Download G/W 2 Camacho (adapted from Brown) Passive Verbs Verbs can be

G/W 2
Camacho (adapted from Brown)
Passive Verbs
Verbs can be divided into groups because of verb tense. They can also be divided into groups because of
voice. The grammatical meaning of voice is whether the subject of the verb is the one that does the
action (active) or the one that receives the action (passive).
(active)
The cat ate the bird.
(passive)
The bird was eaten by the cat.
Passive voice sentences are often used in process writing because they focus on the result of the
process, not on the person or thing that does it.
Note: All passive verbs are formed with be + past participle. See page A-1 of our grammar book for a list
of past participles.
Active Form
S
V
Farmers
grow
The news surprised
OBJ
corn.
Sara.
Passive Form
OBJ
be + past participle
Corn
is
grown
Sara
was
surprised
S
by farmers.
by the news.
The passive is sometimes followed by a prepositional phrase starting with by and ending with the agent
(the person or thing doing the action). Do not include the agent in the following situations:

The agent is obvious or unimportant.
Ex: Coffee is grown in Colombia. (It doesn’t matter who the farmers are.)

The agent is not known.
Ex: The shirt was made in India. (We don’t know the person or company that made it.)

The writer wanted to hide or avoid saying who is responsible for an action or event.
Ex: The news story was leaked to the public. (The writer is protecting the person who leaked the
story.)

The agent is a general noun or pronoun, such as people, someone, or you.
Ex: Turkey is eaten at Thanksgiving in the United States.
To decide if a sentence is active or passive, look at the verb and ask: Who or what is doing the action?
Ex: The students were taken on a trip to Mt. Hood.
(The IELP took them.)
Ex: People were given a choice between two candidates, Romney and Obama.
(The election gave them the choice.)
G/W 2
Camacho (adapted from Brown)
Passive Practice
Practice #1: Change the active verbs to passive verbs. Write the subject of the passive sentence.
1. SIMPLE PRESENT
a. The teacher helps me.
______
b. The teacher helps Jane.
______ ________________________ by the teacher.
c. The teacher helps us.
______
________________________ by the teacher.
______
________________________ by the teacher.
2. SIMPLE PAST
a. The teacher helped me.
________________________ by the teacher.
b. The teacher helped Jane
______ ________________________ by the teacher.
c. The teacher helped us.
______ ________________________ by the teacher.
Practice #2: Change the verbs from active to passive.
be
+
past participle
1. Leo mailed the
package.
The package _____________
____________________ by Leo.
2. That company
employs many
people.
Many people ______________
________________ by that company.
3. A college student
bought my old
car.
My old car ______________
_______________ by a college student.
Practice #3: Change the active sentences to the passive form. Do not use the by phrase if it isn’t needed.
1. The teacher helped me. ____I was helped by the teacher_____________________.
2. That company employs many people.
______________________________________________________________________________.
3. People speak Portuguese in Brazil.
______________________________________________________________________________.
4. People sell pottery at Saturday Market.
______________________________________________________________________________.
5. A good man runs this company.
______________________________________________________________________________.
G/W 2
Camacho (adapted from Brown)
6. Hindus don’t eat beef.
______________________________________________________________________________.
7. We cannot know the future.
______________________________________________________________________________.
8. The people choose the president.
______________________________________________________________________________.
9. That company hired Julia last year.
______________________________________________________________________________.
10. A college student bought my old car.
______________________________________________________________________________.
11. My daughter drew that picture.
______________________________________________________________________________.
12. The wind blew the paper away.
______________________________________________________________________________.
13. My grandfather built that house.
______________________________________________________________________________.
14. My sister forgave me.
______________________________________________________________________________.
15. Someone left this letter for you.
______________________________________________________________________________.
16. Someone in India made my shirt.
______________________________________________________________________________.
17. The army sent my aunt to Germany.
______________________________________________________________________________.
18. Someone wrote this book in 1654.
______________________________________________________________________________.
G/W 2
Camacho (adapted from Brown)
Transitive & Intransitive Verbs
Transitive
A transitive verb is a verb that is followed by an object. An object is a noun or pronoun.
Only transitive verbs can be used in the passive.
S
Bob
Mr. Lee
A cat
V
mailed
signed
killed
OBJ
the letter.
the check.
the bird.
Active:
Passive:
Bob mailed the letter.
The letter was mailed by Bob.
Intransitive
An intransitive verb is a verb that is not followed by an object. An intransitive verb is not used in the
passive.
S
Something
Kate
The bird
V
happened.
came
died.
Active:
Passive:
Incorrect:
Something happened.
(not possible)
Something was happened.
to our house.