Download Past Participle Be

The Passive
Dragana Filipović
The World Keeps Informed With
Reader’s Digest (an advert)
Reader’s Digest was founded in 1922.
Today it is read by people in every country
in the world.
Shouldn’t you be one of them? Subscribe
today.
Which information can you get from the advert?
 The name of the founder
 The number of years the magazine has existed
 The price of the magazine
The Passive Check:True or false?
1.
2.
3.
The object of an active sentence
becomes the subject of the passive
sentence.
Passive statements always have a form
of the verb be.
Passive statements always have an
object.
1.
2.
3.
The object of an active sentence
becomes the subject of the passive
sentence. True
Passive statements always have a form
of the verb be. True
Passive statements always have an
object. False
Active
Passive
Object       Subject
Millions of people buy it.
It is bought by millions of
people.
Someone published it in
1922.
It was published in 1922.
Passive Statements
Subject Be (not)
Past
(by +
Participle Object)
It
is (not)
bought
It
was (not)
published
by
millions
of
people.
in 1922.
Yes / No Questions
Be
Subject
Is
Was
it
Short Answers
Yes, it is.
was.
Past
Participle
sold
in China?
No, it
isn’t.
wasn’t.
Wh- Questions
Wh- Word
Where
When
Be Subject Past Participle
is it
sold ?
was it
published ?
Complete this sentence with the passive
form of the verb print.
 How many copies of Reader’s Digest
_____ last year?


 were printed
The Passive
Active and passive sentences usually
have the same meaning but the focus
is different.
Active:
 Millions of people read the magazine.
Passive:
 The magazine is read by millions of
people.
1.
The Passive
2.
Form the passive with the correct
form (tense) of
be + past participle.

It is written in nineteen languages.
It was published in 1922.
These copies have just been printed.


Use the passive when:
1.
the agent (the person or thing doing
the action) is unknown or not
important.
– The magazine was founded in 1922.
(I don’t know who founded it.)
Use the passive when:
2.
the identity of the agent is clear from
the context.
– The magazine is sold in newsagents.
(We can assume that the people who work
in the newsagent’s sell it. We don’t need
to mention them.)
Use the passive when:
3.
you want to avoid mentioning the
agent.
– Some mistakes were made in that
article.
(I know who made the mistakes but I
don’t want to blame the person who made
them.)
Use the passive with by if you
mention the agent.
 The article was written by a
psychologist.
Mention the agent when:
1.

You introduce necessary new
information about the agent.
John Dent is a famous sports writer.
He has just been hired by Sports
Weekly to write a monthly column.
(The name of John’s employer is
necessary new information.)
Mention the agent when:
2.

3.

You want to give credit to someone
who created something.
The article was written by John Dent.
The agent is surprising or interesting.
Our windows are washed by a robot.
Be careful!
In most cases, you do not need to mention
an agent in passive sentences.
Do not include an agent unnecessarily.
The magazine is published once a week.
 NOT: The magazine is published by the

publisher once a week.
Are these sentences ACTIVE or
PASSIVE?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Reader’s Digest was founded in 1922.
Millions of people read it.
A large-type edition is also printed.
They also record it.
Reader’s Digest is published once a
month.
Are these sentences ACTIVE or
PASSIVE?
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
It has been translated in many languages.
Many readers subscribe to the magazine.
It is sold in newsagents throughout the
country.
I read an interesting article in it last
month.
This article was written by a famous
scientist.
Use the passive form of the verbs in
the first set of brackets to complete
the following report. Include the
agent (from the second set of
brackets) only if absolutely
necessary.
Did you know…?
1. Modern Reader was founded by A.J.
Thompson ten years ago. (found) (A.J.
Thompson)
2. At first it _______ only in English.
(print) (the printer)
3. Today it _______ in three foreignlanguage editions. (publish) (the
publisher)
4. It _____ in more than ten countries.
(read) (readers)
5.
6.
7.
8.
Since 2000, twenty new employees
______ . (hire) (our international
offices)
Back at home, ten new computers
____ last month. (purchase) (the
company)
They ____ to write our award-winning
articles. (use) (our writers)
Modern Reader _______ all over the
world. (advertise) (advertisers)
9.
10.
Our editorial staff ________ last
month. (interview) (Live at Ten TV)
The interview __________. (see)
(millions of viewers)
Correct Sentences
Did you know…?
2. At first it was printed only in English.
(print) (the printer)
3. Today it is published in three foreignlanguage editions. (publish) (the
publisher)
4. It is read in more than ten countries.
(read) (readers)
5.
6.
7.
8.
Since 2000, twenty new employees
have been hired by our international
offices . (hire) (our international
offices)
Back at home, ten new computers were
purchased last month. (purchase) (the
company)
They are used to write our awardwinning articles. (use) (our writers)
Modern Reader is advertised all over
the world. (advertise) (advertisers)
9.
10.
Our editorial staff were interviewed
by Live at Ten TV last month.
(interview) (Live at Ten TV)
The interview was seen by millions of
viewers. (see) (millions of viewers)
ACTIVE PASSIVE
Object (Active)  Subject (Passive)
be + past participle
Turn the sentence into the
PASSIVE
Present Simple:
am / are / is + past participle
 ACTIVE: They discuss important
subjects every lunch time.
 PASSIVE:


Important subjects are discussed every
lunch time.
Turn the sentence into the
PASSIVE
Present Continuous
am / are / is being + past participle
 ACTIVE: They are still considering this
matter.
 PASSIVE:


This matter is still being considered.
Turn the sentence into the
PASSIVE
Past Simple
was / were + past participle
 ACTIVE: They announced the date for
the talks.
 PASSIVE:


The date for the talks was announced.
Turn the sentence into the
PASSIVE
Past Continuous
was / were being + past participle
 ACTIVE: They were making every
effort to end the strike.
 PASSIVE:


Every effort was being made to end the
strike.
Turn the sentence into the
PASSIVE
Present Perfect
has / have been + past participle
 ACTIVE: They have built a new stadium
in London.
 PASSIVE:


A new stadium has been built in London.
Turn the sentence into the
PASSIVE
Past Perfect
had been + past participle
 ACTIVE: They had finished the work by
the end of 1998.
 PASSIVE:


The work had been finished by the end
of 1998.
Turn the sentence into the
PASSIVE
Future Simple
will be + past participle
 ACTIVE: A top consultant will examine
you.
 PASSIVE:


You will be examined by a top
consultant.
Turn the sentence into the
PASSIVE
Future Perfect
will have been + past participle
 ACTIVE: In the next ten years, women
will have achieved full equality.
 PASSIVE:


In the next ten years, full equality will
have been achieved.
Turn the sentence into the
PASSIVE
be going to (future)
am / are / is going to be + past participle
 ACTIVE: They are going to close the
factory.
 PASSIVE:


The factory is going to be closed.
The Passive
… to be continued
