The Passive: Review and Expansion

Art Heist and Edvard Munch’s

Scream

5

Focus on Grammar 5Part V, Unit 13By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ WellsCopyright @ 2006. Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Scream Stolen on August 23, 2004 Scream Stolen on August 23, 2004

Two masterpieces by Edvard Munch were stolen from the Munch Museum in Oslo yesterday. The Scream and Madonna were grabbed by two masked thieves. A guard was threatened with a gun. None of the thieves got caught. Only their car was later recovered and parts of picture frames were found.

Experts speculated yesterday that the paintings had been stolen to blackmail insurance companies. However, neither painting was insured against theft. It is generally agreed that it will be impossible to sell either painting on the open market.

It's the second time in a decade that a version of The Scream has been stolen. Another version was stolen in 1994 and recovered three months later.

Art HeistArt Heist

None of the thieves got caught.

A guard was threatened.

Passive sentences are formed with be or get+

Present and Past Present and Past

past participle.

It is generally agreed that it is impossible to sell a stolen painting on the open market.

The paintings had been stolen to blackmail insurance companies.

It is the second time that a version of The Scream has been stolen.

Other Passive Verb Forms Other Passive Verb Forms

You can form passives with many verb forms, including present perfect (has been + past participle) and past perfect (had been + past participle).

Two masterpieces by Edvard Munch were stolen from the Munch Museum.

Use the passive when you don’t know who performed the action or when it is not important to say who performed it.

Use of the Passive 1Use of the Passive 1

Use of the Passive 2Use of the Passive 2

Use the passive to avoid mentioning who performed the action.

Neither painting was insured against theft.

The Scream and Madonna were grabbed by armed thieves.

Use of the Passive 3Use of the Passive 3

Use the passive to focus on the receiver or the result of an action instead of who performed it.

A guard was threatened with a gun.

Change the sentences from active to passive.Practice 1Practice 1

Example: Masked thieves stole two masterpieces.

Two masterpieces were stolen by masked thieves.

1. The robbers took the two paintings off the gallery walls.

2. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the theft.

3. We have not protected our cultural treasures adequately.

The two paintings were taken off the gallery walls (by the robbers).

So far, responsibility for the theft has not been claimed (by anyone).

Our cultural treasures have not been protected adequately.

Two masterpieces by Edvard Munch were stolen.

Thieves stole two masterpieces by Edvard Munch.

Direct Object

Subject

The Passive and Direct ObjectsThe Passive and Direct Objects

Most commonly, the direct object of an active sentence is the subject of the

corresponding passive sentence.

An indirect object is sometimes the subject of a passive sentence.

The museum was sent many letters of complaint.

Museum visitors sent many letters of complaint to the museum.

Indirect Object

Subject

The Passive and Indirect ObjectsThe Passive and Indirect Objects

Example: Many people sent letters to the museum.

The museum was sent letters by many people.

1. Someone gave a floor plan of the museum to the thieves.

2. Norwegian authorities immediately assigned the crime investigation to the Oslo Police Department.

The thieves were given a floor plan of the museum.

The Oslo Police Department was immediately assigned the crime investigation (by Norwegian authorities).

Practice 2Practice 2Change the sentences from active to passive. Use the indirect objects as subjects of the passive sentences.

2. None of the thieves got caught.

The Passive with GetThe Passive with Get

The passive with get is more informal. It is conversational and used in informal writing.

1. Nobody in the museum got injured or killed during the robbery.

Passive causatives talk about services

that people arrange for

someone else to do.

OBJECT

Passive CausativesPassive Causatives

OBJECT

Use have or get + object + past participle to form passive causatives.

Did the thief get his hair dyed before the robbery?

Did he get his mask made or did he make the mask himself?

paint house

have house painted I paint my house myself.

I have my house painted.

wash car

get car washed

.I wash my car myself.

I get my car washed.

Example: cut hair

get hair cut

I cut my hair myself.

I get my hair cut.

Practice 3Practice 3Form active sentences and passive sentences with have or get.

1.

2.

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education and its licensors. All rights reserved.

Photo Credits:

Edvard Munch: The Scream 1893tempera on boardMunch Museum, Oslo

Artwork: © Munch Museum/Munch - Ellingsen Group/ARS 2005Photo: © Munch Museum (Andersen/de Jong)

Photo: © 2005 The Munch Museum/ The Munch-Ellingsen Group/ Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY

Photo of the Munch Museum: © Munch Museum (Andersen/de Jong)

References