Passive voice

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

PASSIVE

Look at the difference

Over a hundred people are employed by our school.

Our school employs over a hundred people.

active

passive

Which sentence(s) are passive?

1. My brother is a builder.
2. He is building a house for our sister.
3. She was hurt in a car accident.
4. The house is meant for our family.

Look at the difference

When we use a passive verb, we say what happens to the subject.

When we use an active verb, we say what the subject does.

Important

If we want to say who does or what causes the action, we use by.

When we use the passive, who or what causes the action is often unknown or not important.

Over a hundred people are employed by our school.

Which sentence(s) are passive?

1. A lot of money was stolen in the robbery.
2. He stole a lot of money from the bank.
3. My grandfather built this house.
4. Alibaba was founded by Jack Ma.

Important

to be

Voor het vervoegen van een passive gebruik je de volgende regel.

past participle

(voltooid deelwoord)

Which sentence(s) are passive?

1. Somebody cleans the room every day.
2. A lot of people are cleaning rooms.
3. Rooms are cleaned by a lot of people.
4. The room cleans somebody.

This problem ______ by your brother
yesterday

1. was solved
2. will be solved
3. is solved
4. solves

My father wrote this book. It _____ by
my father.

1. will be wrote
2. was write
3. was written
4. is written

The money _____ stolen by the thieves if you leave it there.

1. was
2. will be
3. has been
4. is

They were interviewing her for the job. She ________ for the job.

1. was being interviewed
2. was interviewed
3. has been interviewed

Tom is writing the letter.
The letter ________ by Tom.

1. was written
2. is being written
3. has been written

Everyone understands English.
English ___________ by everyone.

1. is understood
2. has been understood
3. was understood

The employees brought up this issue during the meeting.
This issue _____ by the employees during the meeting.

1. has been brought up
2. is brought up
3. was brought up

The professor told him not to talk in class.
He ________________ by the professor not to talk in class.

1. has been told
2. was told
3. was being told

The fire has destroyed the house.
The house ________________ by the fire.

1. has been destroyed
2. was being destroyed
3. is destroyed

She said she would tell you.
She said you ________________ by her.

1. would have been told
2. would be told
3. were told

This surprises me.
I ________________ by this.

1. was surprised
2. will be surprised
3. am surprised

She might reject the offer.
The offer ________________ by her.

1. has been rejected
2. was rejected
3. might be rejected

Rewrite the sentences

Turn the next sentences into passive voice.

Laat het onderwerp eruit als het niet belangrijk is!

Our school employs over a hundred people.

They cancelled all flights because of fog.

Somebody accused me of stealing money.

People don't use this road much.

A kid stole my camera.

Is the Passive still difficult?

Yes

No

a bit