21. Passive Voice.

Passive Voice is formed the following way:

to be + V 3

Tense

Present Simple

	I	WE, YOU, THEY	HE, SHE, IT
Positive	I amasked.	We areasked.	He isasked.
Negative	I amnot asked.	We aren’tasked.	He isn’tasked.
Questions	AmI asked? Yes, I am. No, Iamnot. What amI asked?	Arewe asked? Yes, we are.No, wearen’t. Why are we asked?	Ishe asked? Yes, he is. No, he isn’t. Why ishe asked?

Past Simple

	I, HE, SHE, IT	WE, YOU, THEY
Positive	He wasasked.	They wereasked.
Negative	He wasn’tasked.	They weren’tasked.
Questions	Washe asked? Yes, he was. No, hewasn’t. Why washe asked?	Werethey asked? Yes, they were. No, theyweren’t. Why werethey asked?

Future Simple

	I, WE, YOU, HE, SHE, IT, THEY
Positive	I will beasked.
Negative	They willnot(won’t)beasked.
Questions	Will they beasked? Yes, theywill. No, theywon’t. What willtheybeasked?

Present Perfect

	I, WE, YOU, THEY	HE, SHE, IT
Positive	They havebeenasked.	He hasbeenasked.
Negative	They haven’t beenasked.	He hasn’t beenasked.
Questions	Havetheybeenasked? Yes, they have. No, theyhaven’t. Why havetheybeenasked?	Hashebeenasked? Yes, he has. No, hehasn’t. What hashebeenasked?

Past Perfect

	I, WE, YOU, HE, SHE, IT, THEY
Positive	I hadbeenasked.
Negative	I hadn’t been asked.
Questions	Hadyoubeenasked? Yes, Ihad. No, Ihadn’t. What hadyoubeenasked?

Present Continuous

	I	WE, YOU, THEY	HE, SHE, IT
Positive	I ambeingasked.	We are beingasked.	He is beingasked.
Negative	I amnotbeingasked.	We aren’t beingasked.	He isn’t beingasked.
Questions	Am Ibeingasked? Yes, I am. No, Iamnot. What amIbeingasked?	Arewebeingasked? Yes, we are. No, wearen’t. Why arewebeingasked?	Ishebeingasked? Yes, he is. No, heisn’t. Why ishe beingasked?

Past Continuous

	I, HE, SHE, IT	WE, YOU, THEY
Positive	He was beingasked.	They were beingasked.
Negative	He wasn’t beingasked.	They weren’t beingasked.
Questions	Washebeingasked? Yes, he was. No, he wasn’t. Why washebeingasked?	Weretheybeingasked? Yes, they were. No, theyweren’t. Why weretheybeingasked?

A sentence can be either in the active or passive voice. In an “active” sentence, the subject performs the action. In a “passive” sentence, the subject receives the action. When we are more interested in the object of an active sentence than the subject, we use the passive.

E.g.This house was built in 2000.

In this sentence we do not know whobuilt the house.

Modals + be + V3

E.g.He must / can / may / should /is to / ought to / has to + be asked.

Ex. 1. Read the sentences and translate them into Russian.

1. Twenty people are employed by the firm now.

2. Twenty people were employed by the firm last year.

3. Twenty people will be employed by the firm next year.

4. Twenty people have already been employed by the firm.

5. This person is being interviewed now.

6. The woman was being interviewed when I called yesterday.

7. Is the room cleaned every day? – Yes, it is.

8. Was the room cleaned yesterday? – No, it wasn’t.

9. Will the room be cleaned tomorrow? – Yes, it will.

10. Has the room been cleaned yet? – No, it hasn’t.

11. Is the room being cleaned now? – Yes, it is.

12. Was the room being cleaned when you came in? – No, it wasn’t.

13. He is being woken up at the moment.

14. He was being woken up when the phone rang.

15. What is the vase made from?

16. Who was the vase made by?

17. The work must be done immediately.

18. They can’t be paid so much money.

19. She may be criticized for her work.

20. The contracts should be signed today.

21. The film is much spoken about.

22. The cinema had been built before I arrived in the city.

23. This man can be relied on.

Ex. 2. Make the sentences negative and interrogative (yes/no questions).

1. He is asked a lot of questions every day.

2. The children will be fed at two o’clock.

3. They were questioned by the police last week.

4. The letter has already been sent.

5. The goods are being delivered now.

6. Coca-cola is loved all over the world.

7. BMW cars are made in Germany.

8. Ten pictures had been stolen from the museum by the time the police arrived.

9. Thirty families will be given new flats.

10. The letters are being typed at the moment.

11. The road was built two years ago.

12. The applicant was being interviewed when the director arrived.

13. Students must be given a lot of homework.

14. He has to be examined by the doctor.

15. The criminal must be sent to prison.

16. The goods had been delivered by 10 o’clock yesterday.

17. They can be asked any questions at the interview.

Ex. 3. Put the sentences into the past simple, future simple, present perfect.

1. Cars are sold everywhere.

2. Meat is nit eaten by vegetarians….

3. Is he asked a lot of questions?

4. What is being built here?

5. Some strange vegetables are shown at the exhibition.

6. Books are borrowed from the library.

7. The noise is heard.

8. The work isn’t done.

9. The project isn’t launched.

10. The goods are sent to the buyer.

Ex. 4. Put special questions to the sentences.

1. Some new plants were built last year. How many…? Where…? Why…?

2. A wonderful picture was painted by a famous artist. When…? Who … by? What…?

3. He will be asked about his background. When…? Why…? Who…? Where…?

4. The car was sold. When…? Why…? Where...?

5. The machine was being tested. When…? Why…? Who…by?

6. He has been fired. Who…? Why…? When…?

7. Glass is made of sand. What … of?

8. She was loved by everyone. Who…? Why…? Who...by?

9. A new house will be built here. What…? Where…? Why…? When…?

10. Ten people have been arrested. How many…? Who…? Why…? When…?

11. The animals are being fed at the moment. Why…? What…on? When…?

12. Letters are posted to different countries. What…? How many…? Where…?

13. The police should be called. Why…? When…?

14. They may be sent to hospital. Why…? When…?

Ex. 5. Make the sentences active and translate them into Russian.

1. She is liked by everybody.

2. Many roads are built here by road workers.

3. The book was written by Byron.

4. The students are asked a lot of questions at exams.

5. The car has been sold for $15,000 to a businessman.

6. He is being shown the way by a passer-by.

7. Rice is not grown in Greenland.

8. The picture has been bought by a rich man.

9. Jim was being discussed by his colleagues when he came into the room.

10. 5,000 helicopters will be produced by the plant.

11. Coca-Cola was invented by John Pemberton.

12. A cure for cancer will be found by some scientist some day.

13. The task should be done by the students.

14. These problems must be solved by our managers.

Ex. 6. Make the sentences passive.

1. They make VW cars in Germany.

2. Bell didn’t invent the mobile.

3. The sun attracts the planets.

4. Somebody is watching us.

5. They will build the bridge next year.

6. The managers have already discussed the plan.

7. Who discovered America?

8. The secretary was typing the letter when I came in.

9. The cat caught a mouse.

10. Quite a number of people saw him there.

11. Everyone enjoys salads.

12. Helen ordered fried potatoes.

13. Somebody phones the doctor every day.

14. The flood has caused great damage.

15. They must answer the letters.

16. The staff should feed the animals regularly.

Ex. 7. Put the words in the correct order.

1. was / night / stolen / car / last / his.

2. sent / prison / to / has / been / he.

3. the / reconstructed / I / being / hospital / city / arrived / was / in / when / the.

4. new / built / will / be / the / where / house?

5. being / is / machine / now / repaired / the.

6. there / written / what / is?

7. play / by / who / written / the / was?

8. moment / school / new / the / is / being / at / built / the.

9. car / my / be / serviced / should.

10. must / businessman / the / met / airport / be / today / at / the.

Ex. 8. Put the verbs in brackets into the suitable form (present, past, future) active or passive.

1. The company often (order) new machines.

2. Some new machines (order) by the company next month.

3. Two houses (destroy) by the storm yesterday.

4. His shirts (clean) at the dry-cleaner's tomorrow.

5. Her husband (arrest) some criminals yesterday.

6. His computer (repair) now.

7. Some criminals (arrest) by her husband last week.

8. The car (wash). It is clean now.

9. They (wash) the car. It is clean now.

10. A very important question (discuss) when the client entered the room.

11. Several proposals (consider) next week.

12. The committee (consider) several proposals last week.

13. The committee must (consider) several proposals next week.

14. Several proposals must (consider) next week.

15. The work (finish) by the end of last week.

Ex. 9. Translate the sentences into English.

1. Меня уже пригласили на вечеринку.

2. Меня вчера пригласили на вечеринку.

3. Меня пригласят на вечеринку.

4. Меня никогда не приглашают на вечеринки.

5. Телеграмму послали поздно вечером, и он получит ее только утром.

6. Ваши тесты будут возвращены на следующей неделе.

7. Вам предложили эту работу?

8. Мне кажется, нашу машину преследуют.

9. Кем была написана эта книга?

10. Он сказал, что текст был переведен два дня назад.

11. На каком языке говорят во Франции?

12. Эту книгу взяли из библиотеки только вчера.

13. Когда была открыта Америка?

14. Это задание следует сделать на занятии.

15. Когда был основан этот университет.

16. Вчера за ними наблюдали.

17. Статью надо опубликовать через месяц.

18. Ему можно отправить письмо.