Study this example: ‘This house was builtin 1961 ‘Was built s passive Compare active and passive Somebody built thishouse in 1961. (active) swbject object “Thishouse was built in 1961, (passive) subject When we use an active verb, we say what the subject does: My grandfather was a builder. He built this house in 1961 2a big company. tt emplays two hundred people, When we use a passive verb, we say what happens to the subject: "How old Is this houses" ‘Itwas builtin 1961, ‘Two hundred people are employed by the compary. ‘When we use the passive, who or what causes the action is often unknown or unimportant: ‘Alot of money was stolen in the robbery. (somebody stole it, Bt we don't know who) Isthis room cleaned every day? (does Somebody clean it? ~ t's not important who) If we want to say who does or what causes the action, we use by: This house was built by my grandfather. Two hundred people are employed by the company. EA) The passive is be (is/was etc) + past partcjole (done/cleaned/seen etc): (be)done (be)cleaned (be) damaged (be) built (be) seen etc For irregular past participles (done/seen/known atc), see Appendix 1 Study the active and passive forms ofthe present simple and past simple: Present simple active elean(s) / seals) ete Somebody eleans this room every day. passive amfis/are + cleaned/seen etc ‘This room is cleaned every day. Many accidents are caused by careless driving, '"m not invited to parties very often. How is this ward pronounced? Past simple active eleaned/saw ete Somebody cleaned this room yesterday. passive was/were + cleaned/seen etc. This room was cleaned yesterday. We were woken up by 2 loud noise during the night. ‘Did you goto the party?’ 'No, | wasn't invited How much money was stolen in the robbery?Exercises © corriete rhe sentences sng on ofthese verbs nthe comec form, present or past -eause damage hold invite make overtake show surround translate write 1 Many accidents are coused. by dangerous driving 2 Cheese from milk 3. The roof of the building ina storma few days ago 4 You to the wedding. Why didn't you go? 5 Acinema is a place where films 6 Inthe United States, elections for president ‘every four years. 7 Originally the book in Spanish, and a few years ago it into English 8 Although we were driving fast, we by alot of other cars 9 You can't see the house from the road. It by trees. I wes cnersensnen ian see enemincanaveman pe 1 Askabout las. (how /make?) How ls ase made? 2 Ask about television. (when / invent?) aa seat ures! foo ot 4 Ask about antibiotics. (when / discover?) 5 fskabowtalver, wht Jus fo?) © "rthe verb nto the corect form, present simple o pas simple active or passive 1 tsa big factory. Five hundred people are. employed. _ (employ) there. 2. Did. somebody clean (somebody / clean) this room yesterday? 3 Water (cover) most ofthe earth's surface 4 How much ofthe earth's surface cover) by water? 5. The park gates (lock) at 6.30 p.m. every evening 6 Theletter (send) a week ago and it (arrive) yesterday. 7 The boat hit arock and (sink) quickly. Fortunately everybody (rescue) 8 Robert's parents (die) when he was very young. He and his sister (bring up) by their grandparents. 9. Iwas born in London, but | (grow up) in Canada, 10 While was on holiday. my camera (steal) from my hotel room, 11 While was on holiday, my camera (disappear from my hotel room 12 Why (Sue / resign) from her job? Didn't she enjoy it? 13 Why (Ben fre rom his job? Did he do something wrong? 14 The company isnot independent. It (own) by a much larger company. 15 saw an accident lastnight. Somebody (call) an ambulance but nobody (injure), so the ambulance {not / need). 16 Where (these pictures / take]? In London? (you / take) them, or somebody else? TT Sometimes it's quite noisy living here, but it's not a problem for me ~ 1 (not / bother) by it @ sere tnese sentences instead of using somebody, they, people etc, writes passive 1 Somebody cleansthe room every doy. THe rom ie claaned every. day 2 They concledalfightsbecause offog, All 3 People dort wsethis toed much, 1 Saree) scrlion ot antiies 5 How do puopotentlanguaast ioe 6 ole warned snot to go cut lone 85Study the following active and passive forms: Infinitive active (to) dovelean/see vic. Somebody will clean this room later passive (to) be + done/cleaned/seen etc This room will be cleaned ister. ‘The situation is serious. Something must be done before it's too late, ‘Amysteryis something that can't be explained. ‘The music was very loud and could be heard from 2 long way away ‘Anew supermarket i going to be built next year Please go away. | want to be left alone. Perfect infinitive active (to) have + done/eleaned/seen etc. Somebody should have cleaned the room passive (to) have been + done/cleaned/seen cic. The room should have been cleaned | should have received the letter by now. It might have been sent to the wrong address. If you had locked the cart wouldn't have been stolen ‘There were some problems at fst, but they seer to have been solved. Present perfect active have/has + done etc. ‘Theroom looks nice. Somebody has cleaned it passive have/has been + done etc. The room looks nice. It has been cleaned. Have you heard? The rip has been cancelled, Have you ever been bitten by a dog? ‘Are you going to the party?” "No, l haven't been invited’ Past perfect active had+done etc ‘The room laoked nice. Somebody had cleaned it passive had been + done etc. The room looked nice. It had been cleaned, ‘The vegetables didn't taste good. They had been cooked too long. ‘The car was three years old, but hadn't been used very much. Present continuous active amvisfare + (do)ing Somebody is cleaning the room at the moment passive amiisfare + being (done) ‘The room is being cleaned at the moment. There's somebody walking behind us. | think we are being followed, (inashop) ‘Can help you?" ’No, thanks. I'm being served. Pastcontinuous active washwere + (do)ing Somebody was cleaning the oom) when arrived passive wasiwere + being (done) ‘The room was being cleaned when |arrived There was somebody walking behind us. | think we were being followedExercises g GB wre: do nese words mean? Use ican. orit ean. Usea dictionary if necessary. ise 1 washable, canbe washed. sina able 5 irwabie, & portable, DD connec tes serena with th tli fin th car ein arrest carry cause do make repair send. spend wake up Sometimes you need have (might have, should have etc) 1 The situations serious. Something must. be dove _ before it's too late 2 | should have received the letter by now, Itmight. have been sent. to the wrong address 3 Adecisionwillnot until the nest meeting 4 Doyou think that more money should ‘on education? 5 Thisroad isin very bad condition. It should 2 long time age. 6 The injureé man coulda’t walk and had to 7 told the hotel receptionist | wanted to 2 630 the next morning 8 If you hadn't pushed the policeman, you wouldn't 9 It’snot certain how the fire started, bt it might byan electrical faut. OD erin tees exrenrcer ested of sing soon or they ec, wie polensemenee 1 Somebody has cleaned the room. "The room has: been cleaned 2. Somebody is using the computer right now. The computer 3 | didn't realise that somebody was recording our conversation. I did't ealse that 4 When we got to the stadium, we found that they had cancelled the game. \Whien we got tothe stadium, we found that 5 They are building a new ring road ound the cy 6 They have built a new hospital near the airport. BD) Make sentences from the wordsin brackets. Sometimes the verbs active, sometimes passive. 1 There's somebody behind us. (I think /we /follow) | Brink we're, being followed. 2 Thisroom looks different. (you / paint /thewalls?) Have you painted. the walls? 3 Mycarhasdisappeared. (it/ steal!) It 4 My umbrella has disappeared. (somebody /take) Somebody 5 Sam gets ahigher salary now. (he// promote) He 6 Ann can’t use her oifice this week (it redecorate) It 7 There was a problem with the photocopier yesterday, but now it’s Ok. (it/ work) Ie again. (it/repat) Ir 8 When | went into the room, | saw that the table and chairs were not in the same place. (the furniture / move) The 9. Aneighbour of mine disappeared six months ago. (he / not / see / since then) He 10 | wonder how Jane is these days. (|/ not / see / for ages) 1 11 A friend of mine was mugged an his way home a few nights ago. (you / ever / mug?)