1. Paco's things are exhaustively checked at the airport
The active voice is the usual voice in English. This is the voice that we use most of the time. In the active voice the action of the verb falls on the object. They make cars in SEATHowever, The passive voice is less usual. In the passive voice, the action of the verb falls on the subject: Cars are made in SEAT.Let's begin with the passive voice in the present simple tense.
Reading activity
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| By Jason Walsh. Creative Commons. |
The question of increasing security aboard aircraft arose after these terrorist attacks. A controversial decision in the United States has been to allow pilots to carry handguns for personal safety.
Paco is asked what he is doing in the Unites States, why he intends to visit Miami and how long he is going to stay there.
Baggage is scanned using X-ray machines and passengers are told to walk through metal detectors, so Paco does so and then leaves the airport. He takes a taxi to go to the hotel. He feels tired and he wants to get there and relax.
- We use the passive voice when the receiver of the action is more important than the one who did it:
- We can use the passive when we don't know who did the action:
- We use the passive when we don't need to say who did the action:
Actividad
STEP BY STEP: Form of the Passive Voice
Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle
A valuable painting was stolen from the Museum by a famous thief (passive)
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Note the following changes when rewriting active sentences in the passive voice:
- the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence (A valuable painting)
- the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle) (stole→ was stolen).The tense doesn't change (stole= Simple Past, was=Simple Past
- If we want to say who does an action the subject of the active sentence becomes the object using "by"(a famous thief →by a famous thief
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But if the subject of the active sentence is a generic expression (people, they, someone), we never use it in the passive.
They publish this newspaper daily → This newpaper is published daily.
Someone stole my car yesterday → My car was stolen yesterday.
Self-Assessment activity|
a) These computers are made in China.
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b) These computers were made in China.
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These computers are made by them in China.
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a) German is spoke in Austria.
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b) German is spoken in Austria.
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German is spoken in Austria by them.
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a) America was discovered by Columbus in 1492.
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b) America was being discovered by Columbus in 1492.
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Solved exercise
1) The police stopped Paco in Miami.
2)They speak English in New Zealand.
3) Isabel waters the flowers every day.
4) Isaac Peral invented the submarine.
5) Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin.
Curiosity
Passive in English
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| By Justin Marty. Creative Commons. |
The passive voice may be used for advertising. If we find in a shop or in a bar a noticeboard with the text English Spoken means that English is spoken here, that is to say, that the shop assistant or the waiter speaks English.
Wanted in the picture on the left implies that These girls are wanted. There is a passive sentence hidden behind the simple word wanted.
Important
Impersonal Passive
Some verbs of reporting (say,report, state, rumour) and belief (believe,think) make an impersonal construction using "It" as the subject- therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive.
They say that Literature is more difficult than Maths.→ It is said that Literature is more difficult than Maths.
Note the structure:
It is said/reported/rumoured/believed/thought that.......(In Spanish = Se dice/informa/rumorea/cree que...)
Further knowledge
Click here to learn more about the form and uses of the passive voice in English.
Need further practice with exercises about the passive in simple present? Have a look here.
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Passive with simple present |
Active or passive? |
Rewriting in passive |
Would you like to follow this tour about the Florida State? Have a look at it.
Once we have studied the simple present in the passive voice, let's go with the simple past.