B1 · Grammar

Some Grammar: Passives

Worried about passives? Here’s video made with Bitable.

I must say that I just love creating stuff using different technological divices. I really believe this can make a huge change in how we learn the different contents we have to deal with.  Wow! Don’t I have fun!

If you need an introduction on passives, watch the video first. Below the video you’ll find a quiz to check on your knowledge about these structures. You will find some graded grammar activities beneath both the video and the quiz.

Created by blogdeserena

B2 The Passive quiz

How much do you know about passives?

Test yourself with this quiz!

Activity by Serena

Is this passive structure correct?

Has my suit cleaned yet?

What's missing here?
You will ... told where to go.

When we were children, we ....taught to be polite to older people

Put the words into the correct order.

I ..... now.

want  - paid - to - be

 

What's missing?

He loves ... photographed.

What's missing?

I don't like ... shouted at.

In passive structure we can never have an agent in the sentence. (the person that does something)

We use the passive when we don't know who did something like in the example ' They stole his car.'

In passive structures the subject is more important than the object.

In passive structures the subject is less important than the object.

In the sentence 'Mario gave a party.' Mario is the subject and party is the object.

All English sentences can be put in the passive.

'Joe was given a watch.' is a passive structure.

The sentence 'They gave a watch to Joe.' is a passive structure.

Only sentences with an object can be made passive structures.

All passive structures use the past participle.

Sometimes we use the passive voice because the subject isn't important or simply, we don't want to mention the subject.

Many passives use the verb be as an auxiliary.

In the following sentence we are using the passive. Why do you think we use the passive here?

Her car was stolen last night.

A passive can never have more than one object.

If you put these two sentences into an active form, would you probably get the same sentence?

A watch was given to Joe.

Joe was given a watch.

Is there only one type of passive structures?

Passive structures can only be used in simple tenses like the present simple and the past simple.

0 votes, 0 avg
Created by blogdeserena

A2-B1 Passive structures

Complete the sentences by using the passive.

CAREFUL! Only write the missing words

Activity by Serena

Mario decorated my home.

My home ... ... by Mario.

They make cheese from milk.

Cheese ... from milk.

The company gave John a watch.

John ... a watch.

 

My father made the furniture.

The furniture ... by my father.

They took two people to hospital yesterday.

Two people ... to hospital yesterday.

They clean the office every day.

The office ... every day.

Somebody threw a stone at the window.
A stone ...  at the window.

Conan Doyle did not write Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde ... written by Conan  Doyle.

Jane cleaned her boots.

Her boots ... cleaned.

The teacher gave story books to the children.

The children ... story books.

My  friend cooks  really good recipes.

Really good recipes ... by my  friend.

Alexander Bell invented the telephone.

The telephone ... by Alexander Bell.

Oscar Wilde wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray.

The Picture of Dorian Gray ... my Oscar Wilde.

They never invite me to parties.

I ... never invited to parties.

They painted  the bridge yesterday.
The bridge ... yesterday.

B2 Grammar activity on Passives

0 votes, 0 avg
Created by blogdeserena

B1- B2 Passive structures

Complete the sentences by using the passive.

CAREFUL! Only write the missing words

Activity by Serena

The cleaners do the washing every day.

The washing ....... every day.

Do the cleaners empty the bins every evening?

Are........  every evening?

The cleaners emptied the bins every evening.
The bins .... every evening by the cleaners.

Did the attack injure many people?
Were many....... ?

Someone stole the car.
The car ...

Coppola directed the film 'Dracula' based on Bram Stoker's novel.
The film Dracula ... by Coppola.

The police have arrested the driver.
The driver ....

The Academy nominated her for best actress.
She __________ best actress.

Picasso painted the portrait.
The portrait.... by Picasso.

They are painting the bridge today.
The bridge ... today.

Somebody drank all the milk.
All the milk _________.

 

Somebody or something (we're not sure) attacked Mr Jones last night.

Mr Jones ________ last night.

The government has opened a new motorway.
A new motorway....

People upload millions of videos every day on Youtube.
Millions of videos ... every day on Youtube.

Our employer had informed all the staff about the meeting.
All the staff ... about the meeting.

The school will provide parents with passwords.
The parents ... with passwords.

A well-known phone company is developing a fantastic new application.
A fantastic new application ... by a well-known phone company.

The manager made me stay until late.
I ... until late.

The police interrogated the suspect for over 12 hours.
The suspect __________ by the police  for over 12 hours.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.