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The Passive Voice

The document discusses the passive voice in English writing. It defines the passive voice as using a form of "to be" plus the past participle of the verb. For example, "The birthday cake was eaten" rather than "I ate the birthday cake." It notes that the passive voice is commonly used in formal writing when the person performing the action is unimportant or unknown. It provides examples of using the passive voice and an exercise to convert active sentences to passive sentences.

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Baljeet Singh
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21 views2 pages

The Passive Voice

The document discusses the passive voice in English writing. It defines the passive voice as using a form of "to be" plus the past participle of the verb. For example, "The birthday cake was eaten" rather than "I ate the birthday cake." It notes that the passive voice is commonly used in formal writing when the person performing the action is unimportant or unknown. It provides examples of using the passive voice and an exercise to convert active sentences to passive sentences.

Uploaded by

Baljeet Singh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Passive Voice

Passive voice = A good way to show variety in writing.

Active = I ate the birthday cake.


Passive = The birthday cake was eaten (by me!)
English Writing
Grammar: Subject + to be + past participle verb + by + person
The Passive Voice Note: ‘To be’ changes depending on subject and tense.

Example:
They were destroyed; You are supported; It was being fixed

Note: Past participle = ‘have done’ form of verb


Sometimes irregular.
Examples: Eaten (eat); Known (know); Begun (begin).

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Passive Voice Challenge

Situation 1: When we don’t know who did something Turn the following active sentences into passive.

Example: The diamonds were stolen (by someone). 1. The Great Wall protected China.
2. Many people around the world respect the work of Gabriel
Situation 2: When we don’t want to say who did something Garcia Marquez.
3. The cleaner was cleaning the house last Tuesday.
Example: The glass was broken, but now everything is OK.
Answers:
Situation 3: When the person doing something isn’t important
1. China was protected by the Great Wall.
Example: Australia is known for its many unusual animals. 2. The work of Gabriel Garcia Marquez is respected around
the world.
Situation 3 is the most common in formal writing. 3. The house was being cleaned last Tuesday.

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Thank You

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