Workshop

Magazines use pop singers as models. When did Tom write this letter?


Pop singers are used as models by magazines. When was this letter written by Tom?H











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Basic steps to form the passive voice:
The object of the active becomes the subject of the passive.
We add the auxiliary “to be” –“is/are” when the main verb of the active is present, and “was/were” when it is past.
In negative or interrogative sentences the auxiliary “to do” is replaced by “to be”:
- do(n’t) / does(n’t) become is(n’t) /are(n’t);
- did(n’t) becomes was(n’t) or were(n’t).
We turn the main verb of the active into the past participle.
If we need or want to add the agent of the passive, we must use “by”.





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We use the passive voice when we are more interested in the action itself rather than in “who” or “what” did the action.
The agent can be:
* unimportant – “These shoes are made inIndonesia.” (the action is more important than who made the shoes)
* unknown – “The windows were broken yesterday.” (somebody broke the windows and we don’t know who did it)
* implicit – “He wasarrested.” (most certainly by the police)




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A. Complete the blanks with is/are + participle.
1)Computers ARE SOLD (sell) in many different stores.
2) English IS SPOKEN (speak) almost everywhere.
3) ARE these shoes DESIGNED (design) in Portugal?
4) Less ice-cream IS EATEN (eat) in thewinter.
5) Spanish IS TAUGHT (teach) in my school too.
6) Fashionable clothes ARE WORN (wear) both by boys and girls.
7) Many people ARE INFLUENCED (influence) by the media.
8) Lots of TV ARE WATCHED(watch) nowadays.




C. Rewrite the sentences in the passive and match them with the pictures.



B. Rewrite the sentences in the passive – use the “by” agent only when necessary.

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