1. The Passive: Review and Expansion5
The Passive: Review and Expansion
Art Heist and Edvard Munch’s Scream
Focus on Grammar 5
Part V, Unit 13
By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ Wells
Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. Scream Stolen on August 23, 2004
Two masterpieces by Edvard Munch were stolen from the Munch Museum in Oslo yesterday. The Scream and Madonna were grabbed by two masked thieves. A guard was threatened with a gun. None of the thieves got caught. Only their car was later recovered and parts of picture frames were found.
The text used here is Times New Roman to simulate a newspaper article.

3. Art Heist
Experts speculated yesterday that the paintings had been stolen to blackmail insurance companies. However, neither painting was insured against theft. It is generally agreed that it will be impossible to sell either painting on the open market.
It's the second time in a decade that a version of The Scream has been stolen. Another version was stolen in 1994 and recovered three months later.
The text used here is Times New Roman to simulate a newspaper article.

4. Present and Past Passive sentences are formed with be or get+
past participle.
It is generally agreed that it is impossible to sell a stolen painting on the open market.
A guard was threatened.
Graphic from Hemera.
I’m not sure I like the pink highlights – and I thought you didn’t want us to use pink – but your color scheme made these pink, so I hesitate to change the color on the highlights. Please let us know how you want us to proceed in the future since all the PPTs for the advanced level are going to have that pink.
Also, I could have made the title box smaller on this slide, but to keep it consistent with the form 2 slide (where it is not possible to make it smaller), I decided to have the same size for both title boxes.
None of the thieves got caught.

5. Other Passive Verb Forms
You can form passives with many verb forms, including present perfect (has been + past participle) and past perfect (had been + past participle).
It is the second time that a version of The Scream has been stolen.
Graphic from Hemera
The paintings had been stolen to blackmail insurance companies.

6. Use of the Passive 1
Use the passive when you don’t know who performed the action or when it is not important to say who performed it.
Two masterpieces by Edvard Munch were stolen from the Munch Museum.
Graphic from Hemera: I have done numerous searches to find a graphic to fit this slide. I have even considered a different sample sentence – still within the context of the newspaper article – but this is really the best I could do on Hemera and Animation Factory. I admit it’s not perfect, but I don’t know what to do unless you want to show an image of the Scream one more time here. Since I don’t know which Scream graphic you will end up choosing/using, I will leave this decision open.

7. Use of the Passive 2
Use the passive to avoid mentioning who performed the action.
Neither painting was insured against theft.
Graphic from Hemera

8. Use of the Passive 3 Use the passive to focus on the receiver or the
result of an action instead of who performed it.
The Scream and Madonna were grabbed by armed thieves.
lGraphic from Hemera
A guard was threatened with a gun.

9. Two masterpieces were stolen by masked thieves.
Practice 1
Change the sentences from active to passive.
Example: Masked thieves stole two masterpieces.
Two masterpieces were stolen by masked thieves.
1. The robbers took the two paintings off the gallery walls.
The two paintings were taken off the gallery walls (by the robbers).
2. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the theft.
So far, responsibility for the theft has not been claimed (by anyone).
3. We have not protected our cultural treasures adequately.
Our cultural treasures have not been protected adequately.

10. The Passive and Direct Objects
Most commonly, the direct object of an active sentence is the subject of the corresponding passive sentence.
Thieves stole two masterpieces by Edvard Munch.
Direct Object
Subject
Two masterpieces by Edvard Munch were stolen.

11. The Passive and Indirect Objects
Museum visitors sent many letters of complaint to the museum.
Indirect Object
An indirect object is sometimes the subject of a passive sentence.
Subject
The museum was sent many letters of complaint.

12. The museum was sent letters by many people.
Change the sentences from active to passive. Use the indirect objects as subjects of the passive sentences.
Practice 2
Example: Many people sent letters to the museum.
The museum was sent letters by many people.
1. Someone gave a floor plan of the museum to the thieves.
The thieves were given a floor plan of the museum.
Norwegian authorities immediately assigned the crime investigation to the Oslo Police Department.
The Oslo Police Department was immediately assigned the crime investigation (by Norwegian authorities).

13. The Passive with Get
The passive with get is more informal. It is conversational and used in informal writing.
1. Nobody in the museum got injured or killed during the robbery.
Graphic from Hemera
2. None of the thieves got caught.

14. Passive Causatives Use have or get + object + past participle to
form passive causatives. O B J E C T
Passive causatives talk about services that people arrange for someone else to do.
Did the thief get his hair dyed before the robbery?
Graphic from Hemera O B J E C T
Did he get his mask made or did he make the mask himself?

15. Form active sentences and passive sentences with have or get.
Practice 3
I cut my hair myself.
I get my hair cut.
Example: cut hair
get hair cut 1.
. I wash my car myself.
I get my car washed.
wash car
get car washed
All graphics from Hemera 2.
I paint my house myself.
I have my house painted.
paint house
have house painted

16. References
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education and its licensors. All rights reserved. Photo Credits:
Edvard Munch: The Scream 1893 tempera on board Munch Museum, Oslo
Artwork: © Munch Museum/Munch - Ellingsen Group/ARS 2005 Photo: © Munch Museum (Andersen/de Jong) Photo: © 2005 The Munch Museum/ The Munch-Ellingsen Group/ Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
Photo of the Munch Museum: © Munch Museum (Andersen/de Jong)