Passive voice

[Serpream]

This time I face problems with applying the passive voice to sentences. Can anyone explain me the "how to's", please?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Uncle M]

Here's a simple example to get you started.

Active voice: The dog bit the man.

Passive voice: The man was bitten by the dog.

Give me an example of something you want to say in passive voice and I'll do it for you.

Dave

 

[Serpream]

Oke, this three then:

1. They thought that George Eliot was a man.
2. Up to now nobody has thelephoned us.
3. People say that he has sold all his shares.

Please explain how this works.

 

[Uncle M]

George Elliott was thought to be a man

Up to now we have been telephoned by no-one

It is said by people that all of his shares have been sold

Take example 2 - Active voice would be No-one has telephoned us.

Active voice means that the subject (No-one) does something to the object (us) (nominative to accusative)

Passive voice turns the object (us) into the subject of an action by something else (no-one).

In example 3 there are 2 passive statements: It is said by people, shares have been sold.

Does this help?

 

[Serpream]

Don't know. Let me try:

1. Somebody was going to contact us soon
My solution:
1. We were contacted by somebody soon.

2. The Prime minister was to have openend the new bridge.
My answer:
2. The new bridge was to have openend by the Prime minister.

3. Somebody has stolen the Crown Jewels
Me again:
3. The Crown Jewels have been stolen by somebody

4. Students do a lot of part-time work.
4. A lot of part time work is done by students.

 

[Uncle M]

1. We were to be contacted by somebody soon.

2. The new bridge was to have been opened by the Prime minister.

3. The Crown Jewels have been stolen by somebody - Correct

4. A lot of part time work is done by students - Correct

Yes,I think you've got it! Well done!

 

[Serpream]

Oke, thanks for your help, but I have few left. These are too difficult for me I think:

1. They say that the lawyer gave him the details of his father's will

1. The details of his father's will was given by the lawyer


2. They reported that Angelina Jolie is having an affair with Brad Pitt.

2. Angelina Jolie.... ?


3. You don't have to switch the computer off at the end of the day.

3. How to start?


I think I understand it. You just turn around the Subj and obj. right?

 

[Uncle M]

1. They say that the lawyer gave him the details of his father's will

1. The details of his father's were said to have been given by the lawyer


2. They reported that Angelina Jolie is having an affair with Brad Pitt.

2. Angelina Jolie was reported to be having.... ?


3. You don't have to switch the computer off at the end of the day.

3. The computer does not have to be switched off by you...

 

[Serpream]

Thanks for your help dave. I still dont know the rules. Are there any rules or a how to, like I asked for? Because I just try something and make it sound good.

 

[Serpream]

Can anyone give me some sentences to make passive? Just for myself, please.

 

[anagahan]

1. They say that the lawyer gave him the details of his father's will

1. The details of his father's were said to have been given by the lawyer

can this one also be:
The lawyer is said to have given him the details.....



:?: :?: :?:

 

[RonBee]

Obama won the primary election.
Obama routs Clinton in South Carolina.
Florida's governor endorses McCain.
Crist praised McCain as a "true American hero."

 

[anagahan]

I have some exercises in my archives so here are some easy ones to practice...once you get familiar with the pattern, it will be easier to do the passive...and yes, there are rules for making passive sentences...the way the passive sentence is made, depends on the tense of the active one...here is some sort of a guideline to help to see the pattern of tenses transforming from active into passive


OWL at Purdue University: THE PASSIVE TENSES




1.They make shoes in that factory.

2.People must not leave bicycles in the driveway.

3.They built that skyscraper in 1934.

4.The students will finish the course by July.

5.They are repairing the streets this month.

6.They make these tools of plastic.

7.They have finished the new product design.

8.They were cooking dinner when I arrived.

9.Smithers painted 'Red Sunset' in 1986.

10.Did the plan interest you?

11.They had finished the preparations by the time the guests arrived.

12.You should take care when working on electrical equipment.

13.They are going to perform Beethoven's Fifth Symphony next weekend.

14.Someone will speak Japanese at the meeting.

15.Karen is going to prepare the refreshments.

 

[Serpream]

1.They make shoes in that factory.
1. Shoes are made in that factory

2.People must not leave bicycles in the driveway.
2. Bicycles cannot be left by people

3.They built that skyscraper in 1934.
3. That skyscraper was built in 1934

4.The students will finish the course by July.
4. The course will be finished by the students.

5.They are repairing the streets this month.
5. The streets are being repaired this month.

6.They make these tools of plastic.
6. The tools are made of plastic.

7.They have finished the new product design.
7. The new product design was finished.

8.They were cooking dinner when I arrived.
8. Dinner was being coocked.

9.Smithers painted 'Red Sunset' in 1986.
9. Red Sunset was painted by Smthers

10.Did the plan interest you?
10. The plan did interest you?

11.They had finished the preparations by the time the guests arrived.
11. By the time the guests arrived, the preparations had been finished

12.You should take care when working on electrical equipment.
12. Working on electrical equipmant.... ? :roll:

13.They are going to perform Beethoven's Fifth Symphony next weekend.
13. B.F.S is going to be performed.

14.Someone will speak Japanese at the meeting.
14. Japanese will be spoken at the meeting.

15.Karen is going to prepare the refreshments.
15. The refreshments is going to be prepared by Karen.

Something like this? :roll:

 

[anagahan]

1.They make shoes in that factory.
1. Shoes are made in that factory - correct


2.People must not leave bicycles in the driveway.
2. Bicycles cannot be left by people
-Bicycles must not be left in the driveway



3.They built that skyscraper in 1934.
3. That skyscraper was built in 1934 - correct


4.The students will finish the course by July.
4. The course will be finished by the students.
- the course will be finished BY July (by the students)


5.They are repairing the streets this month.
5. The streets are being repaired this month. - correct


6.They make these tools of plastic.
6. The tools are made of plastic. - correct


7.They have finished the new product design.
7. The new product design was finished.
- the new product design has been finished


8.They were cooking dinner when I arrived.
8. Dinner was being coocked. correct you should just add 'when i arrived'


9.Smithers painted 'Red Sunset' in 1986.
9. Red Sunset was painted by Smthers correct


10.Did the plan interest you?
10. The plan did interest you?
- Were you interested in the plan?



11.They had finished the preparations by the time the guests arrived.
11. By the time the guests arrived, the preparations had been finished -correct, though vice-versa would be more appropriate: the preparations had been finished by the time the guests arrived


12.You should take care when working on electrical equipment.
12. Working on electrical equipmant.... ? :roll:
- Care should be taken when working on electrical equipment


13.They are going to perform Beethoven's Fifth Symphony next weekend.
13. B.F.S is going to be performed. correct


14.Someone will speak Japanese at the meeting.
14. Japanese will be spoken at the meeting. correct


15.Karen is going to prepare the refreshments.
15. The refreshments is going to be prepared by Karen.
- the refreshments ARE going to be prepared...

you should pay attention to the tense shift, singular/plural nouns and finding the object in the sentence so it moves to the place of the subject in passive...but you are on the right way...as for many other things, practice is needed :up: