The Passive

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

The Passive

The passive voice is used to show interest in the person or object that experiences an action rather than the person or object that performs the action. In other words, the most important thing or person becomes the subject of the sentence.

Wild penguins attacked
my sister! 

My sister was attacked by wild penguins!

Thieves stole her bike.

Her bike was stolen by thieves.

The house was built in 1564.

1. Active
2. Passive

The dog bit the neighbour.

1. Active
2. Passive

His sister likes to play football.

1. Active
2. Passive

The riots in Rotterdam were stopped by the police.

1. Active
2. Passive

The road is being repaired.

1. Active
2. Passive

How to form the passive?

Subject + be + past participle (+ by + agent).

What does this mean exactly?

Tense	Active	Passive
Present Simple	I make a cake.	A cake is made.
Present Continuous	I am making a cake.	A cake is being made.
Past Simple	I made a cake.	A cake was made.
Past Continuous	I was making a cake.	A cake was being made.
Present Perfect	I have made a cake.	A cake has been made.
Future	I will make a cake.	A cake will be made.

Exercise 2: Active or Passive?

Gateway Workbook p. 68

The soil on the slopes of volcanoes ..... for agricultural purposes.

1. used
2. is used

Molten lava ..... from 700 to 1200 degrees Celsius in temperature.

1. ranges
2. is ranged

Lava glows red hot to white hot as it ..... from the volcano.

1. flows
2. is flowed

Mountains ..... by movements of the Earth's crust.

1. form
2. are formed

Last week, the children ..... what to do in an earthquake.

1. showed
2. were shown

Local people should ..... when there is a high risk of a tsunami.

1. be warned
2. warned

During the last flu pandemic, many children and old people ..... against it.

1. were vaccinated
2. vaccinated

Since the floods last Friday, three refugee camps .....

1. have been set up
2. have set up

Homework

Complete exercise 3 and 4 on p. 68 of your Gateway Workbook
and exercise 1 and 2 on p. 70.

Take a picture of your answers and upload these images on Teams.