GRAMMAR ACTIVE OR PASSIVE When we use

GRAMMAR

ACTIVE OR PASSIVE? When we use an active verb, we say what the subject does: My grandmother was a dressmaker. She made this jacket. The Royal Bournemouth is a big hospital. It has all the important specialities. We are interested in the action and the person or object that does the action

ACTIVE OR PASSIVE? When we uses a passive verb, we say what happens to the subject: Somebody built this house in 1935. This house was built in 1935 Using the passive shifts the focus of attention onto the object of the active sentence

We use the passive when we are more interested in the person or the thing affected by an action, and not the person or the thing action responsible for the action ACTIVE Fiona cleans her car every week. (we are interested in the action and the person who does it) PASSIVE The manager’s car is cleaned every week. (We are interested only in the action. Do we know who does the action? Are we interested who does the action? )

PASSIVE without the agent • We do not know who the agent is. E. g. -The wheel was invented about 3, 500 years ago. -About 2, 000 car radios are stolen every week in Britain. -A bomb was left in the centre last night • We do not need to identify the agent E. g. – The robbers were arrested for stealing the money - She was diagnosed with cancer. • We do not want to identify the agent. E. g. – The director admitted that mistakes had been made. - I was told not to mention it. • We are not interested in the agent. E. g. – The acid is then heated to 100 degrees …

If we want to say who or what does the action we use “by” (the agent). Often the agent is not used in the passive but when it is we gain extra information and it is in a strong position in the sentence. ACTIVE A truck hit Fiona’s car. (We are interested in the subject and what happened) PASSIVE Fiona’s car was hit by a truck. (We are more interested in the thing that hit her car)

PASSIVE - FORMATION Subject Verb-to be I Am/was/will be/have been He SHE IT Is/ was/will be/ has been Main verb WE YOU Are/were/ will be/ have been THEY Past participle

PASSIVE - FORMATION Subject I He SHE IT MODAL VERBS Modal + Verb-to be Main verb Must be/ must have been Can be / could have been WE YOU Must be/ must have been THEY Can be / could have been Past participle

Passive - FORMATION CONTINUOUS FORMS. In the active there is a difference between: Simple Present & Present Continuous Somebody cleans the windows every day Somebody is cleaning the windows now The same difference must be made in the passive

The construction of the Passive continuous forms is the same as the simple forms. Subject + is/are being + past participle/main verb participle Somebody cleans the windows every day The windows are cleaned every day Somebody is cleaning the windows now The windows are being cleaned now

Passive - FORMATION CONTINUOUS FORMS. In the active there is a difference between: Simple Past & Past Continuous Somebody cleaned the windows yesterday Somebody was cleaning the windows when the accident happened The same difference must be made in the Passive.

Subject + was/were being + past participle/main verb participle Somebody cleaned the windows yesterday The windows were cleaned yesterday Somebody was cleaning the windows ……. The windows were being cleaned …. . This form does not exist in Italian, but at times it corresponds to the use of “venire” in the Italian passive: Le finestre vengono pulite: Le finestre venivano pulite… pulite

EXERCISE Somebody is serving dinner now. Somebody serves dinner at 8. p. m. Somebody was cleaning the vegetables. Somebody cleaned the vegetables yesterday. They are building a new school. They were searching the port.

EXERCISES Write a new sentence in the passive: Somebody has taken my keys Somebody does the cleaning every day. Somebody stole my car last week. Somebody wants you on the phone. Somebody will repair the machine. Somebody must tell him. Somebody has to buy the food. Somebody had taken the book. Somebody can do it. Somebody would buy them if they were cheap.

Simple Present Umbrellas are made in this factory This jacket is made in France Rice is grown in China

THE PAST Simple Past (time defined) Present Perfect (time undefined)

Simple Future Next year 10, 000 cars will be produced It is certain that Coca. Cola will be drunk far into the 21 st century

Why PASSIVE? A passive construction is often used in English when Italian uses the active. The impersonal form ITALIAN Qui si parla l’inglese ENGLISH English is spoken here. I biglietti si possono comprare all’ingresso. Tickets can be bought at The entrance Non si mangiavano gli hamburgers 500 anni fa, ma La Coca si berrà per sempre. Hamburgers were not eaten 500 years ago, but Coke will be drunk for ever.

Passive report structures The Italian impersonal forms “Si dice, si pensa , si crede” are crede usually transformed into a passive form in English in formal contexts e. g Scientific writing, news reports. There are two constructions: is is It was S/he They said believed that (she is rich) thought (She was rich) is/was said are/were believed to (+infinitive) thought (to be rich)

Si considera che questo farmaco sia utile…. . It is considered that this drug is useful…… This drug is considered to be useful …… Si considerava che il farmaco fosse utile The drug was considered to be useful It was considered that the drug was useful

The DATIVE construction Some verbs can have two objects. E. g. To give: • Somebody gave the information to the police Direct Indirect • Somebody gave the police the information Indirect Direct So it is possible to make TWO passive sentences

The information was given to the police. The police were given the information. Other verbs which can have two objects are: ASK OFFER SHOW TEACH TELL SEND GIVE Examples: • I was offered the job but I refused it. • You will be given plenty of time to decide. • Have you been shown the new machine? • I was told to come at midday. • He has been sent many e-mails today. • They must be taught by an expert.

COMPARE The bed NO. 1 WITH NO. 2 the window the drawers the bin the T. V. the papers the glasses

EXERCISES

Exercises 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. There’s somebody behind us. I think we………. (follow) A mystery is something that ……………. (can’t/explain) We didn’t play football yesterday. The match ………. (cancel). The television………(repair). It’s working again. In the middle of the village there’s a church which……(restore) at the moment. The work is almost finished. 1. The tower is the oldest part of the church. It ……. . (believe) to be over 600 years old. 1. If I didn’t do my job properly, I ……. . (sack). 2. I left a newspaper on the desk last night and it isn’t there now. It ………(might/throw) away. 9. I learnt to swim at an early age. I ……. (teach) by my mother. 10. After……. (arrest), I was taken to the police station. 11. ……. . (you/ever/arrest)? No never. 12. Two people ……. (report) to ……. . (injure) in the explosion at the factory in Birmingham early this morning.

Exercise Active or Passive. 1. This house is quite old. It……. (build) over 200 years ago. 2. My grandfather was a builder. He ……(build) our house. 3. Is this car still for sale? No, I …. . (sell) it. 4. Is that house still for sale? No, it …. . (sell). 5. Sometimes mistakes ……(make). It happens. 6. I wouldn’t leave the car unlocked. It …. (might/steal). 7. My bag has disappeared. It …. . (must/steal). 8. I can’t find my hat. Somebody …. (must/take) by mistake 9. It’s a serious problem. I don’t know how it …. (can/solve) 10. Mary ……(say) to be very rich. 11. Nearly every time I travel, my flight ……(delay). 12. A new bridge ……(build) across the river. Work started last year and the bridge …. (expect) to open next year.

Exercise. Think of a suitable answer to these questions. What’s happened to the money? What’s happening to those old buildings? What happens to theatre tickets the agencies can’t sell? What will happen to those old newspapers? What happens to patients when they first arrive at hospital? What happens to letters delivered to the wrong address? What’s happened to the rivers in this area? What’s happened to that little dog?