PASSIVE All schools teach math. (active)

Math is taught in all schools. (passive)

Somebody built this house in 1935. (active)

This house was built in 1935. (passive)

TENSE S BE P.P.

Present Simple

All letters are typed.

Present Continuous

The house

is being painted.

Past Simple

The school was built in 1978.

Past Continuous

The grass

was being

cut.

Present Perfect The car has been

repaired.

Past Perfect

The table

had been

reserved.

Modal verbs

Doors must be lockedat the end of the day.

We use passive: To talk about processes:

E.g. Flour is made from cereal grains such as wheat and rye. It is used to make bread and cakes.

In formal writing to sound impersonal:E.g. (from a newspaper report) The country has been affected by flooding; hundreds of people have been evacuated.

Usually we do not mention the agent (the person/thing that did the action) in a passive sentence because it is not important for the meaning of the sentence:E.g. The house was built in 1888. – we don’t say ‘by some builders’

We can mention the agent in a passive sentence with by + noun when the sentence would not make sense without it:E.g. Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.

Rewrite these sentences. Instead of using somebody, they or people, write a passive

sentence.

1. Somebody cleans the room every day.2. They cancelled all flights because of fog.3. People don’t use this road much.4. Somebody accused me of stealing money. (I ……)5. How do people learn languages? (How……?)6. Somebody warned us not to go out alone. (We…….)7. Somebody has cleaned the room.8. They have postponed the meeting.9. Somebody is using the computer at the moment.10. When we got to the stadium, we found that they had

cancelled the game. (When we go to the stadium, we found that…)

12. They are building a new road round the city.13. They have built a new hospital near the airport.14. He should check the letters before they are sent out.15. They will invite him.

HAVE SOMETHING DONE We use HAVE SOMETHING DONE to say

that we arrange for somebody else to do something for us. Compare:

Lisa repaired the roof. (= she repaired it herself)

Lisa had the roof repaired. (= she arranged for somebody else to repair it)

S HAVE O P.P.

I have my hair cutevery 6 weeks.

Heis having

his car serviced today.

Sally hadher eyes

tested.

Youhave had

your windows

cleaned.

Theyare going to have

their bedroom

painted.

Imust have

my shoes

mended.

Use the words in brackets to complete the sentences. Use the structure have something done

We _______ (the house/paint) at the moment. I lost my key. I’ll have to _______ (another

key/make). When was the last time you _______ (your hair/cut)? _______ (you/a newspaper/deliver) to your house

every day, or do you go out and buy one? A: Can I see the photographs you took when you

were on holiday?B: I’m afraid I _______ (not/the film/develop) yet.

This coat is dirty. I must ______ (it/clean). A: I heard your computer wasn’t working.

B: That’s right, but it’s OK now. I _______ (it/repair).