PASSIVE VOICE

Passive with “give, send”

• The nurse gives the patient a sleeping pill.
-> A sleeping pill is given to the patient.
-> The patient is given a sleeping pill.
 The passive with verbs of reporting
• Active: People say/ They say that elephants have good memories.
• Passive with it: It is said that elephants have good memories.
• Passive with to-infinitive: Elephants are said to have good memories.
It + passive verb + that-clause
• It is thought that the stone houses are 5000 years old.
• It was reported that the army was crossing the frontier.
• It has been shown that the theory is correct.
…said to be…
• The stone houses are thought to be 5000 years old.
• United were expected to win easily, but they lost.
• The film was felt to lack excitement.
Past active:
People believed that Mr Brown owned a lot of land in the north.
They thought that the prisoners had escaped.
=> Mr Brown was believed to have owned a lot of land in the north.
=> The prisoners were thought to have escaped.
Exercise:
I am having a garage built at the moment.
How often do you have your hair cut?
We had our computer serviced.
Simon has just had a suit made.
You should have your eyes tested.
Are you going to have new carpets fitted in your flat?
I will have the leaky pipe checked tomorrow.
Passive Infinitives and Gerunds

Infinitives Gerunds
• The door must be locked at all • I don't like being cheated.
times. He remembers being given the
This job cannot be done. book.
He is going to be
interviewed tomorrow.
I don't want to be disturbed.
Complete the sentences (Active or Passive Voice).
You must either use Simple Present or Simple Past.
• The Statue of Liberty __________(give)  to the United States by France.
• It ___________(be)  a present on the 100th anniversary of the United States.
• The Statue of Liberty ____________ (design)  by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.
• It ____________  (complete)  in France in July 1884.
• In 350 pieces, the statue then ____________  (ship)  to New York, where
it ____________  (arrive)  on 17 June 1885.
• The pieces ____________  (put)  together and the opening ceremony ____________ 
(take)  place on 28 October 1886.
• The Statue of Liberty ____________  (be)  46 m high (93 m including the base).
• The statue ____________  (represent)  the goddess of liberty.
• She ____________  (hold)  a torch in her right hand and a tablet in her left hand.
• On the tablet you ____________  (see / can)  the date of the Declaration of
Independence (July 4, 1776).
• Every year, the Statue of Liberty ____________  (visit)  by many people from all over the
world.
Complete the sentences (Active or Passive Voice). You must either use
Simple Present or Simple Past.

• The Statue of Liberty was given to the United States by France.

• It was a present on the 100th anniversary of the United States.
• The Statue of Liberty was designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.
• It was completed in France in July 1884.
• In 350 pieces, the statue then was shipped to New York, where it arrived on 17 June 1885.
• The pieces were put together and the opening ceremony took place on 28 October 1886.
• The Statue of Liberty is 46 m high (93 m including the base).
• The statue represents the goddess of liberty.
• She holds a torch in her right hand and a tablet in her left hand.
• On the tablet you can see the date of the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776).
• Every year, the Statue of Liberty is visited by many people from all over the world.
PASSIVE WITH “GET” + break, empty,
change, kill, leave, lose, marry, start, stop,
throw…
• I was driving too fast, and I got stopped by the police.
• The vase got broken when we moved house.
• Lots of people get killed on the road, unfortunately.
• The dustbin gets emptied once a week.
ÞI forgot to leave the dustbin out, so it didn’t get emptied.
ÞHow often do you get injured playing football?
Passive with “give, send”
References
• Oxford Learner’s Grammar Builder and Finder.
• http://passivecausality.weebly.com/personal-and-impersonal-constru
ctions.html