Passive Voice: Read this text and pay attention to the verbs in bold Passive Voice: Read this text and pay attention to the verbs in bold. Then answer this question: What do all the verbs have in common? The Academy Awards are given out every year to recognize outstanding work of movie actors, directors, and others who are part of the movie-making industry. These awards, called Oscars, are presented in a formal ceremony in Hollywood. Several people are nominated in specific categories, such as Best Movie, Best Actor, Best Music, and Best Costumes. One nominee is chosen to receive an award in each category. When the awards ceremony started in 1929, 15 awards were presented and there were seats for only 250 people. Tickets cost $10, and anyone who could afford a ticket could attend. Today about two dozen Oscars are presented. Tickets are no longer sold to the general public; invitations are sent only to people involved in making the movies and to their guests. Today the awards are presented in the 3400-seat Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Until 1941, the winners’ names were already known before the ceremony and published in newspapers the night before the ceremony. Now the winners’ names are placed in sealed envelopes and the envelopes are not opened until the night of the ceremony. Since 1953, Oscar night has been televised and broadcast all over the world. This show is seen by hundreds of millions of people. Viewers watch as their favorite movie stars arrive looking beautiful and hopeful.

Notice: Active Voice: S + Vb + O The Academy gives out awards every year. Passive Voice Passive Subj + Passive Vb + by-agent (be+participle) Awards are given out by the Academy every year

PASSIVE VERB: BE (conjugated) + PARTICIPLE OF MAIN VERB ACTIVE VERB: Present Simple: A committee chooses the winner Present Continuous: They are presenting an award now Past Simple: They announced the winner’s name Past Continuous: They were interviewing the winners. Future with WILL: They will release the new film soon Future with BE GOING TO: Leo Di Caprio is going to present the next award. PASSIVE VERB: BE+ P.P. Present Simple: The winner is chosen by a committee Present Continuous: An award is being presented now (by them) Past Simple: The winner’s name was announced (by them) Past Continuous The winners were being interviewed. Future with WILL: The new film will be released soon Future with BE GOING TO: The next award is going to be presented by Leo Di Caprio

PASSIVE VERB: BE (conjugated) + PARTICIPLE OF MAIN VERB ACTIVE VERB: Present Perfect: Spielberg has already won many awards Past Perfect: The audience had chosen the winner Modal: You can see the film on DVD Modal Perfect: Clint Eastwood must have directed this film. PASSIVE VERB: BE+ P.P. Present Perfect Many awards have already been won by Spielberg Past Perfect The winner had been chosen by the audience Modal: The film can be seen on DVD. Modal Perfect: This film must have been directed by Clint Eastwood.

Are the following sentences ACTIVE or PASSIVE? 1. The actress wore a beautiful gown. 2. Halle Berry presented an Oscar. 3. Russell Crowe has been seen in many movies. 4. The director has been nominated many times. 5. Old movies were filmed in black and white. 6. Many actors live in California. 7. Many movies are made in Hollywood. 8. The names of the winners will be printed in tomorrow’s newspaper. 9. The actress thanked all the people who helped her win. 10. The actress was driven to the ceremony in a white limousine. 11. Hollywood was built at the beginning of the twentieth century The passive sentences are 3,4,5, 7,8, 10 and 11

Your Turn!Turn the following sentences into PASSIVE VOICE 1. Alfred Hitchcock chose the cast for this film. The cast for this film was chosen by Alfred Hitchcock . 2. Dani Rovira has presented the Goya Award ceremony twice. The Goya Award Ceremony has been presented by Dani Rovira twice. 3. James Cameron might direct a new fantasy film next year. A new fantasy film might be directed by James Cameron next year 4. They are going to show Amenábar’s first film in this cinema today. Amenábar’s first film is going to be shown in this cinema today. 5. Nobody opens the envelopes until the night of the ceremony. The envelopes are not opened until the night of the ceremony (by anybody) 6. Millions of people all over the world are watching the Oscar Award Ceremony right now. The Oscar Award Ceremony is being watched by millions of people all over the world right now.

Passives with 2 objects (direct and indirect) NOTICE: They gave Spielberg an award Subj VB IO D0 PASSIVE: 2 WAYS CD as subject: An award was given to Spielberg (Un premio fue dado a Spielberg) CI as subject: Spielberg was given an award (A Spielberg le dieron un premio /se le dio un premio)

More examples: I have just been told the names of the winner (by them) They have just told me the names of the winner. I have just been told the names of the winner (by them) The names of the winner have just been told TO me (by them) The Academy may give Meryl Streep another award. Meryl Streep may be given another award by the Academy Another award may be given TO Meryl Streep by the Academy They will offer Johnny Depp an important role in this film Johnny Depp will be offered an important role in this film An important role will be offered TO Johnny Depp in this film

When do we prefer to use the Passive Voice over the Active? When we want to FOCUS on the ACTION rather than on the AGENT for different reasons. In many cases, the agent is omitted. For example: 1. When the agent is OBVIOUS The fire was put out (by the fire brigade) soon after it had begun. At last, Leonardo di Caprio was awarded an Oscar (by the Academy) 2. When the agent is UNKNOWN Tom Hanks was chosen (by somebody) to be the main character in the film. He’s been told (by someone) that this film is really worth seeing 3. When the agent is GENERAL (people, everybody…) This film was seen in all the cinemas of the world (by people)

Watch this video where passive structures are constantly used http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar-vocabulary/grammar-videos/passive-forms