B2 PASSIVE VOICE

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1. What do you know about this substance?

2. Watch the video clip and answer these questions.

- Who first chewed gum and where did it come from?

- When was bubble gum invented?
- What makes bubble gum sweet?
- What is the consistency of the gum compared with?
- What temperature is the cooling chamber?
- How many pieces are processed in a minute?
- Why is bubble gum pink?

3. Compare these sentences from the clip. What’s different between the first and second pair of
sentences?

Modern chewing gum was patented in the U.S. in 1869 by a dentist.

Today, it is made of plastics and rubbers.

They pour in glucose syrup.

They blend the ingredients for about 20 minutes.

Who is ‘they’ in the second pair of sentences? Are they important? How would you express
the ideas in these sentences more naturally?

4. How is the passive voice formed?

Object + ……………………………………………… +
………………………………………………….

Which part of the structure changes to show the tense?

 B2 PASSIVE VOICE
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5. Re-write this sentence in the tenses indicated.

The ingredients are blended for about 20 minutes.

 Present perfect – The ingredients …have been blended…. for about 20 minutes.

 Future simple – The ingredients ……will be blended……… for about 20 minutes.

 Present continuous – The ingredients …are being blended…………………… for about 20

minutes.

 Future perfect – The ingredients ……will have blended……… for about 20 minutes.

 Past simple – The ingredients ……were blended…. for about 20 minutes.

 Past perfect – The ingredients ……… had been blended ……….. for about 20 minutes.

6. Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first, using the passive.

a. Astronauts fly the shuttle into space.

The shuttle …………………………………………………. into space.

b. Scientists did the tests yesterday.
The tests ……………………………………………………. yesterday.
c. The company has launched the new brand.
The new brand ……………………………………………………………. launched.
d. They haven’t answered our questions.
Our questions ……………………………………………………………………
e. Engineers built the new plane in Seattle.
The new plane ………………………………………………………… in Seattle.
f. You can use the tennis courts between 10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m.
The tennis courts ………………………………………… between 10.00 a.m. and 4.00
p.m.
g. When we arrived we realised that we had left the dog at home.
When we arrived we realised that the dog ………………………………………………..at
home.

7. Follow the link that your teacher shares and try to match the passive facts. How quickly can
you finish the game?
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8. The passive voice is often used in newspaper reporting. Look at the headlines below. What
do you imagine the stories were about?

Dog Taught to Drive Woman Hit by Comet

Titanic to be Raised Robbers thwarted by OAP

Choose one of the headlines. In pairs, do the following:

- Write out the headline in a full sentence.
- Continue the story to make a full news bulletin item, using passive structures where
appropriate.
- Rehearse your item prior to sharing with the group.
- Include a handover to the ‘on-scene’ reporter.