PASSIVE VOICE

Form of Passive
Subject + to be + Past Participle

Examples of Passive

I know you have found lots of problems about the use of Passive voice and let me tell you that it is not common use passive voice while talking to someone else directly. We have also saw that for the NEWS and the HISTORY passive voice is very common, so when is it OK to use the passive? Here are some useful tips you can follow to use passive voice:

1. To emphasize an object/reciever.Take a look at this example:

100 votes are required to pass the bill.

This passive sentence emphasizes the number of votes required. An active version of the sentence ("The bill requires 100 votes to pass") puts the emphasis on the bill, which may be less dramatic.

2. When the subject/doer is not important. Consider this example:

Over 120 different contaminants have been dumped into the river.

If you don't know who the "doer" is—in this case, if you don't actually know who dumped all of those contaminants in the river—then you may need to write in the passive. But remember, if you do know the actor, and if the clarity and meaning of your writing would benefit from indicating him/her/it/them, then use an active construction. Yet consider the third case.

3. If your readers or listeners don't need to know who's responsible for the action.
Here are two examples:

The baby was delivered at 3:30 p.m. yesterday.(passive)

and
Dr. Jones delivered the baby at 3:30 p.m. yesterday.(active)

The first sentence might be more appropriate in a birth announcement sent to family and friends—they are not likely to know Dr. Jones and are much more interested in the "object"(the baby) than in the actor (the doctor). A hospital report of yesterday's events might be more likely to focus on Dr. Jones' role.

Answers

I

1. b buy
2. b hearing
3. c go
4. a to play
5. b to do
6. a have
7. b to do
8. a you
9. b up
10. a told

II

1. I may buy a new car. / If it is possible, I will buy a new car.
2. You have to pay attention in class. / You've got to pay attention in class.
3. I'm going to have a party next month.
4. I don't think you should spend so much money.
5. When Ricardo was young, he used to go to the movies every Wednesday.
6. You must wash your hands.

THE FIRST CONDITIONAL

In the First Conditional, the tense in the 'if clause' is the simple present, and the tense in the 'main clause' is the simple future:

'IF' CLAUSE (CONDITION) MAIN CLAUSE (RESULT)
If + simple present Simple future

If it rains, you will get wet

If you don't hurry, we will miss the train.

In these sentences, the time is the present or future and the situation is real. They refer to a possible condition and its probable result. They are based on facts, and they are used to make statements about the real world, and about particular situations.

We often use such sentences to give warnings:
If you don't leave, I'll call the police.
If you don't drop the gun, I'll shoot!

Examples:
If you drop that glass, it will break.
Nobody will notice if you make a mistake.
If I have time, I'll finish that letter.
What will you do if you miss the plane?

NOTE: We can use modals to express the degree of certainty of the result:

If you drop that glass, it might break.
I may finish that letter if I have time.