Passives | EXPLANATION AND EXERCISES

Passives | EXPLANATION AND EXERCISES

Passives are used whenever an action is more important than the agent – for example, in reporting the news or scientific experiments;

• A woman has been arrested for the abduction of baby Emily Smith.

The object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive sentence, and the verb be is used in the correct tense with the past participle of the relevant verb.

By + the agent is used only if it contributes important information:

• Coastal buildings have been damaged by gales.

Intransitive verbs, e.g. arrive, cannot become passive, because they have no object.

Certain other verbs, e.g. let, fit, lack, resemble, suit, cannot normally become passive.

After modal verbs, passive infinitives are used :

• He ought to be arrested. • You might have been killed.

Passive -ing forms are possible:

• She likes being driven to work. • Having been fed, the dog went to sleep.

Many verbs, like give, award, lend, can have two objects. When putting these verbs into the passive, it is more usual to make the 'person object', rather than the 'thing object', the subject of the passive verb:

• I was given back my change. (NOT My change was given back to me).

Passive constructions are often used with verbs like say, believe, and know.

It + passive + that-clause:

• It is said that three people died in the accident.

• It was once believed that the earth was completely flat.

Subject + passive + to + infinitive:

• Three people are said to have died in the accident.

• The earth was once believed to be completely flat

Sometimes there are two passive constructions in the same sentence:

• It is known that York was invaded by the Vikings.

• York is known to have been invaded by the Vikings.

Other verbs which are used in this way include:

 consider, think, understand, report, allege, expect, fear, claim and deny. The verb be rumoured only exists in the passive form.

If phrasal verbs or verbs with prepositions become part of a passive sentence, they must not lose their particle:

• The child was extremely well looked after.

Exercise 01:  

Complete the passage with the correct passive form of the verbs in brackets.

An ingenious device like a bed of nails, which 1) (originally use) by the great Carthaginian general Hannibal to restrain his elephants, is currently            2 )________ (put) to a similar use in parts of Britain. It 3)______ (know) as the Stinger, and recently it 4) _________ (successfully deploy) in Greater Manchester and the Midlands. When a joyrider in a stolen vehicle 5 )________ (involve) in a police chase, the Stinger can 6 )____ (lay out) on the road in front of the speeding driver, bringing the car to an abrupt halt.

Last week a car chase in Bolton, which had lasted 90 minutes, 7)________ (end) in 30 seconds, when the fugitive’s tyres 8)________ (puncture) by the Stinger. It 9 )____ ___ (hope) that this device will save police time and enable more joyriders to 10) _____ (catch), as _______ well as reducing the length of dangerous high-speed chases.

Exercise 02 :

Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first one, using the word given. You must use between three and eight words, including the word given. (Contractions count as two words.)

1 It is expected that tax increases will be announced in tomorrow’s

budget statement.

to

Tax increases_____________________________ in tomorrow’s budget statement.

2 We understand that inner-city crime rates are going up in most areas,

be

Inner-city crime rates_____________________________ in most areas.

3 They say the rock star’s wife has had at least two facelifts,

have

The rock star’s wife_____________________________ at least two facelifts.

4 We fear that nine crew members were lost overboard in the storm,

are

Nine crew members_____________________________overboard in the storm.

5 It was considered that Ralph’s speech was one of the best,

to

Ralph’s speech_____________________________ one of the best.

6 We can’t deny making certain mistakes in the early stages,

that

I t_______________________ _ made in the early stages.

7 Police reported that a man had been helping them with their inquiries,

was

A man______________________ ________police with their inquiries.

8 The accused was alleged to have committed fraud,

had

I t_____________________________ committed fraud.