GRAM1 Test yourself 4: The passive

• Engels
• HBO
• Studiejaar 1

Part 1

Which sentence is in the passive voice?

1. The party will take place in August.
2. The party was held in August.
3. They will organise a party in August.
4. They have organised a party.

The party was held in August.

Passive:

- form of to be + past participle

- there is no agent

- the subject (the party) is not doing the action, is not holding itself

Which sentence is in the passive voice?

1. The farmer is harvasting the corn.
2. The farmer has harvasted the corn.
3. The corn is harvested by the farmer.
4. Harvasting corn is a heavy job.

The corn is harvested by the farmer.

Passive: 

- form of to be + past participle

- the subject (the corn) is not doing the harvesting, but is undergoing the harvesting

- by + agent at the end

Are these sentences active or passive?

Active

Passive

Bij binnenkomst wordt de de gast naar een tafel gebracht.

Harry is gisteren geslaagd voor zijn bachelor.

Op de basisschool werden wij iedere maand gecontroleerd op luizen.

Ik was nog nooit zo hard gevallen.

The agent

Check: who or what is the agent? Is the subject of the sentence the person or thing doing the action?

Yes -> then the subject is the agent

And the sentence is active.

What is the agent in this sentence:
My brother bought his girlfriend chocolates for their anniversary.

1. my brother
2. his girlfriend
3. chocolates
4. their anniversary

My brother bought his girlfriend chocolates for their anniversary.

'My brother' is the agent: it is the subject of an active sentence and the doer of the action 'bought'.

What is the agent in this sentence:
Our house was sold to my cousin by the real estate agent.

What is the correct passive?
De gasten worden naar de tafel gebracht.

1. The guests are seated.
2. The guests will be seated.
3. The guests were seated.
4. The guests were being seated.

present tense of the passive

wordt gebracht ...>... is seated

What is the correct passive?
Wij werden iedere maand gecontroleerd.

1. Every month we are checked.
2. Every month we had been checked.
3. Every month we were checked.
4. Every month we have been checked.

past tense of the passive

werden gecontroleerd ...>... were checked

Level 1
Transform this active sentence into passive:
My boss raised my salary.

My salary was raised (by my boss).

-Tense:

A: raised = past

P: was (raised) = past form of to be (+volt.dlw.)

-Object/subject:

my salary = object in A...>...subject in P

-Agent:

A: my boss

P: 'by my boss' at the end or leave out

Level 1
Transform this active sentence into passive:
AliExpress ships products from China.

Products are shipped from China (by AliExpress).

-Tense:

A: ships = present

P: are (shipped) = present form of to be (+volt.dlw.)

-Object/subject:

products = object in A...>...subject in P

-Agent:

A: AliExpress

P: 'by AliExpress' at the end or leave out

Level 2
Transform this active sentence into passive:
Every year Santa promises my daughter a present for Christmas.

-1: Every year a present for Christmas is promised to my daughter (by Santa).

-2: Every year my daughter is promised a present for Christmas (by Santa).

-Tense:

A: promises = present

P: is (promised) = present form of to be (+volt.dlw.)

-Object/subject:

1: a present for Christmas = direct object in A...>...subject in P

2: my daughter = indirect object in A ...>...subject in P

-Agent:

A: Santa

P: 'by Santa' at the end or leave out

Part 2

When do we use a passive? - Some examples

Agent is unkown

Agent is irrelevant

Agent is obvious

Don't want to say who agent is

Many solar panels are being installed nowadays.

At the end of the service the churchgoers were given the blessing.

Over past months a lot of drug chemicals have been dumped in the countryside.

The lights were left on again all night. Please remember to switch them off.

Translation: Which passive is correct?
Twee jaar geleden is hij gearresteerd voor winkeldiefstal.

1. Two years ago he is arrested for shoplifting.
2. Two years ago he was arrested for shoplifting.
3. Two years ago he has been arrested for shoplifting
4. Two years ago he had been arrested for shoplifting

Two years ago he was arrested for shoplifting.

Step 1: indication of time?

>Yes: two years ago

Step 2: finished past?

>Yes.

Step 3: if yes > use past simple

Translation: Which passive is correct?
Deze influencer wordt sinds 2018 gevolgd.

1. This influencer is followed since 2018.
2. This influencer was followed since 2018.
3. This influencer has been followed since 2018.
4. This influencer is being followed since 2018.

The influencer has been followed since 2018.

Step 1: indication of time?

>Yes: since 2018

Step 2: finished past?

>No, unfinished past

Step 3: if unfinished past> use perfect tense

Which passive is the correct translation for:
Die bank is door Jan des Bouvrie ontworpen.

1. That sofa is designed by Jan des Bouvrie.
2. That sofa is being designed by Jan des Bouvrie.
3. That sofa has been designed by Jan des Bouvrie.
4. That sofa was designed by Jan des Bouvrie.

That sofa was designed by Jan des Bouvrie.

was designed = past tense

Why?

-no time indication, but we know Jan des Bouvrie died in 2020 so he will not design any new furniture again (=finished past)

-finished past > past tense

(If you chose 'has been designed' this would express that you thought JdB was still alive.)

Which passive is correct?
Zijn banken werden tot vorig jaar verkocht bij IKEA.

1. His sofas are sold by IKEA until last year.
2. His sofas were sold by IKEA until last year.
3. His sofas have been sold by IKEA until last year.
4. His sofas had been sold by IKEA until last year.

His sofas were sold by IKEA until last year.

Step 1: indication of time?

>Yes: until last year

Step 2: finished past?

>Yes.

Step 3: if yes > use past tense