TRANSLATION

Translate the sentences below into your native language.

1.

The man we were talking about last night is here now.

2.

She'll never forget the town where she was born and raised.

3.

My mother, who is also my best friend, is a maths teacher.

4. Are you discussing the boy whose leg was broken while skiing?
5.

Please show me the book you enjoyed reading so mucho

6. This can't be the girl whose marks were so low. She's brilliant.
7.

I bought the plane ticket with the money I worked for all summer.
THE

8. Cathy Freeman, who was a world athletics champion, lit the flame at the
2000 Olympic Cames.

SPOT
~

THE

ERROR

)(

PASSIVE

VOICE:

MODALS

SIMPLES

Y LOS CONTINUOS,

THE

SIMPLE

TENSES,

AND CONTINUOUS

LA VOZ PASIVA: LOS TIEMPOS

LOS MODALES

USE OF BY - EL USO DE BY

Can you correct the mistakes?

1. This is the school where I am studying there.

2. You can have anything what you want.
3.

I'd like you to meet Shirley, who you will be working with her.

4.

Mr Cresham, who's house was damaged, is my neighbour.

5.

Here is the hotel which it was recommended to uso

6.

Her house is in Seville which has three rooms.

7. This is the book that its author is a journalist.

8.

Look at this car that I bought it yesterday.

DIRECT

AND INDIRECT

LOS COMPLEMENTOS

OBJECTSDIRECTOS

E INDIRECTOS

THE

PASSIVE

MODALS

LA VOZ

CONTINUOS,

TIEMPO

LOS

SIMPLE

PASIVA:

ANO

CONTINUOUS

LOS TIEMPOS

SIMPLES

Y LOS

Present Simple

1write letters.

Letters are written.

Past Simple

1 wrote letters.

Letters were written.

Future Simple

1 will write letters.

Letters will be written.

~t.?.~.~
..~.p.~~~.i~~I:'!.l!.P..~~~~?~
.

Be going to

Past Continuous

1was writing letters.

Future Continuous

1will be writing letters.

No tiene pasiva.
,

oo

1must write letters.

Semi-modals

1 have to write letters.

Letters have to be written.
.....................................................

Letters must be written.

El us.o.d~ la pasiva es muy frecuente en ingls. Se forma con el verbo to be + el

perticipio pasado del verbo principal (3a columna de los verbos irregulares).
Everybody do es the exereises.
The exereises are done (by everybody).
We cleaned the rooms.
The rooms were cleaned (by us).
Nota: Al pasar una oracin a pasiva ponemos el verbo to be en el mismo
tiempo que tena el verbo principal en activa. A veces tambin aadimos
al final el complemento agente con la preposicin by (pgina 135).

,
B

Usos de la voz pasiva:

1 ~uando el que realiza la accin, el agente, es obvio o desconocido o poco

Importante.
My house was painted. (obviamente por un pintor)
My purse was stolen. (no s quin)
The letters were typed. (no importa quin lo hizo)
2 Para destacar la accin o el objeto ms que la persona que la hizo, de
manera que aparezca como algo ms impersonal.
The room must be cleaned. (mejor que You must c1ean the room.)
The tickets were soldo

130

Our tickets were lost. (evito decir quin los perdi)

New ideas have been presented with great sueeess. (si las ha presentado
el que habla, suele usarse la pasiva como forma de modestia)

Existe una serie de verbos que no pueden ir en pasiva (intransitivos). Son los
ue no tienen complemento, es decir, que nadie "recibe" la accin del verbo.
bentro de este grupo tenemos: arrive, come, die, exist, happen, have, live, etc.

Letters were being written.

Modals

The boys were punished. (no se dice quin los castig)

i~~~~i~~~
~~
.i~~~;~:
.
i'~~~~;~
..a~~
~~i'~~~~b~~en

p~~~~~t
..C~~ti~~~~~
..i~~~iti'~gl~1;t~;;:...... .. 'i'~t~~~~'
ar~b~i~g~ritt~~."

,1

Coal is burnt.
Sugar is added.
4 Cuando de alguna manera queremos ocultar quin rea/~z la accin. P?r
ejemplo para evitar sealar quin es el responsable o bien por modestia.

MODALES

PASIVA

3 Para subrayar el proceso o acontecimiento en lugar del agente que lo causa,

por ejemplo en experimentos cientficos, en recetas culinarias, etc.

TENSES,

ACTIVA

".....

VOICE:

CONSEJOS:

Cuando pases una frase afirmativa de activa ~ pa~iva, cuenta el nmero de,
palabras que tiene el verbo en activa. En pasiva siempre debe tener una mas.
They sell newspapers.
~ Newspapers are soldo
They have studied several books. ~
Several books have been studied.

Al poner en pasiva una frase interrogativa recuerda que debes empezar por el
auxiliar como lo haras en voz activa.
~
Is the meal being prepared?
Are they preparing the meal?
~
Was the pareel brought?
Did anybody bring the pareel?
~
Ras the problem been explained?
Have they explained the
problem?
3 Si la pasiva es negativa, siempre debes poner el adverbio not con el primer
auxiliar.
They are not making the meal. ~
Nobody could understand
the question.

The meal is not being made.

The question could not be
understood.

EXERCISE

I~

Write A (active) or P (passive)

EXERCISE

next to each sentence.

'de whether the following sentences are active or passive. Then fill in the
the correct form of the verbs in brackets in the tense given at the end
ch sentence. Use the Grammar box on page 130 to help you .

c1
,. oe1an
ks with

1.

lan Thorpe has won several Olympic medals.

A
..................

2.

The plane crashed over the Himalayas.

..................

3.

The opera La Traviata was written by Verdi.

..................

1.

4.

Coffee is grown in South America.

..................

2.

5.

The town was destroyed by the flood.

..................

6.

Dynamite was invented by Alfred Nobel.

..................

7.

lohn was born in London.

..................

8.

An earthquake shook Mexico City.

..................

9.

They finished painting the building last month.

..................

She knitted herself a long red scarf.

..................

10.

of ea

English .... f?..l?.~f!"!gp~.t!ghL.

(teach) all over the world now. (Present Continuous)
The demonstrators
yesterday. (Past Continuous)

3. When

(stand) in the middle of the road

(the parcel! send) to Greece? (Past Simple)

4. My boss

(not be able) to give me a rise. (Present Simple)

5. Eggs

(add) after you mix sugar and butter. (Present Simple)

6. The newspaper

(print) the story tomorrow. (Future Simple)

7. The trip next week

(cancel) if it keeps raining. (be going to)

8. Marlon Brando, the famous actor,

EXERCISE

l.

Right now, money .....

Continuous)

2. While he
...................................
3.

Her new book

4.

The babies
(semi-modal)

~~.?~i.~f:.r:.?!(~~~~?
.... (collect)

6.

7.

Our car
...................................

Sandwiches

9.

He

~ Write the question

truthfully.

form of the following sentences.

Then answer the questions

to help the poor. (Present

(chase) by the police, the body

(find). (Past Continuous, Past Simple)
(publish) soon. (be going to)

.!~.
~~f:!~~~
.~!?~/y'.
~P.~~~!!.!~.
~~J.~
.~~~~~:Y.~
.~~~~
.!~
J~ .~!~~/y.~p~~f!.'!:.t.
':!?t.!~.
!~0
:~.~':'J.q::!y.?P.?~~r::

.
.

2. Smoking is forbidden in this school.

(have to ! feed) now. Do not disturb thern.

(consider) to be the country's best singer. (Present

(can! not use) yesterday because the engine

(repair) all day. (modal, Past Continuous)

I wonder which candidate

(Future Simple)

8.

EXERCISE

1. English is widely spoken in this country.

5. She
Simple)

(elect) prime minister.

3. Shakespeare was translated into a lot of languages.

......................................................................................................................
4. Food is being eaten right now in this class.
......................................................................................................................

(sell) in the office every day. (Present Simple)

(think) to be a very talented artist. (Present Simple)

10. Jim didn't go to the party because he

Simple)

132

FiII in the blanks with the correct passive form of the verbs in brackets in the tense
given at the end of each sentence. Use the Grammar box on page 130 to help you.
1.

(die) in 2004. (PastSimple)

(not invite). (Past

......................................................................................................................
S. A woman will be elected president in our next elections.
.....................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................

133


EXERCISE

I~ Write the following sentences in the passive if possible. Use the Grammar box 01]
page 130 to help you. Mark the sentences that have no passive form with )(.

THE USE OF BYEL

uso

DE BY

Se usa by cuando la persona que realiza la accin, el agente, es importante y se

desea atraer la atencin sobre ella, por ejemplo un artista, un escritor, un

inventor, etc.
Shakespeare wrote these poems.
These poems were written by Shakespeare.
B

e
1. The technicians were repairing my computer when I arrived.

J:!.'l~?r::P.l!.t~r:.~~~
being rer.aired (by the technicians) when I arrived.
........
2.

Tambin para introducir informacin nueva omitida anteriormente.

While we were studying, we were bothered by several students.
Adems la utilizamos para referimos a un mtodo o plan. En este caso, por ser
preposicin, el verbo debe ir en la forma ing.
These exercises can be improved by adding more information.

They first developed the polio vaccine in the 1950s.

EXERCISE

3.

You should make the sandwiches just before we leave.

Tickthe sentences in which the agent (by phrase) is necessary.

1. This sculpture was carved by Henry Moore.

4.

Shakespeare died in 1616.

2. America was discovered by Columbus.

3. My hair is being cut by Monsieur Jacques.
jvl
~",(j..

5. The crew will bur~ the sailor at sea.

tWl~.(

4. I was advised by my lawyer not to sue the bank.

5. Milk is delivered to the restaurant every day by the milkman.

6.

People are sending blankets and clothes to the flood victims.

6. Are the criminals being arrested by the poi ice?

7. Were the cats fed by anyone while we were away?

7. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876.

............................................................................................................
8. The visitors reached New Jersey in the evening.

.................................. ...................................................................................
9.

Betty lives in Buenos Aires in Argentina.

.....................................................................................................................

10.

They add sugar to fruit in order to make jam.

8. Was the furniture dusted by anyone this morning?

9. Our car is parked outside the house by uso
10. The room can be made larger by breaking down this wall.
11. Spanish is spoken in Peru by people .
12. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was painted by
Michelangelo .
13.

President Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald.

14. My joh application was accepted by Rubi's Restaurant.

15. The article will be printed by The Times on Saturday.

EXERCISE

7
EXERCISE

Write full sentences from the following newspaper

verbs. Add any words that are missing.
1. THREE CHllDREN

headlines.

Pay attention

y.r

NAME OF NEW JUDGE TO BE ANNOUNCED

BY KING TOMORROW

.....................................................................................................................

...............

HEAD OF Oll COMPANY: PETROl PRICESTO GO UP NEXT WEEK

TEACHERS' SAlARIES BEING EXAMINED TODAY IN PARLlAMENT

RESCUETEAM SENT TO RESCUERESIDENTS FROM BURNING BUilDING

3. The tour guide showed us around the city.

.....................................................................................................................
4. The ice-cream vendor gave my child a free ice-cream cone.
.....................................................................................................................
5. She paid the workers three months' salary when she closed down her business.

.....................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................
6. TAX FORMS TO BE FlllED

IN BY 15TH THIS MONTH SAYSOFFICIAl

........................................................

2. The shop gave me a prize when I spent fl,OOO.

....................................................................................................................
5.

in the passive voice.

.~hf..~iU..Q~.9.if.~r.E;Q.? Fl?? ~Y. i.l?M:

.................................................................................................................
4.

00'

..................................................................................................
3.

, ite the following active sentences

last night.

2.

1. IBM will offer her a job.

INJURED IN CAR ACClDENT lAST NIGHT

T~:~~
..~~~~~.~~:!.
':":'.~:.~.
!0.~:.~?!':.
.~..~~.~
accident

6. The boss offered him a rise for his hard work.

.............................................................
EXERCISE

DIRECT ANO INDIRECT

LOS COMPLEMENTOS

to th

OBJECTS -

Write the following passive sentences

in the active voice.

DIRECTOS E INDIRECTOS

1. English is spoken here.

~iertos. verbos como give, lend, offer, pay, promise, refuse, send, show, etc., suelen
tr segUIdos de dos complementos, uno de persona (indirecto) y uno de cosa
(directo).
They gave Iohn

(indirecto)

a warm welcome

La otra forma, la que sera semejante a la nuestra, es mucho menos frecuente.

A warm welcome was given to Iohn.
Nota: Como ves e? el prim.er caso, se mantiene el complemento directo a pesar de
ser una pestve, algo Impensable en castellano. Sin embargo, si traduces esta
forma pasiva de la siguiente manera, no te resultar tan difcil.
Iohn was given a presento (A Juan se le dio un regalo.)
The teacher was sent some books. (Al profesor/a se le enviaron algunos libros.)

____

1~;;

2. Your life will be changed by this book.

This book

(directo).

La forma ms frecuente de poner este tipo de frases en pasiva es que el

complemento indirecto de la oracin activa se convierta en sujeto de la pasiva.
Iohn was given a warm welcome.

~P~~k.~!"!gl!?h.h~~~

We

3. My brother may be given the car for the first time tonight.
My parents

4. Their guests were shown some photographs of the trip.

They

S. This room is going to be redecorated soon.

He
6.

This theatre is being closed for security reasons.

The rnunicipality

,I

EXERCISE

I~

Write the following

EXERCISE

10

active sentences in the passive voice. Use the words in

brackets.

. , teacher is asking about

toon1e s

the

11

class party. FiII in the teacher's

eacher:

(1) I:!.!'!.~.y.9.':1.g~Lf1.0Y..P.!?!7~Jq!. .th~.p.?!.tY..~

Ronnie:

Ves, we have. Al! the plans were made weeks ago.

(2)

eacher:
Ronnie:
Teacher:

1. They are painting their house this week. (being)

2.

Did you take the car to the garage yesterday? (taken)

3.

The government should pass a law against pollution. (passed)

4.

Everyone in our school knows her well. (She)

5.

She didn't tell anyone about the phone call. (No one)

6.

The school doesn't permit smoking. (isn't)

.............................................

7.

Do they clean the hotel rooms every day? (Are)

........................................

8.

.........................................................................

..............................................................................

They put her in prison for life. (She)

......................................................................................................................

9.

We will call you when your turn comes. (be)

......................................................................................................................

10.

Did they invite you to the grand opening? (Were)

......................................................................................................................

13

.
,

The money was collected a week ago.

(3)

Ronnie:

A programme of music and games is being planned.

Teacher:

(4)

Ronnie:

The food will be prepared on the day of the party.

Teacher:

(5)

Ronnie:

It's going to be held in the gym.

Their house is being painted this week .

.................................................................................................................

questions.

TRANSLATION

EXERCISE

TransJate the sentences beJow into your native Janguage.

Choose the correct answer.

1. This house was built before the Second World W aro

In many countries, young people have a more active social life than any other group
in society. They are often a target for advertisers (1 which, whose, where, who)
work for soft drinks and alcohol companies. Lately, there have been many
advertisements (2 where, whose, that, who) are aimed at introducing young people
to alcohol. The ads appear in the media and in places (3 when, which, whose,

2. Jean is always given lots of presents for her birthday.

3.

The manual for this machine must be written very clearly.

4.

She was paid a lot of money for this project.

5.

They are going to be punished for their behaviour.

6.

There's an old saying in English: "Children sh Id b

ou
e seen and not heard."

7.

Was this watch made in Switzerland?

8.

The girls were being driven to school when they saw the strange old

SPOT

THE ERROR

Can you correct the mistakes?

where) young people gather.

mano

These ads, (4 that, which, when, who) attract young people into bars, could create a
new problem. Society could see a new generation of drinkers (5 which, who, when,
whose) have a lifetime of drinking ahead of them. The companies, (6 when, whose,
which, that) aim is to sell alcohol, often sell drinks at low prices. One vodka
company in the UK actually held a competition in (7 where, which, that, when) the
prize was free vodka at university. Ironically, all this is happening at a time (8 when,
which, where, who) society in general is becoming more aware of the dangers of
alcohol.
The targeting of young people has been strongly criticised by health experts,
(9 who, which, when, whose) are seriously concerned about the danger to young
people's health.

1. This room painted itself last summer.

EXERCISE

2.

The CO must have given to John tomorrow.

3. Ann a prize was given.

4.

Your work is being doing right now.

Complete the sentences using a relative clause. Make any necessary changes.
There may be more than one correct answer.
1. We spent an amazing summer in the mountains. 1'11 never forget it.

1'11 never forget the summer

5.

Three towns destroyed in the earthquake.

6.

Oid she was told about the party?

7.

I born in 1980.

8.

This car made in Korea.

2. You need an umbrella in England. It often rains there.

In England,
3.

Peter has got a new girlfriend. Her sister studies at my school.

Peter has got a new girlfriend

4. You were talking about a book. 15 this it?

15 this the book
5.

Oan's bedroom is very big. He shares it with his brother.

Oan's bedroom,

6. The waitress spilt the soup. She was obviously new at the job.
The waittess,
140

:.~.-----------------------------------~
EXERCISE

Put the verbs in brackets into the correct formo

1. Mary: ,
..............................

(be) here to visit my friend, linda .

(she / feel) better today?

Nurse: I'm sorry, but the patients

(check) by the doctors

right now. They cannot

finish.
Mary: AII right, 1

(visit) until the doctors

(wait).
(occur) near my house last night. A young

2. An accident
man

(hit) by a caro He

(ride) his

bicycle when someone in front of him sudden/y

(open) a
car door. The accident
(see) by several witnesses. They
..............................
(question) last night by the po/ice ..
3. A:
B:

(do) now to he/p the victims of the tsunami?

What
We

r,

..............................

(collect) clothes and b/ankets. Food

(send) by he/icopters right now and medical
(fly in) tomorrow.

he/p
THE PRESENT
EL PRETRITO

EXERCISE

PERFECT SIMPLEPERFECTO COMPUESTO

THE PRESENT
PERFECT
SIMPLETIME EXPRESSIONS
WITH
PRETRITO
PERFECTO
EXPRESIONES
TEMPORALES
CON EL

Rewrite the sentences using the words in brackets.

COMPUESTO

1. My friend and 1 usually do homework together, but she's away today. (whom)
My friend,
2.

The shop is distributing adverts about the sale. (are)

4.

His words

5.

1'11 never forget Mrs Martin, my maths teacher. (taught)

1'11 never forget Mrs Martin,
The municipa/ity

THE

PRESENT

PERFECT

CON EL PRETRITO

PERFECTO

COMPUESTO

PRESENT
PERFECT
CONTRASTE
ENTRE
EL PRETRITO

CONTRAST WITH
SIMPLE /,
ITO PERFECTO
EL PRETER

PERFECTO

PAST SIMPLECOMPUESTO
Y

SIMPLE

.
PRESENT

will award 500 to whoever wins. (winner)

Five hundred euros

WITH

ESPECIALES

If you want to change your appearance, dye your hair. (by)

You can change your appearance
No one cou/d understand what he said. (not)

6.

EXPRESSIONS

SIMPLE
EXPRESIONES

Adverts about the sale

3.

SPECIAL

PERFECT

SIMPLE

/ CONTRAST

W ITH PRESENT

PERFECT CONTINUOUS
,
PERFECTO
COMPUESTO
EL PRETERITO
CONTRASTE
ENTRE
PUESTO CONTINUO
Y EL PRETRITO
PERFECTO COM

CHECK

YOURSELF

page 162