Passive+Voice


 * PASSIVE VOICE. **

Passive voice is a grammatical strategy used to emphasize certain part of the sentence. We don’t really know who has done the action expressed by the verb or even more, we are more interested in the action rather than in the person who has done it. // FORM: // // * //** Verbal Form: ** Passive voice is formed by the verb TO BE written in the same tense as the verb in the active sentence + the past participle of the main verb. ** To BE + Past Participle. ** .- Present Simple Passive: Am / is / are + PP main verb .- Past Simple Passive: Was / were + PP main verb .- Future Simple Passive: Will + be + PP main verb etc...

* // Structure //. Ex. Papers are bought by the shop assistant every day. Ex. Papers aren’t bought by the shop assistant every day. Are papers bought by the shop assistant every day? Yes, they are /// No, they aren’t. When are the papers bought by the shop assistant? Every day.
 * ** Affirmative sentence ** : S + TO BE + PP + BY AGENT
 * ** Negative sentence ** : S + TO BE + NOT + PP + BY AGENT
 * ** Yes/ No questions ** : TO BE + S + PP + BY AGENT?
 * ** Wh- questions: ** Wh- PARTICLE + TO BE + S + PP + BY AGENT?

* // Structure within the sentence: // There are some changes we have to take into account in passive transformation. Let´s see:

1st .- The ** Subject ** in ** active ** sentence changes into the ** AGENT ** in the ** passive ** voice introduced by the preposition ** BY **. 2nd.- The ** direct object ** in ** active ** voice changes into ** SUBJECT ** of the ** passive ** sentence. It’s quite important the ** active sentence ** is a ** transitive ** one. 3rd.- The ** verb ** keeps its central position but in the new form, i.e., ** Be + Past Participle **.

= = =HAVE SOMETHING DONE= = = =Un error muy común es que un alumno llegue a clase el lunes con un peinado nuevo y, después de un cumplido del profesor dice // **: I cut my hair on Saturday!.** //= **Siempre hay una pequeña confusión que tarda unos segundos en aclararse, porque esa frase en inglés quiere decir: "me corté el pelo yo mismo".**

**En inglés, cuando hablamos de una cosa que no podemos o no queremos hacer por nosotros mismos, y que pedimos o encargamos que alguien haga, empleamos la siguiente construcción:**

// **Have + objeto + participio pasado** //// **= to have something done.** //

**La frase correcta del alumno, entonces, sería** // **I had my hair cut on Saturday** // **.** =// **El verbo to have puede estar en cualquier tiempo verbal:** //= // We have the paper delivered. //** Nos entregan el periódico a domicilio. ** // They are having new radiators installed //**. Les están instalando radiadores nuevos. ** // I had my blood pressure checked. //** Me han tomado la tensión sanguínea. **

=** Es una frase difícil de traducir directamente al castellano. En imperativo, una frase como **// **have it painted** // **se podría traducir como** “haz que se pinte”**:** = // Have it shined. //** Que le saquen brillo //. // ** // Have them sealed. // **Que se sellen al vacío.** = **Esta estructura también se emplea para hablar de algo malo, como un crimen del que eres víctima. Obviamente, no quiere decir que hayas pagado o pedido que alguien te haga algún mal, sino que es una cosa que tú no has provocado:** = // He had his nose broken at the heavy metal concert. // // I had my billfold stolen at the flea market. //
 * Le rompieron la nariz en el concierto de heavy metal. **
 * Me robaron la cartera en el rastro. **

** EXERCISES : ** *** Complete the sentences using one of these verbs in the correct form (present or past) in the passive voice.** ** show - hold - include - invite - make - overtake - cause - damage - translate - write **


 * 1) In the UK, elections for President ...................................... every four years.
 * 2) You need to leave a tip. Service ............................................ (not) in the bill.
 * 3) Many deaths ................................................. by drug addiction.
 * 4) The house ..................................................... in an earthquake some years ago.
 * 5) The novel .......................................... in Arab originally but some years ago it .................................................. into French.
 * 6) They were driving along quite fast but we .................................................... by lots of other cars.
 * 7) You ................................................. to the jubilee party. Why didn’t you go?
 * 8) A gallery is a place where pictures ...................................................................
 * 9) Butter ............................................................................. from milk.

** * Write questions using the passive. Some are present and some are past. **  **Example: Ask about the telephone. (when/invent?)** // **When was the telephone invented?** //


 * 1) Ask about glass. (How/make?) ...............................................................................................
 * 2) Ask about the moon. (When/discover?) .............................................................................................
 * 3) Ask about copper. (What/use for?) ..........................................................................................................
 * 4) Ask about penicillin (When/invent?) ........................................................................................................

*** Put the verb into the correct form, present simple or past simple, active or passive.**


 * 1) Most of Earth’s surface .......................................................... (cover) by water.
 * 2) Dan’s parents ....................................... (die) when he was very young. He and his sister .................................... (bring) up by their grandparents.
 * 3) Water ............................................................ (cover) most of the Earth’s surface.
 * 4) Why ................................................... (Bob/sack) from his job? What did he do wrong?
 * 5) Sam ......................................... (bear) in Oslo but I ........................................ (grow) up in Copenhagen.
 * 6) It´s a big firm. Five hundred people ....................................................... (employ) here.
 * 7) Why .................................................... (Tom/resign) from her job? Didn’t he enjoy it?
 * 8) Where .................................................. (these books/buy)? In Stockholm? ........................................... (you/buy) them?
 * 9) The Titanic ............................. (sink) quickly and unfortunately nobody ......................................... (rescue)
 * 10) The parcel ...................................... (post) a week ago but it ......................................................... (arrive) yesterday.

*** Rewrite the sentences in the passive voice.**


 * 1) People advised the foreigners not to walk alone at night. …..................................................................
 * 2) Somebody threatened Paul with killing him ......................................................................................
 * 3) They blocked the road because of the accident. …..................................................................................
 * 4) People don’t speak Hindi in Pakistan. ….................................................................................................
 * 5) Somebody threw a stone and broke the window. …................................................................................
 * 6) How many languages do people speak in Switzerland? ….....................................................................

** * ** **Try to translate these sentences into English or Spanish, as it corresponds using the structure: HAVE SOMETHING DONE:**
 * 1. Me corté el pelo el sábado. || 1.- ||
 * 2. Nos van a instalar aire acondicionado. || 2.- ||
 * 3. Ampliaron la casa. || 3.- ||
 * 4. Hice que mi cuñado arreglara mi lavabo. || 4. - ||
 * 5. Nos cortan los setos 2 veces al año. || 5.- ||
 * 6.- || 6. I had my grandmother sew my // pants // . (trousers) ||
 * 7.- || 7. Have it sent by courier. ||
 * 8. Revelamos tres carretes de fotos (en una tienda). || 8.- ||
 * 9. - || 9. She's going to have a garage built. ||
 * 10. Me empastaron un diente. || 10.- ||


 * ampliar: enlarge * revelar: develope
 * lavabo: sink * empastar: fill
 * setos: hedges
 * mensajero: courier
 * Check your answers!!