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The passive voice

The passive voice. BARBARA MELONI. THE PASSIVE. WHY DO WE USE THE PASSIVE?. THE PASSIVE. ANSWER TO FOCUS MORE ON THE ACTION THAN THE SUBJECT. WHEN WE DON ’ T KNOW, DON ’ T CARE OR IT IS OBVIOUS WHO DID THE ACTION. WHEN WE WANT TO REMAIN OBJECTIVE. TO KEEP THINGS IMPERSONAL.

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The passive voice

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  1. The passive voice BARBARA MELONI

  2. THE PASSIVE • WHY DO WE USE THE PASSIVE?

  3. THE PASSIVE • ANSWER • TO FOCUS MORE ON THE ACTION THAN THE SUBJECT. • WHEN WE DON’T KNOW, DON’T CARE OR IT IS OBVIOUS WHO DID THE ACTION. • WHEN WE WANT TO REMAIN OBJECTIVE. TO KEEP THINGS IMPERSONAL. • IT IS MORE FORMAL.

  4. THE PASSIVE • GADDAFI WAS ‘KILLED IN CROSSFIRE’ • - BBC NEWS 21.10.2011 • MICHAEL JACKSON WAS GIVEN FATAL DOSE • – CNN 19.10.2011 • CHAVEZ HAS BEEN DECLARED FREE OF CANCER • – BBC 21.10.2011

  5. THE PASSIVE • Libya’s Col Muammar Gaddafi was killed in crossfire after being captured in his birthplace of Sirte, officials say. • Acting Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril said he had been shot in the head in an exchange between Gaddafi loyalists and National Transitional Council fighters. • He confirmed that Col Gaddafi, who had been taken alive, had died before reaching hospital. • BBC NEWS 21.10.2011

  6. THE PASSIVE • Libya’s Col Muhammar Gaddafi was killed in crossfire after being captured in his birthplace of Sirte, officials say. • Acting Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril said he had been shot in the head in an exchange between Gaddafi loyalists and National Transitional Council fighters. • He confirmed that Col Gaddafi, who had been taken alive, had died before reaching hospital. • BBC NEWS 21.10.2011

  7. THE PASSIVE • HOW DO WE MAKE THE PASSIVE?

  8. THE PASSIVE • WE MAKE THE PASSIVE VOICE WITH THE VERB TO BE + PAST PARTICIPLE

  9. THE PASSIVE • JOURNALISTS WRITE THE NEWS • – ACTIVE • THE NEWS IS WRITTEN BY JOURNALISTS • - PASSIVE

  10. TASK • WORKING WITH A PARTNER TAKE THE SENTENCE “ THE NEWS IS WRITTEN BY JOURNALISTS” AND PUT IT INTO AS MANY PASSIVE VOICE TENSES AS YOU CAN.

  11. THE PASSIVE • THE NEWS IS WRITTEN BY JOURNALISTS – PRESENT SIMPLE • THE NEWS WAS WRITTEN BY JOURNALISTS – PAST SIMPLE • THE NEWS HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY JOURNALISTS – PRESENT PERFECT • THE NEWS IS BEING WRITTEN BY JOURNALISTS – PRESENT CONTINUOUS • THE NEWS WAS BEING WRITTEN BY JOURNALISTS – PAST CONTINUOUS • THE NEWS WILL BE WRITTEN – FUTURE SIMPLE • THE NEWS MUST BE WRITTEN – MODALS • THE NEWS IS GOING TO BE WRITTEN BY JOURNALISTS – GOING TO • THE NEWS HAD BEEN WRITTEN BY JOURNALISTS – PAST PERFECT

  12. DIFFERENCES • PUT THIS SENTENCE INTO THE PASSIVE • THE EDITOR GAVE THE JOURNALIST AN ASSIGNMENT.

  13. DIFFERENCES • PUT THIS SENTENCE INTO THE PASSIVE • THE EDITOR GAVE THE JOURNALIST AN ASSIGNMENT. • THE JOURNALIST WAS GIVEN AN ASSIGNMENT (BY THE EDITOR) • AN ASSIGNMENT WAS GIVEN TO THE JOURNALIST (BY THE EDITOR)

  14. DIFFERENCES • PUT THIS SENTENCE INTO THE PASSIVE • THE EDITOR GAVE THE JOURNALIST AN ASSIGNMENT. • THE JOURNALIST WAS GIVEN AN ASSIGNMENT (BY THE EDITOR) • AN ASSIGNMENT WAS GIVEN TO THE JOURNALIST (BY THE EDITOR)

  15. DIFFERENCES • THE JOURNALIST IS WRITING THE ARTICLE AT THE MOMENT. • THE ARTICLE IS BEING WRITTEN AT THE MOMENT.

  16. EXTRA PRACTICE • PUT THE FOLLOWING INTO THE PASSIVE. • We are presently redecorating our new restaurant. • We have fitted our apartments with state of the art TVs. • We will open a new gym in time for summer. • We serve breakfast on the patio. • We built a new tennis court last year.

  17. question • WHY DO JOURNALISTS USE THE PASSIVE?

  18. ANSWER • TO CREATE A DISTANCE BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND WHAT IS BEING SAID. • I THINK IT IS SILVIO’S FAULT – VERY PERSONAL. • HOW COULD THEY MAKE IT LESS PERSONAL?

  19. ANSWER • IT IS SAID THAT IT IS SILVIO’S FAULT. • IT IS BELIEVED THAT IT IS SILVIO’S FAULT. • IT IS SUGGESTED THAT IT IS SILVIO’S FAULT. • IT IS CLAIMED THAT IT IS SILVIO’S FAULT. • IT IS THOUGHT THAT IT IS SILVIO’S FAULT.

  20. OTHER POSSIBILITIES • IT IS SAID TO BE SILVIO’S FAULT. • IT IS BELIEVED TO BE SILVIO’S FAULT. • IT IS SUGGESTED TO BE SILVIO’S FAULT. • IT IS CLAIMED TO BE SILVIO’S FAULT. • IT IS THOUGHT TO BE SILVIO’S FAULT.

  21. CAUSATIVE STRUCTURES • WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN: • I CUT MY HAIR • I HAD MY HAIR CUT

  22. CAUSATIVE STRUCTURES • I CUT MY HAIR ( MEANS YOU GOT THE SCISSORS AND CUT IT YOURSELF) • I HAD MY HAIR CUT ( A PROFESSIONAL CUT YOUR HAIR FOR YOU) – THIS HAS A PASSIVE MEANING. • IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE TO SAY; • I GOT MY HAIR CUT (THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN MEANING BETWEEN THE TWO STRUCTURES)

  23. CAUSATIVE STRUCTURES • THIS STRUCTURE IS MADE BY; • HAVE OR GET (IN THE APPROPRIATE TENSE) + OBJECT + PAST PARTICIPLE • MY DAD IS HAVING A GARAGE BUILT • MY DAD IS GETTING A GARAGE BUILT (PRESENT CONTINUOUS) • I HAD MY CAR REPAIRED • I GOT MY CAR REPAIRED (PAST SIMPLE)

  24. CAUSATIVE STRUCTURES • I HAVE HAD MY TOOTH REMOVED (PRESENT PERFECT) • I HAVE HAD MY GARDEN CLEANED (PRESENT PERFECT) • IN THIS TENSE IT IS DIFFICULT TO USE GET BECAUSE IT CAN BE CONFUSED WITH HAVE GOT IN THE PRESENT.

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