Unit

21 is done was done (passive 1)

The office is cleaned every day.

The office was cleaned yesterday.

Compare active and passive:

Somebody cleans the office everyday. (active)

I
"The office is cleaned every day. (passive)

Somebody cleaned the office yesterday. (active)

The office was cleaned yesterday. (passive)

The passive is:

past participle

cleaned done
present simple am/is/are
(not) invented built
past simple was/were
injured taken etc.

The past participle of regular verbs is -ed (cleaned/damaged etc.).

For a list of irregular past participles (done/built/taken etc.), see Appendix 2-3.

□ Butter is made from milk.

O Oranges are im ported into Britain.
O How often are these rooms cleaned?
O I am never invited to parties.

O This house was built 100 years ago.

O These houses were built 100 years ago.
O When was the telephone invented?
O We weren’t invited to the party last week.
O 'Was anybody injured in the accident?' 'Yes, two people were taken to hospital.’

was/were born
O I was born in Berlin in 1993. t(Iam born)
o
n
O 'Where were you born?' 'In Cairo.'

passive + by ...
O The telephone was invented by Alexander Bell in 1876. (= Alexander Bell invented it)
O I was bitten by a dog a few days ago.
O Do you like these paintings? They were painted by a friend of mine.

is being done / has been done Unit 22 irregular verbs *♦ Unit 24, Appendix 2 -3 by Unit 111
52 active and passive ^ Appendix 1
 Exercises
ja m Write sentences from these words. Some of the sentences are questions.
Sentences 1-7 are present.
1 (the office / clean / every day).............................. ....T h e o jfic e je cleaned e v e ry d a y ,.................
2 (how often / these rooms / clean?)........................How o fte n .are t h e s e .roo m s c\eaned?.
3 (glass / make / from sand) G lass..................................................................................
4 (the windows / clean / every two weeks) .............................................................................................
5 (this room / not / use / very m uch).................. .............................................................................................
6 (we / allow / to park here?)..........................................................................................................................
7 (how / this word / pronounce?)................................................................................................................

Sentences 8-15 are past.

8 (the office / clean / yesterday) The o f f i c e

9 (the house / paint / last m onth) The ho use............................................................
10 (m y phone / steal / a few days ago) .....................................................................................
11 (three people / injure / in the accident) .....................................................................................
12 (when / this bridge / build?) .....................................................................................
13 (I / not / wake up / by the noise) .....................................................................................
14 (how / these windows / break?) .....................................................................................
15 (you / invite / to Jon's party last week?) .....................................................................................

g n ti These sentences are not correct. Correct them.

1 Th ish o u se ^ b ^ 100 years ago..............................................................This.housa was. built
2 Football plays in most countries of the world..................................................................................
3 W hy did the letter send to the wrong address?.................... ..........................................................
4 A film studio is a place where films make................................. ..........................................................
5 Where are you born?........................................................................................................................................
6 How many languages are speaking in Switzerland? ..........................................................
7 Somebody broke into our house, but nothing stolen.................................................................
8 W hen was invented the bicycle?.................................................... ..........................................................

IT K l Complete the sentences. Use the passive (present or past) of these verbs:
-dearh damage find give invite make make show steal take

1 The ro o m te.deaned every day.

2 I saw an accident yesterday. Two people Wjsre.tak.an to hospital.
3 Paper.............................................................. from wood.
4 There was a fire at the hotel last week. Two of the ro om s................................................................
5 'Where did you get this picture?' 'It ................................................................to me by a friend of mine.'
6 M any American program mes...............................................................on British TV.
7 'Did James and Sue go to the wedding?' 'No. T h e y ............................................................ , but they didn't go.'
8 'How old is this film?' 'It in 1985.'
9 M y c a r ............................................................last week, but the next day i t .....................................................................by
the police.

|I K | Where were they born?

1 (Ian / Edinburgh) ......................................................................................................
2 (Sarah / Manchester) Sarah...........................................................................................................................................................
3 (her parents / Ireland) H e r...............................................................................................................................................................
4 (you / ???) I ......................................................................................................................................................................
5 (your mother / ???) ........................................................................................................................................................................

53
Unit
is being done has been done (passive 2)
j| is/are being ... (present continuous passive)

■i m m m m m ■■
■i ii Somebody is painting the door . (active)

The door is being painted. (passive)

■I
O M y car is at the garage. It is being repaired. (= somebody is repairing it)
O Some new houses are being built opposite the park. (= somebody is building them)
Compare the present continuous and present simple:
O The office is being cleaned at the moment, (continuous)
The office is cleaned every day. (simple)
O Football matches are often played at the weekend, but no matches are being played next
weekend.

For the present continuous and present simple, see Units 8 and 25.

has/have been ... (present perfect passive)

m
before now

Somebody has painted the door . (active)

The door has been painted. (passive)

I WET
II I imm
O M y key has been stolen. (= somebody has stolen it)
O M y keys have been stolen. (= somebody has stolen them)
O I'm not going to the party. I haven't been invited. (= nobody has invited me)
O Has this shirt been washed? (= has somebody washed it?)
Compare the present perfect and past simple:
O The room isn't dirty any more. It has been cleaned, (present perfect)
The room was cleaned yesterday, (past simple)
O I can't find my keys. I think they've been stolen, (present perfect)
My keys were stolen last week, (past simple)
For the present perfect and past simple, see Unit 20.

54 ( is done / was done Unit 21 active and passive Appendix 1

)
Exercises
| What's happening?
0 ^ (2) a

4
f
T i 1
r
V ' V j J *11. , . «

r
v _______ ~
1 The ca r isbei H3 repaired, 3 The windows.
2 A bridge.............................................................................. 4 The grass.........

£| j p Look at the pictures. What is happening or what has happened? Use the present continuous
(is/are b ein g ...) or the present perfect (has/have been ...).

1 (the office / clean) The office .is being, cleaned,................................................................................................................

2 (the shirts / iron) T h e .s h irty ..............................................................................................................
3 (the window / break) The w in d o w .............................................................................................................................................
4 (the roof / repair) The ro o f...............................................................................................................................................................
5 (the car / damage) .................................................................................................................................................................................
6 (the houses / knock / down) ..........................................................................................................................................................
7 (the trees / cut / down) ......................................................................................................................................................................
8 (they / invite / to a party) ..................................................................................................................................................................

Complete the sentences. (Study Unit 21 before you do this exercise.)

1 I can't use my office at the moment. I t fe M n g .p .in te d (paint).
2 We didn't go to the party. W e wargn’t inyiTad (not/invite).
3 The washing machine was broken, but it's O K now. I t ................................................................................(repair).
4 The washing m achine.............................................................................. (repair) yesterday afternoon.
5 A factory is a place where things.............................................................................. (make).
6 How old are these houses? W h e n ................................................................................(they/build)?
7 a : ................................................................................ (the photocopier / use) at the moment?
b: N o , y o u ca n go a h e a d a n d u se it.
8 I've never seen these flowers before. W h a t................................................................................(they/call)?
9 M y sunglasses................................................................................(steal) at the beach yesterday.
10 The bridge is closed at the moment. I t ................................................................................(damage) last week and
i t ..............................................................................................................(not/repair) yet.

Additional exercises 24-27 (pages 263-64) 55

Appendix 1
Active and passive

active passive

present O We make butter from milk. O Butter is made from milk.

simple Somebody cleans these rooms These rooms are cleaned every day.
every day.
People never invite me to parties. I am never invited to parties.
O How do they make butter? O How is butter made?

past O Somebody stole my car last week. Q M y car was stolen last week.
simple O Somebody stole my keys yesterday. O My keys were stolen yesterday.
O They didn't invite me to the party. O I wasn't invited to the party.
O W hen did they build these houses? O When were these houses built?

present G ITiey are building a new airport at Q A new airport is being built at the
continuous the moment. (= it isn't finished) moment.
3 They are building some new houses O Some new houses are being built
near the river. near the river.

past O W hen I was here a few years ago, O When I was here a few years ago, a
continuous they were building a new airport. new airport was being built
(= it wasn't finished at that time)

present O Look! They have painted the door. O Look! The door has been painted.
perfect O These shirts are clean. Somebody O These shirts are clean. They have
has washed them. been washed.
O Somebody has stolen my cat O My car has been stolen.

past Tina said that somebody had stolen O Tina said that her car had been
perfect her car. stolen.

will / can / must / have to etc.

active passive

o Somebody will clean the office tomorrow. O TTie office will be cleaned tomorrow.
o Somebody m ust clean the office. o The office must be cleaned.
o I think they'll invite you to the party. o I think you'll be invited to the party.
o They can't repair my watch. o My watch can't be repaired.
o You should wash this sweater by hand. o This sweater should be washed by hand.

o They are going to build a new airport. o A new airport is going to be built.
o Somebody has to wash these clothes. o These clothes have to be washed.
o They had to take the injured man to o The injured man had to be taken to
hospital. hospital.

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