CHAPTER 11

THE PASSIVE

11-1. Active Vs. Passive

In the passive, the object of an active verb becomes the subject of the passive
verb.
Active : Elsa helped the boy Has a characteristic that is the
. SUBJECT VERB OBJECT subject in the sentence doing work

Passive : the boy was helped by Elsa Has a characteristic that’s

. SUBJECT VERB the subject in the sentence
. which is subject to work

Notice that the subject of an active verb follows by in a passive sentence. The
noun that follows by is called the “agent”. Elsa is the agent.
EXERCISE 1
Are the sentences written in active or passive ?

1. English is studied in pahlawan university

Active

Passive

2. They are reading the holy Qur’an

Active

Passive

3 .These cars are produced in Japan

Active

Passive

4.Her food was fallen

Active

Passive

5. Nana likes to eat grape

Active

Passive
11-2. Tense Forms of the Passive

• Simple present : active = Elsa helps the boy

Passive = the boy is helped by Elsa

• Present progressive : active = Elsa is helping the boy

Passive = the boy is being helping by Elsa

• Present perfect : active = Elsa has helped the boy

Passive = the boy has been helped by Elsa

• Simple past : active = Elsa helped the boy

Passive = the boy was helped by Elsa

• Past progressive : active = Elsa was helping the boy

Passive = the boy was being helped by Elsa

• Past perfect : active = Elsa had helped the boy

Passive = the boy had been helped by Elsa

• Simple future : active = Elsa will help the boy

Passive = the boy will be helped by Elsa

• Be going to : active = Elsa is going to help the boy

Passive = the boy is going to be helped by Elsa

• Future perfect : active = Elsa will have helped the boy

Passive = the boy will have been helped by Elsa

 Questions
 Active:
Is Elsa helping the boy?
 Did Elsa help the boy?
Has Elsa helped the boy?
Will Elsa help the boy?
 Passive :
Is the boy being helped by Elsa?
Was the boy helped by Elsa?
Has the boy been helped by Elsa?
Will the boy be helped by Elsa?

EXERCISE 2
Choose the correct passive from the simple present tense below

1. I eat brown rice and fried chicken

a. brown rice and fried chicken is ate by me

b. brown rice and fried chicken is eaten by me
c. brown rice and fried chicken are ate by me
d. brown rice and fried chicken are eaten by me

2. We need math book

a. math book is needed by us

b. math book are needed by us
c. math book is need by us
d. math book are need by us

3. She plays the game

a. the game is play by her

b. the game is played by her
c. the game are play by her
d. the game are played by her

4. My mother reads a romance novel

a. a romance novel is readed by my mother

b. a romance novel are read by my mother
c. a romance novel is read by my mother
d. a romance novel are readed by my mother

5. He brings little money

a. little money is bring by him

b. little money is brought by him
c. little money are bring by him
d. little money are brought by him

11-3. Using the Passive

• Usually the passive is used without by-phrase. The passive is most frequently
used when it is not known or not important to know exactly who performs an
actions.
• Example:
a. Rise is grown in Indonesia
Rice is grown in indonesia by people, by farmers, by someone. It is
not known or important to know exactly who grows rice in
indonesia.

b. My uncle made this table. (active)

if the speaker knows who performs an action, usually the active is used

c. This table was made by my uncle

d. This table was made by my father The focus of attention is in two rugs

e. Huckleberry Finn was written by Mark Twain

this focus is on the book, but the by-phrase is included because it
contains important information
EXERCISE 3
Make complete sentence with the given words. Use the simple past. Some are active,
some are passive . ex : a burger/ deliver / to our house today

A burger was delivered to our house today

1. a. Now/ my daughter / require / to wear uniform

b. It / send / to wrong house

2. a. Mark / teach / her little sister to use bycicle

b. He / teach / by his uncle when he was seven

3. a. Jhonny / cut down / a dead flower
b. It / make / instantly

11-4. The Passive Form of Modals and Phrasal Modals

 Passive form: modal* be past participle

(a) Tom will be invited to the tour

(b) The door can’t be closed

(c) Children should be taught to respect

. their elders

(d) May I be excused from . .

. class?

(e)This book had better be returned to the library

. before Sunday
 (f)This letter ought to be sent before June 2nd

(g)Mia has to be told about our change in

. plans

(h)Fred is supposed to be told about the meeting

Past- passive modal have been past

form : participle

(i) The letter should have been Sent last

week

(j)This school must have been Built over

20 years ago
(k) Jeno Couldn’t have been offered the job

(l) Jhonny Ought to have been invited to the

party

EXERCISE 4
Complete the sentences with the words in parentheses. Use the appropriate form,
active or passive
Example : Mark ( should + tell ) should be told the news as soon as possible

1. These book ( have + return)_______ to the school library by tomorrow

2. Good news, I ( may + offer ) _______ a job soon. I had an interview at an
engineering firm tomorrow
3. Hendry ( must + surprise ) _____ when he runs into his boss outside of work.

11-5. Stative (Non- Prograssive) Passive

 (a) The cupboard is old old and yellow are adjectives. They
describe
(b) The cupboard is yellow the cupboard

(c) The window is locked

locked is a past participle. It is used as an adjectives. It describe the
window.

(d) Now the door is loocked when the passive form is used to
describe an
‘ existing situation or state , it is called
the“stative” or “non-progressive”
passive. In this form:

(e) Now the window is broken - No action is taking place; the action
happened earlier

-There is no by-phrase
-The past participle functions as an
adjective

EXERCISE 5
Complete the sentences with the given words. Use the appropriate form
1. marry / locate / confuse
a. The grand bazaar in Semarang _________ in the kota tua
b. You’re lucky, you_________ to wonderful woman.
c. I’m not sure why they are fought. Irene told me one thing and Daniel told another. I
______

2. born / clog / crowd

a. There are 75 streets and 8000 shops. At the end of the day many shoppers ______
b. They have 2 child. They ________ a month after summer
c. We’re having a problem with our pipe. The water wont flows. The pipe _______
11-6. Common stative ( Non- Progressive) passive verbs +
prepositions
• Many stative verbs are followed by prepositions other than by
(a) i’m interested in greek culture
(b) He’s worried about losing his job

EXERCISE 6
Complete the sentences with the correct preposition
1. His toys are made ________ plastic
2. He is tired _____ his work
3. They are scared ______ ghost in Annabele film
4. She is known _______ creating high quality games
5. She is pleased ________ the response to her toys

11-7. The passive with get

• Get + Adjective Get may be followed by certain adjectives. Get
gives the idea of change – the idea of becoming, begining to be,
growing to be.
Ex :
 (a) i’m getting hungry. Let’s eat soon.
i’m getting hungry = i wasn’t hungry before, but now i’m
beginning to be hungry.

(b) I stopped working because i got sleepy.

• Get + past participle Get can also be followed by a past participle

from of a verb that usually ends in ed or en . The past participle
functions as an adjectives: it describes the subject
Ex : (a) I stopped working because i got tired.
(b) They are getting married next month

Common adjectives that follow get

Angry Cold Fat Hungry Quiet Tall

Anxious Comfortable Full Late Ready Thirsty
Bald Dark Good Light Rich Warm
Better Dizzy Hard Mad Ripe Well
Big Easy Healthy Nervous Serious Wet
Busy Empty Heavy Noisy Sick Worse
chilly Famous Hot Old Sleepy

EXSERCISE 7
Complete the sentence with any appropriate tense of get and the words in the box
Ex : hungry what time are we going to lunch ? I am getting hungry

Nervous Deprees

Dark Fire

Pay

1. I _____ on Mondays. I will give you my money on next monday

2. Every time I have to give a speech in front of the crowd, I _______
3. Would you mind turning on the light ? it _________ in here
4. Jhonny _________ because he didn’t do his work
5. Lala ________ when she broke up with her boyfriend

11-8. -ed/-ing Adjectives

o The problem confuses the students
(a) It is a confusing problem
• The present participle can serve as an adjective with an active
meaning. The noun it modifies performs an action.
• In (a): the noun problem does something; it confuses. Thus it is
described as a “confusing problem”

o The students are confused by the problem

(b) They are confused students
 The past participle can serve as an adjective with a passive meaning.
In (b): the students are confused by something.thus, they are
described as “confused students”.

o The story amuses the children

(c) It is an amusing story
• In (c): the noun story performs an action

o The children are amused by the story

(d) They are amused children
 In (d) the noun children receives the action.

(e) It was a delighful story There are exceptions to these rules. For
(f) It was a scary story example, there is no adjective –ing
firm delight and scare

EXERSICE 8
Correct the error
Ex : I am interesting in her ideas
Interested

1. My sister and my brother have always been interesting in learning more about
Indonesia stories
2. I didn’t go to breakfast with them because I had already been eaten
3. My grandpa was walking on an icy sidewalk and was fallen
4. It was late, and I was getting very worry about my grandma
5. When and where has the car invented
Reference

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.sederet.com/tutorial/grammar-verb-active-vs-
passive-voice/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/learningenglish.voanews.com/amp/learning-passive-
modals-it-can-be-done/4364766.html