Passive 3rd year

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 3

The Passive

You will learn:

1. What is a passive sentence

2. When to use a passive sentence

3. How to make a passive sentence

What is a passive
sentence

Use of the Passive

My bike was stolen.

The Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action, not the person doing it. It is unimportant or unknown who did it.

What is important is the fact that my bike was stolen.

Not who did it.

A mistake has been made.

Sometimes a statement in the passive is more neutral and polite than the active voice, as the above example shows.

 

In this case, the focus is on the fact that a mistake has been made, but nobody is blamed.

(as opposed to the active sentence: He has made a mistake.)

Why is the passive form useful?

1. to talk about things not knowing who did them
2. active sentences are too direct
3. focusing on who did something
4. to talk about things not focusing on who did them

Choose the sentence in the passive.

1. The teacher has given the present.
2. The teacher was giving the present.
3. The present was given to the teacher.
4. The teacher gave the present.

Choose the passive sentence.

1. The zookeeper picked up the leaves.
2. The woman was sweeping the floor.
3. The people were laughing loudly.
4. Leaves were swept up.

Which sentence is in the passive voice?

1. The farmer is harvesting the corn.
2. The corn is harvested by the farmer.
3. The farmer has harvested the corn.
4. Harvesting corn is a heavy job.

The thief was caught right after the robbery.

The student was hit by a green car.

I am walking in the forest right now.

My manager was fired the other day.

My bike was stolen last week.

She broke up with me on Valentine's day.

Active

Passive

Passive

Passive

Active

Active

Put the next sentence in the passive:
John collects money.

Put the next sentence in the passive:
Anna opened the window.

Put the next sentence in the passive:
We have done our homework.

Put the next sentence in the passive:
Are you going to ask that question?

Put the next sentence in the passive:
William won't repair the car.

Put the next sentence in the passive:
They were feeding the dog.

Rewrite in the Passive Voice:
They won the game.
(This time, leave out 'by ...')

Change into the passive the passive:
Nathan tells the truth.
(This time, leave out 'by ...')

Correct this sentence:
There has been committed a murder.

Do you understand the passive now?

1. A little better
2. I am lost
3. I need more practice
4. YES!

Homework Tuesday April 15th

Student's book p. 76

Exercise 1, 2, 3, 5, 6