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A Skillful Piece of Work Once Birmingham and Sheffield, two of the largest towns in England, began to quarrel. The quarrel started as each of them claimed to be able to produce the most skillful piece of work. A special jury was chosen to decide which city would show the greatest skill. The day arrived. A steel spider with long thin legs was produced by representatives of Sheffield. The spider was made by the best workers. It was as small as a pea. It ran about on the table as if it were alive. A wonderful mechanism had been put in that little body. Everybody was sure that the first place would be given to Sheffield. Then a sewing needle was laid on the table by representatives of Birmingham. A smile appeared on the lips of the jury when the needle was noticed. Then the top of the needle was screwed off and 4 needles were drawn out, one from another. The first needle, as it was, had been the case of the four other needles. The needles were handed over to each member and examined with great interest. In whose favour did the jury decide? Use of the passive voice: 1. Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action. Example: "A letter was written." The focus, here, is on the fact that a letter was written. We don't know, however, who wrote it. 2. Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows: Example: A vase was broken. Focus, here, is on the fact that a vase was broken, but we don't blame anyone. Compare this to: "You broke the vase." Form of the passive voice: Subject + the appropriate form of to be + Past Participle NOTE: The appropriate form of to be = To be is put in the the tense of the active voice main verb. When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

• •

•

The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. The form of the verb is the appropriate form of to be (the tense of the active voice main verb) + the past participle. The subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped.)

Examples of the passive voice: Tense Simple Present

Subject makes

tea.

Passive Tea :

is made

by Nancy.

Active: Nancy

is making

tea.

is being made

by Nancy.

Active: Nancy

made

tea.

Passive Tea :

was made

by Nancy.

Active: Nancy

was making

tea.

was being made

by Nancy.

Active: Nancy

has made

Tea.

Passive Tea :

has been made

by Nancy.

Active: Nancy

had made

tea.

Passive Tea :

had been made

by Nancy.

Active: Nancy

will make

tea.

will be made

by Nancy.

Past Progressive Passive Tea : Present Perfect

Past Perfect

Object

Active: Nancy

Present Progressive Passive Tea :

Simple Past

Verb

Future simple Passive Tea :

Future perfect

Conditional

Modals

Active: Nancy

will have made

tea.

Passive Tea :

will have been made by Nancy.

Active: Nancy

would make

tea.

Passive Tea :

would be made

by Nancy.

Active: Nancy

can make

tea.

Passive Tea :

can be made

by Nancy

Passive voice sentences with two Objects: Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means that one of the two objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an object. Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you want to put the focus on. Active/Passiv e

Subject

Verb

Object 1

Object 2

Active:

Nancy

offered

a flower

to me.

Passive:

A flower

was offered

to me

by Nancy.

Passive:

I

was offered

a flower

by Nancy.

mpersonal Passive: Study these examples: • •

They say that the planet is in danger. It is said that the planet is in danger.

This type of passive is called impersonal because we use the impersonal form "it is..." This is only possible with verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know ...) Examples: •

It is said that...

•

It is thought that...

•

It is believed that...

•

It is known that...

Quotations Define the tense form of the verb in the Passive Voice in each of the following quotations. Explain them. o Wisdom is only found in truth. (J. W. Goethe) o An injury is much sooner forgotten than an insult. (Ph. Chesterfield) o Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered. (Aristotle) o When peace has been broken anywhere, the peace of all countries everywhere is in danger. (F. D. Roosevelt) o What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure. (S. Johnson) o New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common. (J. Locke) o Libraries are not made, they grow. (A. Birrell) o Common sense is the most widely shared commodity in the world, for every man is convinced that he is well supplied with it. (R. Descartes)