ago and it.....................................(arrive) yesterday. he boat...................................................(sink) quickly but fortunately everybody ................................................(rescue). .on's parents...................................................(die) when he was very young. He and his sister ............................................... (bring) up by their grandparents. was born in London but I.................................................. (grow) up in the north of England. ?hile I was on holiday, my camera................................................(steal) from my hotel room. Vhile I was on holiday, my camera............................................(disappear) from my hotel room. Vhy...................................................(Sue/resign) from her job? Didn't she enjoy it? Vhy...................................................(Bill/sack) from his job? What did he do wrong? he company is not independent. It.......................................... (own) by a much larger company. saw an accident last night. Somebody...................................................(call) an ambulance but obody.............................................(injure) so the ambulance............................................(not/need). 7here...................................................(these photographs/take)? In London? ................................................ (you/take) them? ite these sentences. Instead of using 'somebody/they/people' etc. write a passive sentence. mebody cleans the room every day. The room, is c leaned every day, ley cancelled all flights because of fog. All......................................................................................... ople don't use this road very often....................................................................................................... mebody accused me of stealing money. I........................................................................................... >w do people learn languages? How.................................................................................................... ople advised us not to go out alone..................................................................................................... 83 Passive (2) (be/been/being done) Study the following active and passive forms: Infinitive active: (to) do/clean/see etc. Somebody will clean the room later. passive: (to) be done/cleaned/seen etc. The room will be cleaned later. • The situation is serious. Something must be done before it's too late. • A mystery is something that can't be explained. • The music was very loud and could be heard from a long way away. • A new supermarket is going to be built next year. • Please go away. I want to be left alone. Perfect infinitive active: have done/cleaned/seen etc. passive: have been done/cleaned/seen etc. Somebody should have cleaned the room. The room should have been cleaned. • I haven't received the letter yet. It might have been sent to the wrong address. • If you hadn't left the car unlocked, it wouldn't have been stolen. • There were some problems at first but they seem to have been solved. Present perfect active: have/has (done) The room looks nice. Somebody has cleaned it. passive: have/has been (done) The room looks nice. It has been cleaned. • Have you heard the news? The President has been shot! • Have you ever been bitten by a dog? • 'Are you going to the party?' 'No, I haven't been invited.' Past perfect active: had (done) The room looked nice. Somebody had cleaned it. passive: had been (done) The room looked nice. It had been cleaned. • The vegetables didn't taste very good. They had been cooked for too long. • The car was three years old but hadn't been used very much. Present continuous active: am/is/are (do)ing Somebody is cleaning the room at the moment. passive: am/is/are being (done) The room is being cleaned at the moment. • There's somebody walking behind us. I think we are being followed. • {in a shop) 'Can I help you, madam?' 'No, thank you. I'm being served.' Past continuous active: was/were (do)ing Somebody was cleaning the room when I arrived. passive: was/were being (done) The room was being cleaned when I arrived. • There was somebody walking behind us. We were being followed. Passive (1) and (3) -*■ units 41,43 ICISES r tdo these words mean? Use it can... or it can't... . Use a dictionary if necessary. mething is ashable,....it.can be washed. . 4 unusable,................................................. obreakable, it................................................... 5 invisible,.................................................. jble, it............................................................... 6 portable,.................................................. UNIT 42 iplete these sentences with one of the following verbs (in the correct form): y cause de make repair «e«d spend wake up tetimes you need have ('might have', 'could have' etc.). The situation is serious. Something must ..Redone... before it's too late. i haven't received the letter. It might ...have been sent... to the wrong address. A decision will not............................................................................until the next meeting. I told the hotel receptionist that I wanted to...................................at 6.30 the next morning. Do you think that less money should....................................................................on armaments? This road is in very bad condition. It should...........................................................a long time ago. The injured man couldn't walk and had to............................................................................. It's not certain how the fire started but it might............................................................................by an electrical fault. frite these sentences. Instead of using 'somebody' or 'they', write a passive sentence. )mebody has cleaned the room. ...The'.room has been cleaned... ley have postponed the concert. The........................................................................................................ Somebody is using the computer at the moment. The computer........................................................ I didn't realise that somebody was recording our conversation. I didn't realise that............................................................................................................................................. When we got to the stadium we found that they had cancelled the game. When we got to the stadium, we found that............................................................................................. They are building a new ring road round the city. They have built a new hospital near the airport. ike sentences from the words in brackets. Sometimes the verb is active, sometimes passive, rhis exercise also includes the past simple - see Unit 41C.) 1 There's somebody behind us. (I think / we / follow) ...\.Wwkm^.MmMomd,... 2 This room looks different, (you / paint?) Have you painted.it?. 3 My car has disappeared, (it / steal!) It.................................................................................................. 4 My umbrella has disappeared, (somebody / take) Somebody....................................................... 5 Tom gets a higher salary now. (he / promote)................................................................................... 6 Ann can't use her office at the moment, (it / redecorate) ............................................................... 7 The photocopier broke down yesterday, but now it's OK. (it / work / again; it / repair) 8 The police have found the people they were looking for. (two people / arrest / last night) 9 A tree was lying across the road, (it / blow down / in the storm) 10 The man next door disappeared six months ago. (nobody / see / since then) 11 I was mugged on my way home a few nights ago. (you / ever / mug?) 85