1) The passive is formed with the
The PASSIVE -1
correct form of the verb to be and the
past participle.
(present and past simple)
2) If we want to say who performed the
action, we use by .
1) Read the text and underline the verbs in passive.
The first mobile phone was made in 1977. In that
year, phones the approximate shape and weight of a
brick were sold to 2.000 customers in Chicago.
Now, those phones are displayed in museums and
new phones are slim, colourful and much lighter!
The technology has improved too. Every day phones
are used by ordinary people to browse the Web,
take pictures, take videos and play games. 4) Rewrite the sentences in the
passive
2) Use the present simple passive of the verbs in the box. 1. Ann does a lot of shopping online.
________________________________
________________________________
speak / make / play / buy / export / teach / wear
2. They don’t make cars in Wales.
________________________________
1. Bread __________________________ from wheat.
________________________________
2. Football _______________________ all over the world.
3. They produced wine in Spain in
3. Uniforms ___________________by most police Roman times. ____________________
officers. ________________________________
4. English _____________________________ in Russian 4. An average teenager sends 78.000
schools. text messages a year.
________________________________
5. How many languages _________________________ in
________________________________
Switzerland?
5. They invented sneakers in the USA.
6. Millions of cars _____________________ from Japan
________________________________
every year.
________________________________
7. 57 books ________________________ every second by
6. People speak English all over the
shoppers.
world. __________________________
in the USA.
________________________________
3) Use the past simple passive of the verbs in the box.
5) Ask your partner the questions
paint / hit / build / invent / discover / write / steal and make notes of his/her answers.
When was the last time you….
1. Penicillin ______________by Alexander Fleming in - were photographed?
1928.
- were invited to a party?
2. ‘Hamlet’ ____________________by Shakespeare. - were given a present?
3. When ________television ______________? - were given a complement?
4. John’s car _____________________ last night. - were told off?
5. The ‘Scream’ ____________________by Edvard - were sent a text message?
Munch.
- were hugged or kissed?
6. The first pyramids of Egypt __________________
- were frightened to death?
around
3000 B.C. - were shown on TV?
7. _______ the Earth _________ by an enormous asteroid
about 65 million years ago?
Answer Key
Ex. 1)
was made / were sold / are displayed / are used /
Ex. 2)
1. is made 2. is played 3. are worn 4. is taught 5. are spoken 6. are exported
7. are bought
Ex. 3)
1. was discovered 2. was written 3. was………invented 4. was stolen
5. was painted 6. were built 7. Was………hit
Ex. 4)
1. A lot of shopping is done online by Ann.
2. Cars aren’t made in Wales.
3. Wine was produced in Spain in Roman times.
4. 78000 text messages a year are sent by an average teenager.
5. Sneakers were invented in the USA.
6. English is spoken all over the world.
