PASSIVE VOICE

MAHANAMA COLLEGE

The Passive Voice is used to describe an action when the performer of the action is

not important or not known.

• Mike’s car was damaged in an accident.

• It is also used to describe scientific processes.

• The water is filtered before it is mixed

with the chemicals

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A very common passive voice sentence • She was born in Galle.

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Maheshi broke the jar The jar was broken by Maheshi.

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• English is taught in every school in Sri Lanka..

• Wild animals are found in Yala and Vilpattu.

• The prime minister is appointed by the president.

• This house was built in 1983.

• All the letters were posted last week.

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• The meeting will be held in the main hall.

• The book can be printed within two weeks.

• The thief has been arrested.

• The answer scripts have been corrected.

• The house is being painted now.

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TRANSITIVE VERBS AND INTRANSITIVE VERBS.

• We sell shirts.

• I went home.

• The child cried bitterly.

• My friend runs fast.

• My uncle runs a hotel in Colombo.

• The carpenter polished the chairs.

• The train moved forward.

• We moved the table out of the room.

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SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

SUBJECT VERB OBJECT

ADVERBIAL PHRASE

ACTIVE VOICE

• The security guards check the bags at the entrance.

The security guards

check

the bags

at the entrance.

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PASSIVE VOICE

Object of the Active Voice Sentence

Verb to be (is/am/are)

Past participle

Adverbial phrase

The bags

are

checked

at the entrance.

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• Tyres are manufactured in Sri Lanka.

• Oil is extracted from coconuts.

• Season tickets are issued at the beginning of the month.

• A thermometer is used to measure the temperature.

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BATIK PAINTING

• Batik painting is done on cotton or on pure silk cloth. First the cloth is boiled in water. Some chemicals are added to the water to remove all the starch and dirt. When the cloth is thoroughly dry, it is placed on a table and a design is drawn on the cloth. Some beeswax is heated and the melted wax is applied on the parts that are not going to be dyed. After the cloth is soaked in a solution of dye, it is thoroughly dried in the sun.

MAHANAMA COLLEGE

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb given in brackets.

In Japan, Children’s Day ..................... (celebrate) on the fifth of May. About a week earlier, The houses ..................... (clean) thoroughly. On that day, children get up early in the morning And they wear new clothes.

is celebrated

are cleaned

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Dolls which have been in the family for many years are taken (take) out of the cupboards. These dolls

are arranged ( arrange ) on five shelves. The Emperor and Empress dolls are displayed (display) on

the highest shelf. The dolls are admired (admire) by the children but they do not play with them.

The children visit their friends on this day and they admire the dolls belonging to their friends.

They have an enjoyable time.

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SIMPLE PAST TENSE.

• ACTIVE VOICE

We built a fence around the garden last week.

• PASSIVE VOICE

A fence was built around the garden last week.

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• These text books were printed at the State Printing Corporation.

• Sigiriya was built by king Kashyapa.

• He was appointed a senior prefect in 2006.

• The meeting was postponed due to unavoidable circumstances.

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Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb given within brackets.

Last Monday there was an English Language test in our class. The bell was rung (ring) at 8.00 O’clock and all the pupils took (take) their seats in the hall. Then the attendance was marked (mark). Next the question papers were distributed (distribute) among the pupils and the necessary instructions were given (give). They were asked (ask) to take two hours to answer the paper. After two hours, all the answer scripts were collected (collect) and the pupils were allowed (allow) to leave the hall.

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• Who wrote Oliver Twist?

• Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist.

• By whom was Oliver Twist written?

• Oliver Twist was written by Charles Dickens.

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• Where did they take the patient?

• They took the patient to the doctor.

• Where was the patient taken?

• The patient was taken to the doctor.

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SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

• ACTIVE VOICE

They will send us a reply soon.

• PASSIVE VOICE

A reply will be sent to us soon.

We will be sent a reply soon.

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• The answer scripts will be collected at 11.30a.m.

• The programme will be telecast tomorrow.

• An interview will be held to select the suitable persons for the vacant posts.

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• The article can be published in the next issue.

• The report must be produced at the end of the meeting.

• We should be informed about the changes.

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PASSIVE VOICE

STRUCTURE EXAMPLE

Simple

Present

am/is/are+

past

participle

The house is

painted once a

year.

Simple

Past

was/were+

past

participle

The house was

painted last year.

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PASSIVE VOICE

STRUCTURE EXAMPLE

Simple

Future

will be+

past

participle

The house will

be painted next

week.

Present

Continuo

us

am/is/are+b

eing+ pp

The house is

being painted

now.

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PASSIVE VOICE

STRUCTURE EXAMPLE

Past

Continuo

us

was/were/+

being+pp

The house was

being painted at

that time.

Present

Perfect

has/have/+b

een+ pp

The house has

been painted.

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PASSIVE VOICE

STRUCTURE EXAMPLE

Past

Perfect

had + been

+ pp

The house had

been painted

before the New

Year.

Future

Perfect

will have+

been + pp

The house will

have been

painted by next

Tuesday.

MAHANAMA COLLEGE

Write passive sentences 1) Chinese .............( speak ) in Singapore.

Chinese is spoken in Singapore

2) The Taj Mahal .............. (build) around

1640

The Taj Mahal was built around 1640

3) The new hospital ...............(open) next

year.

The new hospital will be opened next year.

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4) She ...................( interview) now. She is being interviewed now. 5) I felt I ....................( follow) I felt I was being followed 6) She ...........................( alreadey invite) to the party. She has already been invited to the party.

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7) He found that all his

money......................(steal).

He found that all his money had been

stolen.

8) All the letters..............(type) by

2 p.m.

All the letters will have been typed by 2

p.m.

MAHANAMA COLLEGE