PASSIVES

PASSIVE VOICE
Forming passive voice:
1. Form:
The cat eats the mouse.
S V O


The mouse is eaten by the cat.
S BE PP by O

S + BE + PP + by O

* We have to pay attention to the position of such adverbs/adverbial phrases as frequency (F): often…, manner (M): carefully…, place (P): in the ktchen…, time (T): last night…
- Eg: The car was carefully cleaned in the garage by Tom yesterday
The car was cleaned carefully in the garage by Tom yesterday
( Adverbs of manner can occur before or after past participle)

S + BE +(M) + PP + (P) + by O + (T)

 - Eg: The car was often cleaned carefully in the garage by Tom .

S + BE +(F) PP + (M) (P) + by O (T)

2. Usage: Passives are often used:
a. When the agent is not known, is unimportant, is obvious and “ a man in general”.( Chúng ta dùng PV khi chúng ta không biết tác nhân, tác nhân không quan trọng, tác nhân ai cũng biết hoặc tác nhân là con người nói chung, không cụ thể là ai.)
- My office was broken into when I was on holiday. ( unknown agent)
- An order form can be found on page 2. ( agent= people in general)
- These boxes should be handled with care. ( unimportant agent)
- She is being treated in hospital. ( obvious agent)
b. In factual writing, particularly in describing procedures and processes.( Dùng trong văn bản nêu dữ liệu, đặc biệt dùng mo tả thủ tục, quá trình.)
- Nuclear waste must be disposed of very carefully. It can be stored as a liquid in stainless-steel containers which are encased in concrete.
c. In formal English, particularly in writing. ( Dùng trong lối viết trang trọng).
- People say that he is a thief. ( spoken English)
- It is said that he is a thief./ He is said to be a thief. ( written English)

II. TENSES IN PASSIVES:
Simple present : V/Vs-es → am/ is/ are + V-ed/ V3
2. Simple past : V-ed/V2 → was/ were + V-ed/ V3
3. Present perfect : have/ has V-ed/V3 → have/ has been V-ed/ V3
4. Present progressive: am/is/are V-ing → am/ is/ are being + V-ed/ V3
5. Past progressive: was/ were V-ing → was/ were being V-ed/ V3
6. Past perfect: had + V-ed/V3 → had been + V-ed/V3
7. Simple future: shall/will V → shall/will be + V-ed/V3
8. Future perfect: shall/will have + V-ed/V3 → shall/will have been + V-ed/V3
NOTES:
a. General principle: “Be” is in the same tense or form of the verb in the active sentence plus past participle.
b. Never use future progressive and future perfect progressive in PV.
c. They rarely use present perfect progressive and past perfect progressive in PV.
d. Only transitive verbs and verbs requiring an object of preposition (listen to SO/STH) can be used in the passive.
- Students were listening to the teacher. ( The teacher was being listened to.
e. “ By me /you/ him /her/ them/ people/ someone…” should be omitted.
They have sent me some letters . → I has been sent some letters .
f. “ with” is often used with an agent, esp after past participles such as: crammed: day, nhoi vao / crowded/ filled/ packed: nhoi nhet, day tran.
III. MODAL VERB PASSIVE VOICE:
can can
may may
must must
will will
S + shall + V + O ( S + shall BE + V3/Ved + by O
have to have to
ought to ought to
used to used to
be going to be going to
- Students ought to do homework before class.
→ Homework ought to be done before class.
IV.TWO-OBJECT VERB PASSIVE VOICE:
S + V + O1 + O2
S S+ V + O2 + to/ for O1



S + BE + V-ed/V3 + O2