iMadrassa

Sequence 2 : Passive Sentences

1 PASSIVE SENTENCES
Read And Answer The Questions:

Since the early days of the Industrial Revolution, many sources of power have been exploited by industries and companies. Wind- generated electricity was first introduced by the Danes in the 1890s.Photovoltaic or solar cells were built as early as the 1880s, but were not very developed .Only in 1954, solar cells could be used efficiently .In the USA, from 1950 to 1995, coal disappeared as a heating source for homes and was replacedby gas.

Oil prices rose from $ 5 per barrel in 1960s to over $17 per barrel in 1973.Today oil prices are about $100 per barrel, and its huge consumption has caused much harm to planet Earth. Therefore, measures must be taken to reinforce the production of eco-friendly sources of energy and so reduce the use of petroleum.

  1. Since when have many sources of energy been exploited?
  2. When were solar cells built?
  3. Were  solar cells developed?
  1. Many sources of energy have been exploited since the early days of the Industrial Revolution.
  2. Solar cells were built as early as the 1880s.
  3. No, they weren’t

 

  1. ANALYSE
  • Most of the sentences in the text are in the passive voice:
  1. Since the early days of the Industrial Revolution, many sources of power have been exploited by industries and companies.
  2. Wind- generated electricity    was first introducedby the Danesin the 1890s.
  3. Solar cells were built as early as the 1880s.
  4. Solar cells could be usedefficiently.
  5. Measures must be taken.
  • Have a closer look at the passive sentences with  their tenses and verb forms in the table below:

The sentence

The tense

 The verb form

Many sources of power have been exploited by industries.

Present

Perfect

Simple

(since+date)

have+been+ past participle.

Wind- generated electricity    was first introducedby the Danesin the 1890s.

 

Past simple

(past date)

was + past participle

Solar cells were built as early as the 1880s.

 

Past simple

 (past date)

Were +past participle

Solar cells could be usedefficiently.

Past general

ability

Could+ be+ Past participle

 

 

Measures must be taken.

 

Present obligation

Must+be +past  participle

  • The past participle of regular verbs is: base form+ ed.
  • The past participle of irregular verbs is  the form of the verb in third column.
  • Have a closer look at the active sentences with their tenses and  verb forms

The sentence

The tense

 The verb form

Industries have exploited many sources of power.

Present

Perfect

Simple

(since+date)

have+ past participle.

The Danes first introduced wind- generated electricity in the 1890s.

 

Past simple

(past date)

Verb+ed

(past simple form of regular verb))

Theybuilt solar cells as early as the 1880s.

 

Past simple

 (past date)

Past simple

(form of irregular verb)

Theycould use solar cells efficiently.

Past general

ability

Could+ infinitive

 

 

The must take measures.

 

Present obligation

Must+infinitive

We use the passive voice when:

  • We want to focus on the person or the thingaffected by the action.

 

Fauna and flora are polluted by chemical effluent.

  • We want to describe a process of how something works.

Gas emissions are captured in the atmosphere.

  • Whenthe performer of the action is unknown, uninteresting or obvious. Therefore, most of the time the agent is not mentioned.

The Amazon trees are being felled.

  • Keep in mind the verb form of the sentences in the active and passive voice in the main tenses.

Tenses

Active voice(subject+verb)

Passive voice (be+ past participle)

Past  simple

Janes wrote  a story.

Jane wrote stories.

A story was written by Jane.

Stories were written by Jane

Present simple

Jane writes a story

Jane writes stories.

A story is written by Jane.

Stories are written by Jane.

Present perfect simple

We have sent an email.

We have sent emails.

An email has been sent.

Emails have been sent.

Past perfect simple

We had sent emails.

Emails had been sent.

Past continuous

Bob was helping Jane.

Bob was helping some kids.

Jane was being helped by Bob.

Some kids were being helped by Bob.

Present continuous

Bob is helping Jane.

Bob is helping some kids.

Jane is being helped by Bob.

Some kids are being helped by Bob.

 

The main structure

Subject+ verb+ complement.

  • be (in the given tense)+ past participle of the main verb+ by agent.
What you have to learn:

You have noticed the auxiliary “to be”  isused to form the passive voiceand is conjugated in all the tenses, while the main verb is always in the past participle whatever tense.

Tenses in the passive voice:

  Auxiliary “be” in the given tense

Main verb in the past participle

Present simple

am/ is/ are

helped/ driven.

Past simple

Was/ were

helped/ driven.

Present continuous

am/ is/ are being

helped/ driven.

Past continuous

Was/ were being

helped/ driven.

Present perfect simple

have/ has been

helped/ driven.

Past perfect simple

had been

helped/ driven.

Future simple

Will be

helped/ driven.

Future perfect simple

Will have been

helped/ driven.

Very important :

In most grammar books, it is advised not to use the passive of the present perfect continuous, the past perfect continuous, the future perfect continuous and the future continuous .

Other Forms To Consider
  1. Infintive Passive: Be Done  (Be+ Past Particple)

the infinitive passive comes after modal auxiliaries:

“will, must, should, can, could, may, would, might”

And also after “have to, want to, be going to”

 

Concept

Active voice

(modal+ infinitive  form of verb)

 Passive voice

(modal+ be+ past participle of verb)

 

To talk about the future

 

 

Somebody will find a solution.

They are going to build a mall.

A solution will be found.

A mall is going to be built.

 

To express obligation

We  must stop fellers.

We have to do something.

Fellers must be done.

Something has to be done.

 

To express possibility

They may send astronauts to Mars.

They might discover a cure for AIDS.

Astronauts may be sent to Mars.

A cure for AIDS might be discovered.

To express ability

 

 

 

They can  translate documents rapidly at this office.

Documents can be translated rapidly at this office.

Suggesting

We could put cycling bins at the corner  of the street.

Cycling bins could be put at the corner of the street.

2. The Interrogative Form in the Passive

Question word Auxiliary

subject

verb     Agent  

        XXXX

       XXXX

        XXXX

        XXXX

         XXXX

-Are

-Were

-Have

-Is

-Will

gas emissions

solutions

you

the bridge

pollution

controlled?

suggested?

been informed?

being built?

be reduced?

XXX

XXX

XX

XXX

XXX

XXX

Who

Who

was

Has been
xxxxxxxxxxx

invited?

poisoned?
XXXXX
What must be   done? XXXX
How are products recycled? XXXXX
Why has the conference been cancelled? XXX
When will  the felling of trees be stopped? XXXX
Where can  e-waste be recycled? XXXX

 

  • إختبارات
  • 10
  • الأجوبة الصحيحة
  • False
  • الأجوبة الخاطئة
  • False
  • مجموع النقاط
  • False

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