THUONGMAI UNIVERSITY

ENGLISH FACULTY
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DISCUSSION
PASSIVE VOICE

Lecturer: LÊ MINH HỒNG

Group: 2
Class: K57N4

Hanoi, November 2021

 GROUP DISCUSSION
ENGLISH 1

Topic: Passive voice

Group: 2 Class: K57N4

Lecturer: Lê Hồng Minh

Group preparation assessment:

Presentation assessment: List of students (in the order of presenting)

No. Name (for students) Comments (for lecturer only) Mark

1 Trần Thành Đạt

2 Đinh Thị Chinh

3 Đỗ Khánh Hà

4 Bùi Thị Mỹ Duyên

5 Triệu Thị Phương Đài

6 Nguyễn Minh Châu

 PASSIVE VOICE

I. DEFINITION AND FORM

1. Definition

- Active voice means that a sentence has a subject that acts upon its verb.

- Passive voice means that the subject of the sentence is acted on by the transitive verb.

E.g: “A cake was made by my mother”.

=> “A cake” receives the action of the verb, and was made is in the passive voice. The same
sentence in the active voice would be “My mother made a cake.”

2. Form

- In general, passive voice is created by combining the verb “be” and the past participle.

Subject + Be + Past participle

 E.g: was/were + closed/found/bought

- How to change a sentence from active to passive:

Active form: Subject + Verb + Object.

Passive form: Object + Be + Past participle + (by Subject).

+ Active subject become the new object.

+ Passive object turn into passive voice’s subject.

+ Verb of active form change to the verb “be” and past participle form.

 Step 1: Identify the subject, the verb and the object

 Step 2: Move the object to become the new subject of the sentence
 Step 3: What is the verb tense in the active sentence?
 Step 4: Conjugate the verb ‘be’
 Step 5: Add the past participle of the main verb after ‘be’
 Step 6: Subject of the active sentence
 E.g : (A): The children ate the cake

Step 1: subject verb object

 Step 2: The cake

Step 4: was

Step 5: eaten

Step 6: by the children

 (P): The cake was eaten by the children.

 Note:

- The verb “be” in passive voice is decided by active sentence’s tense and object.

 E.g: He fixed the bike.

=>The bike was fixed by him. (Past simple tense)

 E.g: She is cleaning the house.

=>The house is being cleaned by her. (Present continuous tense)

- If the active subject is not clear, unknown or obvious (personal pronoun, indefinite pronoun), it
can be removed.

 E.g : Somebody took my credit card.

=>My credit card was taken. (No one know who took the credit card)

II. USE

1 . Transitive and intransitive verbs

- Only verbs with an object (transitive verbs) can be made passive

 E.g: They sent a mail -> A mail was sent by them.

- Some transitive verbs cannot be made passive in some uses: like, love, become, fit, siut,…

 E.g: I like the place (A passive form of this sentence is not possible)

- Verbs with two objects (direct and indirect object)

 E.g: Someone handed me a note => I was handed a note.

=> A note was handed to me.

2. Verbs with object and complement

 Some verbs have a noun or adjective which describes their object. When made passive, the
complement goes directly after the verbs.

 E.g: We elected Jim class representative => Jim was elected class representative.

3. Verbs with prepositions

- The preposition stays with the verbs a passive sentence

 E.g: People shouted at the Prime Minister during his speech.

=> The Prime Minister was shouted at during his speech.

- Ending a sentence with a preposition

 E.g: Somebody broke into our house => Our house was broke into.

- Common contexts for the passive

 By placing the object at the beginning of the sentence, the passive can change the focus
of interest in a sentence.
 The passive is used in a variety of contexts. Notice how the agent (person who does the
action) is unimportant, unknown or clear from the situation
 Impersonal statements: Students are asked not to smoke.
 When the agent is unknown: My bike has been stolen.
 When the agent is obvious: Mr.John will be arrested.
 How something was done: The box was opened with a knife.

III. PASSIVE VERS AND INFINITIVES

The table below shows examples of sentences in active and passive voice for basic tenses of the
auxiliary verb ‘to be’ and the past participle of the main verb.
 Tense Active Passive Example

Present simple S + V(s/es) + O S + am/is/are + Vp2 ( by O) He is taken to his school by

his dad.
Present S + am/is/are + Ving S + am/is/are + being + Vp2+ The document is being sent
continuous +O ( by O) right now.
Present perfect S + have/has + P2 + S + have/has + been + Vp2+ That start-up has been sold
tense O ( by O) for $5 million.
Past simple S + V(ed/p2) + O S + was/were + Vp2+( by O) John was invited to speak at
the conference.
Past continuous Was/were + Ving + Was/ were +being + Vp2 (by O) The apple tree was being
O planted by my grandfather.

Past perfect Had + Vp2 + O Had + been + Vp2 (by O) I wondered why I hadn’t
been invited.

Future simple Will + V (bare) + O Will be + Vp2(by O) The meeting will be held in
this hall tomorrow.

Future perfect Will have + V p2+ O Will+ have been + Vp2 (by O) The A bridge will have been
built by the builder by July.

-They used after modal verbs (may, might, must, should, can….)

 Form: S + modal verb +be + Vp2 (+ by O)

 E.g: .- Seat belts must be worn by passengers.

- Do you believe that such a problem can be solved.

-They used after others verb forms such as: going to, used to, have to, want to, would like to

 Form: S + “going to, want to, used to, have to, would like to” + be + Vp2 (by O).
 E.g: - The cat used to be fed by Linh.

- I didn’t use to be afraid of rats.

IV. SPECIAL FORMS OF PASSIVE VOICE

1. The verbs are followed by “to V”( ask, advice, invite, expect, …)
 Form: -Active: S + V + O1 + to V + O2
-Passive: => S + V + to be +Vp2 + by O1 (when O1 = O2)
=> S + V + O2 + to be + Vp2 + by O1 ( when O1 ≠ O2 )
=> O1 + tobe + Vp2 + to V + O2 ( when O1 is subject in passive)
 E.g: -I want you to teach me => I want to be taught by you.
- I want him to repair my car.=> I want my car to be repaired by him.
- People don’t expect the police to find out the stolen car.=> The police
aren’t expected to find out the stolen car.
2. The verbs are followed by “ Ving”(remember, hate, enjoy, mind, promise …)
 Form: - Active: S + V + O1 + Ving + O2.
- Passive :=> S + V + being Vp2 + by O1 ( when O1≠O2)
=> S + V + O2 + being Vp2 + by O1 ( when O1=O2)
 E.g: He hates non-proffessional people criticizing his work.
=> He hates his work being criticizing by non-proffessional people.
3. With “HAVE/GET”
- When someone does some work for us, we can use have something done
 E.g: I have just had/got my car serviced. I have/get it done every winter.

- The same construction can describe bad luck caused by an unspecified person

 E.g: Peter had his car stolen last week. And then he had his leg broken playing
football.

- Using get instead of have in the first examples would be more formal.

- Using get can also suggest managing to do something difficult

 E.g: It was difficult but we got the painting done in the end
4. With the verb “NEED”
- “Need doing” is an idiomatic way of expressing a passive sentence where a thing or
person needs some kind of action
 E.g: The floor is filthy. It needs to be cleaned/ It needs cleaning.
5. Reporting verbs
 - The passive is often used with “say, believe, understand, know” and similar verbs used
in reporting speech to avoid an impersonal “they” or “people”.
 Form: -Active: People (they) + say (said) + that + S2 + V2
-Passive: => S2 + be + V1(p2) + to V2 (inf) / to have V2(p2)
=> It + be + V1(p2) + that + S2 +V2
 E.g: People say that John Wilson lives in New York.

=> John Wilson is said to live in New York.

=> It is said that John Wilson lives in New York.

6. With the verb “MAKE/LET” and verbs of senses

- “Make” is followed by infinitive with “to” in the passive
 Form: - Active: S + make + O + Vinf
- Passive: S + be + made + to + Vinf (by O)
 E.g: He made me do my homework. => I was made to do my homework.

- “ Let” is coverted into “allowed “ in the passive.

 Form: - Active: S + let + somebody + Vinf

- Passive: S + be + allowed + to + Vinf (by O)
 E.g: My parents never let me

- Verbs of the senses (feel, see, hear, look, smell, …)

+ Followed by infinitive with “to” in the passive voice when someone witnessed the
whole action.

 Form: - Active: S + V + O + Vinf

- Passive: S + be + Vp2 + to V

 E.g: I heard her make arrangements for her journey.

=> She was heard to make arrangements for her journey.

+ Followed by V_ing in the passive voice when someone only witnessed part of the
action

 Form: - Active: S + V + O + Ving

- Passive: S + be +Vp2+ Ving
 E.g: We saw her overhearing us = > She was seen overhearing us.
7. Imperative form
  Form: - Active: V + O / Don’t + V +O
- Passive: Let +(not) O + be/get + V p2
 E.g: - Open your book, please! => Let your book be opened.
- Don’t make the noise. => Let not the noise be made.
8. With 7 special verbs : suggest, require, request, order, demand, insist, recomment
 Form: - Active: S + V + that + S + (should) + Vinf + O
- Passive: It + be + Vp2( of 7 verbs) + that + O + be + Vp2
 E.g: The parents suggested that the children take exam early.
=> It was suggested that the exam should be taken early.
 NOTE:
 If the subject of active sentence is nobody, no one, none of,… ,the passive
sentence will be in the negative form.
 E.g: No one can wear this blue dress.=> This blue dress cannot be worn.
 Intransitive verbs (Verbs that do not require an object) are not used in the passive.
 E.g: My leg hurts.
 If the person or object directly causes the action, use “ by” , but if it is an object
that indirectly causes the action, use “with”.
 E.g: The bird was shot with the gun.
The bird was shot by the hunter.
 If the active sentence has both an adverb of place and an adverb of time, when
changing to the passive sentence, follow the rule:
S + be + Ved/P2 + place+ by + O + time.
 MEETING MINUTE – GROUP: 1
Time:3/11/2021 from 2p.m to 4p.m
Place: online
Members:
1. Tran Thanh Đat
2. Dinh Thi Chinh
3. Do Khánh Ha
4. Bui Thi My Duyen
5. Trieu Thi Phuong Dai
6. Nguyen Minh Chau
Contents for discussing:
1. Each member introduced themselves
2. Discussing group’s topic include:
- “Definition and form” of passive voice
- “Usages” of passive voice
- Passive verbs
- “Special forms” of passive voice
3. Division of duties.
Conclusion: The members all presented well and understood the content of the
presentation.
Duties for members:
Each of you will correspond to each content of the presentation as follows:
• Part 1: Dat will take care of the “definition and form” of the passive sentence.
• Part 2: Chinh will give typical "uses" of the frozen sentence.
• Part 3: “Pasive verbs” is presented by 2 members, Khanh Ha and My Duyen.
• Part 4: Phuong Dai will present special passive cases and Minh Chau
will add other cases and conclusions to the whole presentation.
Head of the team Secretary
(signature and name) (signature and name)
Chau Chinh
Nguyen Minh Chau Đinh Thị Chinh
 MEETING MINUTE – GROUP: 2
Time: 5/11/2021 from 19.30 to 21h
Place: online
Members:
1Trần Thành Đạt
2.Đinh Thị Chinh
3.Đỗ Khánh Há
4. Bùi Thị Mỹ Duyên
5. Triệu Thị Phương Đài
6. Nguyễn Minh Châu
Contents for discussing:
 Preparing for passive voice presentation’s content
1. Definitive and form
2. Use
3. Passive verbs and infinitive
4. Special form of passive voice.
 Add missing content
Conclusion: Each member of the group received their task and completed it well. during
the meeting, everyone actively contributed ideas and understood clearly about each issue.
The meeting ended successfully.
Duties for members:
- Tran Thanh Dat: Definition and form of passive voice
- Dinh Thi Chinh: Usages of passive voice
- Do Khanh Ha, Bui Thi My Duyen: Passive verbs
- Trieu Thi Phuong Dai, Nguyen Minh Chau: Special forms of passive voice

Head of the team Secretary

(signature and name) (signature and name)

Chau Duyen
Nguyen Minh Chau Bui Thi My Duyen
 MEETING MINUTE – GROUP: 3
Time: 7/11/2021 from 9a.m to 10.30 a.m
Place: online
Members:
7. Tran Thanh Dat
8. Dinh Thi Chinh
9. Do Khanh Ha
10. Bui Thi My Duyen
11. Trieu Thi Phuong Dai
12. Nguyen Minh Chau
Contents for discussing:
-Preparing for the presentation’s content.
Conclusion:
-Each member of group two got their job. The meeting went on well.
Duties for members:
- Tran Thanh Dat: Definiton and form of passive voice
- Dinh Thi Chinh: Usages of passive voice
- Do Khanh Ha, Bui Thi My Duyen: Passive verbs
- Trieu Thi Phuong Dai, Nguyen Minh Chau: Special forms of passive voice
- PowerPoint: Trieu Thi Phuong Dai, Nguyen Minh Chau
- MC: Do Khanh Ha.
- Design game: Tran Thanh Dat
Head of the team Secretary
(signature and name) (signature and name)
Chau Đạt
Nguyen Minh Chau Trần Thành Đạt
 MEETING MINUTE – GROUP: 4
Time: 9/11/2021 from 20h to 21.30
Place: online
Members:
13. Tran Thanh Dat
14. Dinh Thi Chinh
15. Do Khanh Ha
16. Bui Thi My Duyen
17. Trieu Thi Phuong Dai
18. Nguyen Minh Chau

Contents for discussing:

1. Presentation practice
2. Completed the discussion
Conclusion: Each member had inside knowledge of the passive voice. Everybody is
ready to make an effective presentation.
Duties for members:
- MC : Do Khanh Ha
- Technician: Nguyen Minh Chau
- Each member diliver their presentation.

Head of the team Secretary

(signature and name) (signature and name)
Chinh
Chau Dinh Thi Chinh
Nguyen Minh Chau