LSA 2 SYSTEMS: GRAMMAR

Using the Passive Voice

at C1 level
Giuliete Aymard
21/01/2013
Word count: 2217 words
Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................... 3
Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 4
1.Passive Voice - Form.............................................................................................. 4
2.Passive Voice !ses.............................................................................................. "
Issues............................................................................................................................ 7
#olutions........................................................................................................................ $
%ourse &oo' a((roac)es to t)e Passive Voice..............................................................*
%onclusion................................................................................................................... 1+
,i&lio-ra()y................................................................................................................. 11
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Introduction
In my teac)in- career1 most o2 my students were native s(ea'ers o2 0atin 0an-ua-es
3mainly Portu-uese1 #(anis)1 Frenc) and Italian4. I used to &elieve t)at it would &e
easier to teac) t)e Passive Voice to t)ese students1 as t)ey are already 2amiliar wit)
t)e structure and some o2 its uses. 5owever1 alt)ou-) teac)in- t)e Passive Voice to
t)ese students may loo' 6uite strai-)t2orward and easy1 t)e trut) is t)at suc) students
reac) t)e advanced level wit)out )avin- all its uses clear.
7)e most common di22iculties I )ave noted amon- advanced students are related to
Passive used for reporting information 38.-. 7)e President is said to )ave )ad a
(rivate meetin- wit) t)e #ecretary o2 9e2ense4 and t)e Passive Causative Form
)ave:-et somet)in- done. Alt)ou-) students understand t)e structures w)en t)ey read
t)em1 suc) 'nowled-e does not seem to 2eed &ac' to c)an-e t)e way t)ey e.(ress
t)emselves &ot) in s(o'en and written 8n-lis).
7)e aim o2 t)is essay is1 t)ere2ore1 to analy;e t)e (ossi&le reasons 2or suc) di22iculties
and (ro(ose (ractical solutions to )el( %1 level students use t)e Passive Voice &etter.
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Analysis
1. Passive Voice - Form
7)ere are two voices in t)e 8n-lis) lan-ua-e: t)e Active Voice and t)e Passive
Voice. Accordin- to #wan1 <w)en A does something to B1 t)ere are o2ten two ways to
tal' a&out it. I2 we want A 3the doer4 to &e t)e su&=ect we use an active ver&: &uild1
s(ea'1 is re(airin-. I2 we want B 3the receiver of the action4 to &e t)e su&=ect1 we use:
was &uilt1 is s(o'en1 is &ein- re(aired> 3#wan1 2++?:3$?4.
7)e Passive Voice is1 t)en1 2ormed &y ,8 @ Past Partici(le.
8.am(les:
Active Voice: FrAdAric ,art)oldi designed t)e #tatue o2 0i&erty.
Passive Voice: 7)e #tatue o2 0i&erty was designed &y FrAdAric ,art)oldi.
NOTE: 0ewis ar-ues t)at callin- t)e 2orm o2 t)e main ver& <(ast (artici(le> may cause
some con2usion amon- students1 as it can also &e used in (resent (assive 2orms1 and
(ro(oses a sim(ler terminolo-y: ,8 @ 7)ird Form. 30ewis1 2++2:1314. In t)is essay1 t)is
will &e t)e terminolo-y ado(ted.
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o&=ect
su&=ect
su&=ect
&y- ()rase
Which verbs can be used in the Passive Voice
7)e (assive voice can essentially &e 2ormed 2rom ver&s t)at )ave an o&=ect 3transitive
ver&s41 t)ou-) even t)ese ver&s do not 2orm t)e (assive voice in some cases1 w)ic)
will also &e mentioned )ere.
7ransitive ver&: BI00
Active: Peter !illed t)e do-.
Passive: 7)e do- was !illed 3&y Peter4.
Intransitive ver&: 9I8
Active: 7)e do- died.
Passive: Was died 3&y Peter4.
Active transitive verbs with no "assive #orm
In t)e 2irst (lace t)ere are transitive actives wit) no acce(ta&le (assive e6uivalent
35uddleston 1*71:*34. In some cases t)ere may &e a 6uite -eneral e.(lanation 2or t)e
a&sence o2 a (assive. We do not normally use Passive Voice w)en:
1. 7)e su&=ect and t)e o&=ect are identical.
Active: 0inda !nows )ersel2 well enou-) now.
Passive: 0inda is !nown &y )ersel2 enou-) now.
We use state ver&s1 suc) as: have, fit, suit and resemble:
Active: 0inda has a new s(orts car.
Passive: A new s(orts car is had &y 0inda.
2. 7)e o&=ect o2 t)e sentence is a clause
Active: 8very&ody thought )e was -oin- to &e late.
Passive: 37)at4 )e was -oin- to &e late was thought &y every&ody.
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2. Passive Voice Uses
7)e Passive Voice is used:
a4 W)en we want to em()asi;e or 2ocus on t)e <receiver> o2 t)e action rat)er t)an
t)e doer1 or a-ent.
8.am(le: 7)e #tatue o2 0i&erty was designed &y ,art)oldi and was dedicated
to t)e American (eo(le on Ccto&er 2$1 1$$".
&4 W)en t)e in2ormation we re2er to was mentioned &e2ore.
8.am(le: In 1*3* Al&ert 8instein wrote to President Fran'lin Doosevelt1 ur-in-
t)e !nited #tates to develo( an atomic &om&. The letter was com"osed &y t)e
5un-arian-&orn ()ysicist and &io()ysicist 0eo #;ilard1 a 2ormer collea-ue o2
8instein1 w)o 2elt it would )ave more in2luence i2 it were si-ned &y )is eminent
2riend. 3ead! for C"E1 (-. 22+4
c4 W)en t)e a-ent is a lon- ()rase 3&ecause lon- ()rases tend to &e (laced at
t)e end o2 t)e clause4
8.am(le: 7)e meetin- was attended by representatives of the five
permanent members of the UN Security Council. 3ead! for C"E1 (-. 22+4
d4 W)en it is o&vious w)o t)e a-ent is.
8.am(le: 7)e sin-er was arrested 2or drivin- under t)e in2luence.
e4 W)en t)e a-ent is un'nown or unim(ortant.
8.am(le: 7)is t-s)irt is made o2 cotton.
24 W)en t)e a-ent is <t)ey> or <(eo(le in -eneral>.
8.am(le: 8n-lis) is s"o!en in many countries.
-4 7o avoid a (ersonal tone usin- <you> or <we> in 2ormal:o22icial documents
8.am(les:
Any delay in delivery must be in#ormed to t)e o22ice su((ly mana-er.
Cnly -oods in (er2ect condition will be received.
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)4 7o re(ort ideas or o(inions wit)out sayin- e.actly w)ere suc) ideas come 2rom.
Ver&s ty(ically used in t)is way include: allege, assume, believe, claim,
consider, estimate, e#pect, hope, $no%, report, sa!, thin$, be rumored and be
reputed.
8.am(les:
5e is !nown to &e a ()ilant)ro(ist.
7)e criminal is re"orted to )ave esca(ed t)is mornin-.
i4 7o say t)at t)e su&=ect arran-es 2or t)e action to &e done &y someone else1 or
to indicate w)ic) are outside t)e s(ea'erEs control. In t)is case we use t)e
structure 5AV8:/87 @ C,F8%7 @ 75ID9 FCDG 3Passive %ausative Form4.
8.am(les:
#)e had her hair dyed last wee'
5e had his car stolen last ni-)t.
Issues
Accordin- to 0ewis1 some con2usion arises 2rom t)e 2act t)at Passive Voice is o2ten
(resented to students as a <trans2ormation o2 corres(ondin- active sentences> 30ewis1
2++2:1324. 7)is can lead to at least two misconce(tions:
14 7)at usin- Passive Voice is =ust a stylistic c)oiceH )ence1 all messa-es can &e
communicated in Active VoiceH
24 7)at all a student needs to do in order to use t)e Passive Voice (ro(erly is to
master t)e structure ,8 @ 75ID9 FCDG in sentence trans2ormations.
Gost course &oo's c)oose t)is a((roac) to (resent t)e Passive Voice1 and1 i2 t)e lo-ic
(resented )ere were true1 native s(ea'ers o2 0atin 0an-ua-es1 2or e.am(le1 s)ould &e
a&le to use t)e Passive wit)out 2acin- di22iculties1 as t)ey also )ave t)e structure ,8 @
75ID9 FCDG 2or Passive in t)eir mot)er ton-ues. 5owever1 in my e.(erience1 t)is is
2ar 2rom t)e trut). #uc) a((roac) does not address t)e main (ro&lem: t)e uses o2 t)e
Passive Voice1 w)ic) are di22erent in eac) lan-ua-e. As students are led to t)in' a&out
2orm1 instead o2 uses1 t)ey may conclude t)at i2 t)e 2orm is t)e same1 t)en t)e uses are
also t)e same. For e.am(le1 Frenc) students tend to loo' 2or Active Voice alternatives
to say: <& %as told to %ait>1 <'he %asnt spo$en to> or <This maga(ine is sold in man!
countries>1 &ecause in Frenc)1 Active Voice would &e used in t)ese sentences. 7)e
same )a((ens to ,ra;ilian and #(anis) students1 w)o tend to say: <& cut m! hair> or
<The! stole his car> instead o2 usin- Passive %ausative Form. 7)ey also )ave some
di22iculty e.(ressin- re(orted ideas 3e#plained in ) above4 &ecause in Portu-uese as
well as in #(anis) t)ey would use t)e &mpersonal 'E instead o2 Passive Voice.
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7)ese are w)at I would consider t)e most im(ortant issues to &e addressed to )el( %1
level students use t)e Passive Voice &etter:
1. #tudents tend to use Passive Voice only in sim(le structures1 mainly #im(le
Present and #im(le Past1 i-norin- Per2ect and Pro-ressive as(ects.
2. 5avin- (racticed mainly 2orm1 students 'now little a&out t)e uses o2 Passive
Voice.
3. #tudents tend to use t)e Passive Voice in t)e same situations t)ey would w)en
s(ea'in- t)eir native lan-ua-e.
4. #tudents understand re(orted ideas usin- Passive Voice 38.-. )e is said to be
an honest man41 &ut )ave di22iculties (roducin- it.
?. Gost course &oo's (resent trans2ormation e.ercises1 2ocusin- on 2orm only.
Solutions
7)e most e22ective way to address t)e issues mentioned in t)e (revious section is
raisin- studentsE awareness a&out t)e uses o2 Passive Voice. #ome ideas:
1. Focus on uses. !sin- consciousness-raisin- activities to )el( students t)in'
a&out t)e uses o2 Passive Voice. 37)orn&ury1 2++?:1++4. For e.am(le: students
receive a s)eet wit) a (icture and some sentences in Passive and Active
Voice and s)ould decide w)ic) sentence3s4 re(resent w)at is s)own in t)e
(icture.
2. %)oose activities t)at s)ow a variety o2 tenses and as(ects1 so students will
)ave t)e o((ortunity to (ractice and t)in' a&out distinctions in time and
meanin-.
3. %om(are t)e uses in t)e studentsE native lan-ua-e to t)ose in 8n-lis) and
ma'e t)em see t)e similarities and t)e di22erences.
4. 5el(2ul e.ercises include:
a. #)ort te.ts wit) mista'es to &e corrected.
&. /a((ed (ara-ra()s t)at students must com(lete usin- eit)er Passive or
Active Voice.
c. /ivin- students (airs o2 sentences and as' t)em to decide i2 t)ey mean
t)e same or not. 7)is e.ercise is (articularly -ood to (ractice Passive
%ausative Form.
7)e &oo' <"dvanced *anguage Practice> o22ers -ood e.ercises t)at )ave
)el(ed my students considera&ly. Cne activity in (articular t)at I 2ound use2ul
as'ed students to rewrite sentences in a more 2ormal style usin- a word -iven.
It )el(ed students see di22erent ways o2 e.(ressin- t)e same idea in di22erent
conte.ts.
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?. #tudents can (re(are a s)ort <-ossi( 7V s)ow> in w)ic) t)ey tal' a&out rumors
and assum(tions. 7)is would -ive t)em t)e o((ortunity to (ractice re(ortin-
ideas and o(inions1 usin- sentences li'e <It is said t)at actor I will &e t)e ne.t
Fames ,ond> and <9irector J is &elieved to )ave acce(ted a (ro(osal 2rom
#tudio K>.
Course book aroac!es to t!e Passive Voice
As (reviously mentioned1 course &oo's tend to 2ocus on 2orm1 usually contrastin-
Active and Passive Voice1 (resentin- t)e structure 3+E , T)&- FO.41 (ro(osin-
sentence trans2ormations and testin- studentsE 'nowled-e o2 t)e Past Partici(le 3Third
Form4. 7)is means t)at students tend to (ractice t)e structure to t)e (oint o2
memori;in- it1 wit)out 2ully understandin- w)en or w)y to use it. I also noticed t)at
w)at is considered (art o2 Passive Voice varies 2rom one course &oo' to anot)er. In
some &oo's1 Passive %ausative Form is treated as an inde(endent to(ic1 w)ereas in
ot)ers it is in t)e same c)a(ter wit) Passive Voice. 7)ere are also &oo's t)at consider
De(ortin- Ideas as (art o2 De(orted #(eec) and not Passive Voice. 7)is may cause
some con2usion and ma'e students see t)e Passive Voice as more com(licated and
2ull o2 e.ce(tions t)an it actually is.
$ace to $ace Advanced %C1&
!nit 7, is dedicated to one s(eci2ic use o2 t)e Passive Voice De(ortin- wit) t)e
Passive 3e#plained in ) above4. 7)ere is a readin- (assa-e 3/ell be %atching !ou4 in
w)ic) t)e structure is used1 2ollowed &y a &o. wit) t)e structure and a &rie2 e.(lanation
and two activities 2or (ractice. 5owever1 t)e activities (ro(osed 2or t)e readin- (assa-e
2ocus only on com(re)ension and not on lan-ua-e. 7)at means t)at students are not
led to t)in' a&out lan-ua-e1 &ut sim(ly to discuss t)e t)eme. 7)e -rammar &o.
(resents t)e structure 3wit) -a(s t)at students )ave to com(lete4 and e.(lains w)en it
is used. 7wo activities are -iven 2or (ractice1 &ot) o2 sentence trans2ormation. I would
rat)er wor' directly wit) t)e te.t and )ave students 2ocus on )ow it was written1 loo'in-
2or alternatives to e.(ress t)e same idea1 w)ic) would &e more a more )el(2ul (ractice.
'b(ective CA)
!nit 14 &rin-s a -eneral review o2 t)e Passive Voice and 2ive activities 2or (ractice. 7)e
2irst consists in matc)in- nine sentences to nine statements a&out t)e 2orm o2 (assive
voice used. 7)e second is a sentence trans2ormation 3Active to Passive4. 7)e t)ird
(resents two (ictures 3a room &e2ore and a2ter a t)e2t4 and students )ave to write
sentences in t)e Passive Voice. 7)e 2ourt) and 2i2t) activities are dedicated to Passive
%ausative Form1 &ein- only t)e second one 2ocused on meanin-.
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*eady #or CA)
Passive Voice is (resented in an interestin- way in t)is &oo'. 7)e 2irst activity tests
studentsE (revious 'nowled-e o2 t)e 2orm. 7)e second activity 2ocuses on t)e uses o2
Passive1 w)ic) )el(s raise awareness and ma'e students t)in' a&out t)e to(ic. 7)e
t)ird activity s)ows e.tracts o2 studentsE writin-s1 invitin- students to consider t)e
conte.t in w)ic) Passive Voice was used and as'in- t)em to ma'e c)an-es w)ere
t)ey see 2it.
7)e only criticism to &e made )ere is to t)e limited num&er o2 activities 2or (ractice. 7)e
/rammar De2erence (resents a very com(re)ensive summary o2 uses 2or t)e Passive1
w)ic) is very use2ul1 &ut does not -ive students t)e o((ortunity to see and (ractice
eac) one.
Conclusion
In t)is essay I )ave analy;ed t)e issues related to t)e use o2 Passive Voice &y %1 level
students. ,ased on t)e researc)1 it is (ossi&le to see t)at alt)ou-) students are
2amiliar wit) t)e 2orm o2 t)e Passive1 t)ere are di22iculties re-ardin- its uses. #uc)
di22iculties may derive 2rom:
a4 t)e misconce(tion t)at Passive Voice is used in t)e same way in most
lan-ua-es 3t)is a((lies to 0atin 0an-ua-e s(ea'ers in -eneral4
&4 t)e 2act t)at course &oo's tend to 2ocus mainly on 2orm instead o2 uses.
7)ere2ore1 it is necessary to )el( students understand t)e variety o2 uses o2 t)e
Passive Voice in 8n-lis)1 its di22erences wit) t)eir mot)er ton-ue and -ive t)em t)e
o((ortunity to (ractice in a meanin-2ul conte.t.
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"iblio#ra!y
5uddleston1 D. The 'entence in /ritten English. %am&rid-e: %am&rid-e !P1 1*71
0ewis1 G. The English 0erb: "n E#ploration of 'tructure and .eaning. 07P1 2++2
#wan1 G. Practical English 1sage. C!P1 2++?
7)orn&ury1 #. 1ncovering 2rammar. Lew 8dition. GcGillan1 2++?
Vince1 G. "dvanced *anguage Practice. GcGillan1 1**4
%ourse ,oo's
%unnin-)am1 /.1 ,ell1 F.1 Dedston1 %. Face to Face "dvanced %!P1 2+1+
CE9ell1 F.1 ,road)ead1 A. Ob3ective C"E 2
nd
edition. %!P 2++$
Lorris1 D.1 Frenc)1 A. ead! for C"E. GacGillan1 2++4
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