PASSIVE

1. PASSIVE C 1

2. English uses the passive more often than many other languages. When? • We don’t know the agent. His house has been burgled several times. • We want to be impersonal and avoid mentioning the agent. It is thought the accident was caused by drink driving.

3. To emphasise the action rather than the agent Borders between countries are being broken down. • To emphasise new information, which appears at the end of the sentence. Compare: The Americans developed this type of submarines during WW 2. This type of submarines was developed during WW2 by the Americans.

4. To avoid long expressions in the first clause Compare: The number of people trying to leave the city for the long weekend surprised us We were surprised by the number of people trying to leave the city for the long weekend.

5. To use a more formal style. All complaints should be submitted in writing.

6. Structure • The subject of the sentence is not the doer/agent. • Use verb be in the appropriate tense + past participle (3rd principle form). • To mention the agent use by. • To show what the agent uses to do the action usewith.

7. Compare: • He was hit by a piece of wood. He was hit with a piece of wood. (by= it fell and hit him) (with= smb hit him using it)

8. Active or passive? They are decorating my house? Why wasn’t I informed about the changes? Men don’t consider chores a male job. Mother sent the children to the country for the summer. Who was the book written by? He hasn’t ever been given any awards yet? By the end of the year the project will have been worked on for 3 years. My parents will surely meet me at the airport. Tom had finished his work before they started the discussion. Which vase should I put the flowers into?

9. Some more difficult structures • Let They didn’t let me take part in the discussion. I was not allowed to take part in the discussion. • Make My boss has often made me work long hours. I have often been made to work long hours.

10. Hear, listen to, see ,notice, watch, observe, feel She heard someone coming up the stairs. Someone was heard coming up the stairs. Mark saw her enter the building. She was seen to enter the building

11. Impersonal passive Noun + verb in passive + infinitive/perfect inf. structure with certain verbs (agree,assume,believe, claim,consider etc.) Verb in passive + to do to be doing to have done to have been doing

12. Impersonal passive Tourism is considered to cause economic growth WW1 was supposed to end all wars. The earthquake was estimated to have left thousands of people homeless. He was claimed to have been speeding when the accident happened. (Not with: suggest, decide, recommend, announce; use it+ be+past participle: it was suggested that ...)

13. It +verb in passive + that clause Change the previous sentences using this structure It is considered that tourism causes economic growth. It was supposed that WW1 would end all wars. It was estimated that the earth quake left thousands of people homeless. It was claimed that he had been speeding when the accident happened.

14. There + verb in passive + infinitive/perfect inf. Verb in passive + to do to be doing to have done to have been doing

15. There are reported to have taken place a lot of riots in Egypt in the past months. There is supposed to happen more violent conflicts within the following weeks. Change into passive: The newspapers reported that a serious accident happened in the mountains. There was reported to have happened a serious accident in the mountains.

16. Avoiding passive • Present perfect continuous Vintage cars have been being displayed in the town centre all this week. Vintage cars have been on display ... • Past perfect continuous By the time they reached the agreement the problem had been being discussed for hours. ... the problem had been under consideration

17. Future continuous At this time tomrrow the lecture will be being delivered At this time tomorrow the lecture will be in progress. • Future perfect continuous At the end of this I will have been being trained as a pilot for four years. .... I will have been in training as a pilot for...

18. Some rare cases of passive Change the active sentence into passive: Somebody might be using the room, but they can’t have been using it for very long. The room might be being used, but it can’t have been being used for very long. Be being and been being are rarely used in passive

19. Verb + being + past participle Verbs like: love, like, don’t mind, hate, remember, deny, avoid, describe, imagine Change into passive: I love when somebody gives me presents. I love being given presents. In his book he describes how a crocodile attacked him. ... he describes being attacked by a crocodile.

20. Verb with passive meaning • The verbs need, want, deserve, require + ing My shoes need repairing. He deserves getting a Nobel prize. Your behaviour requires explaining. My computer wants looking at. (very informal)

21. Causative Have / get something done to describe a service which someone does for us She had/got the house cleaned. I must have/get my car washed. We are having our house painted. • With present perfect: have sth done (not get) My neighbours have just had their flat redecorated.

22. Use causative: Someone will do her make-up before the wedding. She will have her make-up done ... They are going to ask the baker to make a cake. They are going to have the cake made by ... The maid is making our beds. We are having our beds made by the maid.

23. She prefers paying someone to organise her parties. She prefers having her parties organised by... Her father has redecorated her flat. She has had her flat redecorated by her father. He had asked the gardener to water his plants. He had had his plants watered by the gardener.

24. What is the difference? He made Ann sign the contract. He had Ann sign the contract. He got Ann to sign the contract. Make smb do sth = to insist smb should do Have smb do sth = to ask smb do sth Get smb to do sth = to persuade smb to do

25. Use the structures make smb do, have smb do, get smb to do He insisted that they should accept the gift. He made them accept the gift. They asked Paul to order the cake. They had Paul order the cake. He persuaded his father to go with him. He got his father to go with him.