Speaking: Grammar in Speaking B2 - Lesson 4: Using a Wider Range of Passive Forms 🏗️🗣️🛠️
Objective: To understand, form, and appropriately use a wider range of passive voice structures in various tenses and with modal verbs, adding flexibility and formality to spoken English.
- Review the basic structure and purpose of the passive voice.
- Learn to form and use passive voice in continuous tenses (Present Continuous, Past Continuous).
- Learn to form and use passive voice in perfect tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect).
- Learn to form and use passive voice with modal verbs (can, should, must, etc.).
- Practice using these passive forms in relevant spoken contexts.
The passive voice allows us to shift focus from the doer of an action (the agent) to the action itself or the receiver of the action. While you may be familiar with basic passive forms, at the B2 level, it's important to be able to use a wider range of passive structures across different tenses and with modal verbs. This adds sophistication and precision to your English, especially in more formal or descriptive contexts.
1. Quick Review: Basic Passive Voice
Structure: Subject + form of 'to be' + Past Participle (+ by + agent - often omitted)
Purpose: Used when the agent is unknown, unimportant, obvious, or when the focus is on the action/receiver.
- Present Simple Passive: "Khmer is spoken in Cambodia."
- Past Simple Passive: "Angkor Wat was built centuries ago."
2. Expanding Passive Forms: Different Tenses
A. Continuous Tenses - Passive
- Present Continuous Passive (am/is/are + being + p.p.): "The Royal Palace is being renovated currently." (Focus on ongoing action)
- Past Continuous Passive (was/were + being + p.p.): "The road was being repaired when the heavy rain started." (Ongoing action interrupted in the past)
B. Perfect Tenses - Passive
- Present Perfect Passive (has/have + been + p.p.): "Many new cafes have been opened in Phnom Penh recently." (Completed action with present relevance)
- Past Perfect Passive (had + been + p.p.): "The invitations had been sent before the event was cancelled." (Action completed before another past action)
- Future Perfect Passive (will have been + p.p.): "By next year, the new airport will have been completed." (Action completed by a future time)
C. Future with 'be going to' - Passive
- 'be going to' Passive (am/is/are + going to be + p.p.): "A new community center is going to be built in our district." (Planned future action)
3. Passive Voice with Modal Verbs
Structure: Modal verb + be + Past Participle
For past possibility/speculation with modals: Modal verb + have been + Past Participle
- "This task can be finished by tomorrow." (Possibility)
- "The report should be submitted next week." (Obligation/Advice)
- "The windows must be cleaned before the guests arrive." (Necessity)
- "The problem might have been caused by a software error." (Past possibility)
- "He could have been told about the changes earlier." (Past possibility/criticism)
When to Use Passive Voice (Recap & Expansion)
- When the agent (doer) is unknown: "My motorbike was stolen last night."
- When the agent is unimportant or obvious: "This type of silk is produced mainly in Takeo province."
- When you want to focus on the action or the receiver of the action, not the agent: "The new bridge was officially opened yesterday."
- In formal or impersonal writing/speaking (e.g., scientific reports, news): "It has been found that..." / "Measures are being taken to..."
- To create a more objective tone or to avoid assigning blame.
Practice Activities
Activity 1: Active to Passive Conversion
Convert the following active sentences into passive sentences. Pay attention to the tense. Click the button to hear a sample answer.
-
Active: "They are building a new school in our neighborhood."
Your passive sentence: -
Active: "Someone has eaten all the kuy teav!"
Your passive sentence: -
Active: "The government will announce the new regulations soon."
Your passive sentence: -
Active: "You must complete this report by Friday."
Your passive sentence:
Activity 2: Describing a Process
Think about how a popular Cambodian dish (like Fish Amok or Beef Lok Lak) is prepared. Describe 3-4 steps in the process using the passive voice. For example: "First, the ingredients are gathered..."
Activity 3: News Report Snippet
Imagine you are a news reporter. Create 2-3 sentences for a news report about a recent event in your community or country, using at least two different passive forms (e.g., present perfect passive, past continuous passive, modal passive).
Example starter: "Yesterday, a new library was opened in Battambang city. It is hoped that..."
- Don't overuse it: Active voice is generally more direct and common in everyday conversation. Use passive voice when it serves a clear purpose.
- Ensure correct past participle forms: This is crucial for forming the passive correctly.
- Get the 'be' verb right: The tense of the 'be' verb determines the tense of the passive sentence.
- Consider if the agent ("by...") is necessary: Often, in passive sentences, the agent is omitted if it's unknown, obvious, or unimportant.
- Listen for it: Pay attention to how passive voice is used in news reports, documentaries, and formal speech to get a better feel for its natural usage.
Summary: Using a wider range of passive forms across different tenses and with modal verbs allows you to express ideas with more nuance, formality, and precision. It's particularly useful when the focus is on the action or receiver rather than the doer. By practicing these structures, you can add greater flexibility and sophistication to your spoken English, especially in descriptive or more formal contexts.