LanGYM — The Passive

Section 1 — Context Listening

1.1 You are going to hear an interview with a government minister talking about crime statistics. Before you listen, look at these newspaper headlines and match them with the crimes they refer to.

Headlines: a) STREET ART SPRAYED b) More kids attacked – mobile thefts c) GUN CONTROLS FAILING, SAYS POLICE CHIEF d) Gang linked to 500 break-ins e) VEHICLE THEFT COST £800M

Crimes:

1 burglary
2 firearm offences c
3 street crime b
4 car crime e
5 vandalism a

1.2 Listen to the interview. Which crimes are mentioned?

🎧 Recording 22

Answer (click to reveal):

Recording 22 — Transcript

Interviewer: Minister, the government has published a report today on crime statistics. What are the main findings?

Minister: Yes, indeed, I was delighted when I was given the figures. The chance of being a victim of crime has fallen by 40% in the last ten years. This has meant that a much higher proportion of offenders have been arrested during the last ten years than ever before. Attitudes have changed significantly since Peter Miles was appointed head of the police service. The police have made good use of CCTV. It's been introduced into many city centres, and as a result, people are seeing less graffiti in city centres, for example. These have become a particular target for street robbers. Well, it's certainly true that more people are getting mugged today. If I can give a personal example, my house was broken into only last week.

Interviewer: Minister, thank you.

1.3 Listen again. According to the minister, are these statements true (T) or false (F)?

1.4 Listen again and complete these extracts with the exact words used in the recording. Are the verbs you have written in an active form or a passive form?

1 Yes, indeed, I was delighted when I the figures.

2 This has meant that a much higher proportion of offenders during the last ten years than ever before.have been arrested

3 People less graffiti in city centres, for example.are seeing

4 These a particular target for street robbers.have become

5 Well, it's certainly true that more people today.are getting mugged

6 If I can give a personal example, my house only last week.was broken into

Section 2 — Grammar

2.1Using the passive

Start Point

The government has published a report today. (active: focus on the government)

A report has been published by the government today. (passive: focus on a report)

Use the passive when the agent is unknown, unimportant, or obvious; when we don't want to say who did it; to describe procedures; or to avoid repeating the agent.

My house was broken into only last week.

A much higher proportion of offenders have been arrested.

It may be that some minor mistakes were made in collecting the figures.

2.2Get + past participle · have/get + object + past participle

Get + past participle is informal, mostly for unwelcome events: More people are getting mugged. Use have + object + past participle to say someone arranged something or had something unpleasant happen: I had my car serviced / I had my wallet stolen. Get + object + past participle is more informal: I got my car fixed.

More people get mugged today than ten years ago.

Virtually every person in my road has had a burglar alarm fitted recently.

I had my TV and stereo taken.

Section 3 — Grammar Exercises

3.1 Complete these texts with the appropriate form, active or passive, of the verb.

A — Acupuncture

Acupuncture (1) (practise) in China for over 3,000 years, and today it (2) (widely use) alongside conventional medicine. In traditional Chinese medicine, no symptom (3) (view) in isolation. Instead, the body and the mind (4) (evaluate) together. The goal of acupuncture (5) (be) to create harmony in the body by restoring the flow of Qi (pronounced 'chee'). This (6) (consider) to be the life force involved in all body functions. Qi (7) (collect) in the organs and (8) (travel) through energy channels in the body. Acupuncturists (9) (believe) that diseases (10) (occur) when the circulation of Qi (11) (prevent), whether by injuries, heat, cold or other factors. By redirecting the flow of Qi, acupuncture can (12) (help) cure disease. 2 is widely used · 3 is viewed · 4 are evaluated · 5 is · 6 is considered · 7 is collected · 8 travels · 9 believe · 10 occur · 11 is prevented · 12 help

B — Mobile Phones

The first mobile phones (1) (construct) in Stockholm in the 1950s — but were not very mobile! They could only (2) (use) in cars because the receiver and transmitter (3) (weigh) over 40 kilos and had to (4) (carry) in the boot. But technology (5) (advance) so quickly that by the 1990s mobiles could (6) (hold) in the hand and people talking on their mobiles (7) (become) a familiar sight. Of course, not everyone welcomed mobiles, and in the mid-1990s their use (8) (ban) in many schools. Even recent research which (9) (suggest) that prolonged exposure to emissions from mobiles might be a health hazard (10) (not discourage) their use, and analysts now (11) (predict) that by 2025, 95% of all electronic communication (12) (conduct) by mobile phone. 1 were constructed · 2 be used · 3 weighed · 4 be carried · 5 advanced · 6 be held · 7 became · 8 was banned · 9 suggested · 10 has not discouraged · 11 predict · 12 will be conducted

3.2 Write passive sentences with a similar meaning to the first. Start with the word(s) given and use the verb in italics. In some cases, the passive is not possible.

1

They paid him a million dollars to appear in the film.
→

2

His name is Robin, but his friends call him Bobby.
→ His name is Robin, but he is called Bobby by his friends

3

Dr Davies demonstrated the procedure to us in the chemistry lab.
→ We (no passive — write "no passive")no passive

4

The managing director will announce the news to staff later today.
→ The news will be announced to staff later today.

5

They have offered me a new job in Hungary.
→ I have been offered a new job in Hungary.

6

The medical staff have declared the surgery a complete success.
→ The surgery has been declared a complete success.

7

My English teacher suggested the idea to me.
→ I (no passive — write "no passive")no passive

8

My uncle bought me this necklace when he was in Zimbabwe.
→ This necklace was bought for me by my uncle when he was in Zimbabwe.

3.3 Complete the conversations using the pairs of verbs in the box. Use be + past participle, get + (object) + past participle, or have + (object) + past participle. Add the object in brackets where this is supplied and give alternatives where possible.

Verb pairs: own–break into · rob–steal · cut–clean · wake up–throw out

1

A: Did you hear about Natasha?
B: What happened?
A: She on her way to college.
B: No! Is she okay?
A: Yes, she's fine, but she (her handbag)had/got her handbag stolen

2

A: You're looking tired.
B: I early by my neighbour's dog.
A: Don't they keep it inside at night?
B: Usually, yes, but I think it must because it was barking so much.was/got woken up · have been/got thrown out

3

A: Stefan looked different somehow.
B: He'd (his hair)
A: Yes, and I think he'd It looked much smarter! (his jacket)had/got his hair cut · had/got his jacket cleaned

4

A: What an amazing house!
B: It by Jason Norman. You know, the rock singer.
A: I know him, yes.
B: The problem is, he's never there, and it keeps (is) owned · getting broken into

3.4 Rewrite the underlined part of the sentence using a passive form where possible. If it is not possible, write 'No passive'.

1

When they invited Hugo to give the main presentation at the conference he was delighted and wrote immediately to accept.
→

2

During our military training they made us run five kilometres before breakfast.
→ we were made to run

3

Ella felt that the pay and conditions at Trimco were unsatisfactory, and many of her colleagues seemed to support her.
→ she seemed to be supported by many of her colleagues

4

We wanted Julia to come to the party.
→ No passive

5

I still have only a very vague memory of the explosion. I remember someone asking me to leave the building because there was a gas leak, but not much after that.
→ remember being asked to leave

6

Although at first the children were frightened by Mr Demir's strictness, after a few weeks most of the children in the class came to like him.
→ he came to be liked by most of the children in the class

7

They caught him trying to break into an expensive sports car.
→ He was caught trying

8

I heard her remark that Ben was too old for the job.
→ She was heard to remark

9

Henry performed badly in the last match, and we need him to play better this week.
→ No passive

10

People expect over 100,000 demonstrators to march through the capital in protest against the government's decision to go to war.
→ Over 100,000 demonstrators are expected to march