Focus On GrammarBook 2, 5th edition

Lesson 13: Passive Voice

AndActive Voice

13.1 - Overview

• Good Overview on page 416• Also, see

– http://www.esl2000.com/grammar/passive.html

“Mistakes have been made.” ≠ “I have made mistakes.”

13.2 FormHV BE (passive) verbEN

Rice Is Eaten.

I Am Eating Rice.

Rice Is Being Eaten.

Rice Is Eaten.

I Have Eaten Rice.

Rice Has Been Eaten.

BE + verbENAdd this to any other tense (past, future, perfect, progressives0Use base form of BE after a modal.

(BY is more useful in grammar class than in real life, but sometimes you need it.)

13.3 Form and Uses

• BE shows the tense; always use the past participle!

• BE is in the base form after a modal

13.4 Negatives and Questions

• Negatives– Can you tell me the rule?

• Questions– Can you tell me the rules?

• For subject questions• For Y/N questions• For other questions

– Hint: something about the First Helping Verb

• Example: Rice has been eaten.

13.5 – Choosing a Voice

• Read page 425• Use passive in all your science reports.

– First, we poured water and rice into the pot. Then, we boiled the water until we cooked the rice. Finally, we ate the rice.

13.5 – More about Choices

• Use “IT” for discoveries, etc.• If the ACTIVE voice has no object, you can’t

change it to PASSIVE voice– The children slept for many hours.– The pen fell on the floor.– We laughed at the joke.

• REMEMBER: use an object pronoun after BY