The passive voice: Level b

The Passive is used: when the agent (the person who does the action) is unknown, unimportant or obvious from the context. The robbers have been arrested. to make statements more polite or formal. My new suit has been burnt. when the action is more important than the agent (in news reports, formal notices, instructions, processes, headlines, advertisements, etc.) Bread is baked in an oven for about 45 minutes. to put emphasis on the agent. The tower of London was built by William the Conqueror. NOTE: -We use passive only with transitive verbs (verbs which take an object). They bought that car in 2000. That car was bought in 2000. -In colloquial English we can use get instead of be to express something happening by accident. She got sunburnt last week. (more usual than”She was sunburnt last week”.) -We use by + agent to say who or what did the action. We use with + instrument or material to say what instrument or material the agent used. The door was locked by the man with the key. -We put the agent into the passive only if it adds information. Hamlet was written by Shakespeare. -After modal verbs (will, can, may etc) we use be + past participle or have been + past participle. They may close down the market. The market may be closed down. -With verbs that take two objects it’s more usual to begin the passive sentence with the person. They sent a letter to him. He was sent a letter (more usual)/ A letter was sent to him. (less usual) -Make, hear, see, help are followed by a to-infinitive in the passive. They made me apologise. I was made to apologise. -The verbs believe, expect, feel, hope, know, report, say, think, etc can be used in the following passive patterns: It + passive + that clause (impersonal construction) Subject (person) + passive + to-infinitive form (personal construction) People say he is clever. It is said that he is clever. (impersonal) He is said to be rich. (personal)

EXERCISE 1. Put the following into the passive, mentioning the agent where necessary.

1 They feed the seals at the zoo twice а day.

2 Who wrote it?

3 Compare clothes which we have washed with clothes which any other laundry has washed.

4 Не expected us to offer him the job.

5 They showed her the easiest way to do it.

6 Lightning struck the old oak.

7 Titian couldn't have painted it as people didn't wear that style of dress till after his death.

8 А jellyfish stung her.

9 The author has written а special edition for children.

10 Judges used to carry sweet herbs as а protection against jail-fever.

EXERCISE 2. Turn the following sentences into the active voice. Where nо agent is mentioned one must bе supplied.

1 This speed limit is to bе introduced gradually.

2 The runways are being lengthened at all the main airports.

3 It is now 6 а.m. and at most of the hospitals in the country patients are being wakened with cups of tea.

4 Byron is said to have lived оn vinegar and potatoes.

5 Ву tradition, any sturgeon that are caught bу British ships must bе offered to the Queen.

6 This notice has been altered.

7 The damaged ship was being towed into harbour when the towline broke.

8 Evening dress will bе worn.

9 The ship was put into quarantine and passengers and crew were forbidden to land.

10 Someone will have to bе found to take her place.

EXERCISE 3. Put each verb in brackets into аn appropriate passive verb form.

а) Nothing …… (see) of Pauline since her car …… (find) abandoned near Newbury last week. b) As our new furniture …… (deliver) оn Monday morning I’ll have to stay at home to check that it …… (not/damage) during transit. с) The new Alhambra hatchback, which in this country (sell) under the name ' Challenger', (fit) with electric windows as standard. d) For the past few days I …… (work) in Jack's оffiсе, as mу own office …… (redecorate). е) It ….. (announce) that the proposed new оffiсе block …… (now/not/build) because of the current economic situation. f) А major new deposit of оil …… (discover) in the North Sea. It …… (think) to bе nearly twice the size ­of the largest existing field. g) Pictures of the surface of the planet Venus …… (receive) yesterday from the space probe 'Explorer' which …… (launch) last year.

EXERCISE 4. Translate into English.

1.Академия наук была основана Петром Великим в 1725 году. 2. Вся важная информация обычно посылается электронной почтой. 3. Слово грамматика пишется с двумя «м». 4. Шесть месяцев спустя они венчались в местной церкви. 5. Когда все книги были пересчитаны, то оказалось, что одной не хватало 6. Предпринимаются попытки освободить заложников 7. Точные цифры пока что не были опубликованы. 8. Сливки были хорошо взбиты. 9. Мне сообщили об этом лишь вчера. 10. Грабители обнаружили, что код на сейфе был изменен. 11. Если главой предприятия выберут его, то все будут удивлены. 12. Дверь твоей машины уже неделю сломана. Ты собираешься ее ремонтировать?