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G.11 - Passives

Active and Passive Voice - Pre-intermediate

Average: 1.7 (227 votes)

Active Voice

The subject performs the action expressed in the verb; the subject acts.

SVO: Subject + Verb + Object
e.g. John opens the door

Past Participle Irregular Verbs

Average: 3.6 (54 votes)

Check your understanding of irregular past participle verbs.

Example: Do

Present Simple: do - "Where do you live?"
Past Simple: did - "Where did you go yesterday?"
Past Participle: done - "Has he done all his homework?"

Passive Tense Review

Average: 3.5 (81 votes)

Do you remember the difference between active and passive sentences?

In an active sentence:

Someone or something is performing an action.
"The cat chased the mouse."

In a passive sentence:

Someone or something is having something done to them.
"The mouse was chased by the cat."

In order to make a passive sentence you need:

Past Simple or Past Participle?

Average: 3.1 (53 votes)

It is really important when learning the past tenses, that you learn both the past simple form of the verb and the past participle. You also need to learn when you use them.

We use the past participle:

1 - When using the perfect tenses

Present Perfect:
Have + past participle
E.g. I have studied dance for five years.

Past Participle Review

Average: 3.3 (17 votes)

Eat - Ate - Eaten. 'Eaten' is a past participle verb, but how and when is it used? Here's a quick review and quiz.

The past participle is used in both active and passive sentences:

Do you know how to make Passive Sentences?

Average: 3.2 (96 votes)

Making passive sentences

Average: 3.7 (45 votes)

Below you will see some sentences. Put the words into the correct sentence and change the main verb into its passive form (past participle):

Remember:

In an active sentence we say:

'Farmers grow vegetables'

In passive sentences we say:

'Vegetables are grown by farmers'

 

Past Simple or Past Participle?

Average: 3.5 (343 votes)

When to use the simple past tense

We use the simple past tense for actions that began and finished in the past. We do not have to say exactly when. The important thing is that it happened and is not happening now.

'I saw it'

When to use the past participle

The past participle is used with the following tenses: