Passive Voice

Use of Passive

Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action.

Example: My bike was stolen.

In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know, however, who did it.

Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows:

Example: A mistake was made.

In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake.).

Form of Passive

Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular verbs)

Example: A letter was written.

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

• the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
• the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
• the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped)

Examples of Passive

Tense		Subject	Verb	Object
Simple Present	Active:	Rita	writes	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	is written	by Rita.
Simple Past	Active:	Rita	wrote	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	was written	by Rita.
Present Perfect	Active:	Rita	has written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	has been written	by Rita.
Future I	Active:	Rita	will write	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	will be written	by Rita.
Hilfsverben	Active:	Rita	can write	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	can be written	by Rita.

Noun Phrases

A noun phrase is either a pronoun or any group of words that can be replaced by a pronoun. For example, 'they', 'cars', and 'the cars' are noun phrases, but 'car' is just a noun, as you can see in these sentences (in which the noun phrases are all in bold)

Q: Do you like cars?
A: Yes, I like them.
Q: Do you like the cars over there?
A: Yes, they are nice.
Q: Do you like the car I bought last week?
A: Yes, I like it. (Note: 'It' refers to 'the car', not 'car')

If you are a little puzzled at this point, try and think of some further examples of noun phrases using the definition above, and compare your examples with simple nouns.

The structure of noun phrases
As I said, noun phrases can be infinite in length, but they would sound absurd if they got too long. So let's take the following noun phrase as our working model:

• "The very tall education consultant with the roving eye"
  
  The structure of this noun phrase contains three sections:

• Pre-modification
  • The =determiner
  • very =adverb (intensifying)
  • tall = adjective
  • education = pre-modifying noun

• Head noun
  • consultant

• Post-modification
  • with the roving eye = preposition phrase

Introductory It

Explanation

A :     To understand this lesson is easy.

B :     It    is easy to understand this lesson.

•          In this pattern, it has no meaning. It is used only to fill the subject position in the sentence. Thus, it is called introductory “it”.

•          A and B mean the same thing, but sentence B is more common and useful than A. A was introduced mainly to make the meaning of B easier to understand.  

Example of Introductory “it” :

•          To watch musical programs is pleasant.

•          It is pleasant to watch musical program.

•          To play football must be fun.

•          It is fun to play football

THE PLACE FOR “IT”
1. in subject position

• IT + TO BE + ADJECTIVE ………………..
- It is not difficult to understand the lesson.
- It would be nice seeing him again

News Item

News Item is a factual text which informs the readers about events of the day which are considered newsworthy or important.

Social function of news item is to inform readers, listeners or viewers about events of the day which are considered newsworthy or important.

Generic structure:

·         Newsworthy Event(s):  recounts the events in summary form.

·         Background Event(s):  elaborate what happened, to WHOM, in WHAT circumstances.

·         Sources:  comments by participants in, witnesses to, and expert on the event.

Significant Grammar Features:

·  Short, telegraphic information about story captured in headline.

·  Generally using Simple Past Tense.

·  Use of Material Processes to retell the event.

·  Using Action Verbs, (e.g.: were, run, go, kill, hit, attack, curb, etc).

·  Using Saying Verbs, (e.g.: said, added, claimed, etc).

·  Focus on Circumstances.

·  Use of projecting Verbal Processes in Sources stages.

There are some rules that can help to make newspaper headlines more comprehensible:

1. The passive voice is used without the appropriate form of “be”.
Example:  Town ‘Contaminated’
Complete Sentence:  Town is contaminated.

2. It is unusual to find complex forms, generally the simple present form is used
Example:  Fire Destroys over 2,511 acres of Forest in 2003-2004

Complete Sentence:  Fire has destroyed over 2,511 acres of forest in 2003-2004.