Grammar: B1 - ⚙️ Verbs in Depth: 🎭 Modals & 🌱 Non-Finite Verbs (Introduction) - Lesson 6: Simple Passive Voice - Past Simple (The window was broken.)

🎭 Lesson 6: Simple Passive Voice - Past Simple

In our last lesson, we learned how the Passive Voice¹ changes the focus² of a sentence. We looked at it in the Present Simple. Today, we will use the exact same idea to talk about the past. The Past Simple Passive is extremely common when talking about history, inventions, and past events.

How to Form the Past Simple Passive

To transform³ an active sentence into a passive one in the past, we use the past form of the verb 'to be' (was/were) and the Past Participle⁴.

Formula: Subject + was/were + Past Participle

Let's see how a sentence transforms:

Active: The French built this bridge.

Passive: This bridge was built by the French.

Remember to use 'was' for singular subjects (I, he, she, it, the bridge) and 'were' for plural subjects (you, we, they, the temples).

Why Use the Past Simple Passive?

The reasons are the same as for the Present Simple Passive:

1. When the doer (the agent⁵) is unknown or not important.
   Example: "My bicycle was stolen from outside the market yesterday." (We don't know who stole it.)
2. When the action or the object is more important than the doer.
   Example: "The Bamboo Train in Battambang was invented by local villagers." (The invention is the main topic, more than the specific people.)
3. To sound more formal or objective when describing historical events.
   Example: "It was decided to build a new road to connect the provinces."

Active vs. Passive in the Past

Active: "My grandmother wove this scarf." (Focus is on my grandmother.)

Passive: "This scarf was woven by my grandmother." (Focus is on the beautiful scarf.)

🧠 Practice Quiz: Past Tense Transformation

Choose the correct form to complete the passive sentences.

1. Active: "They built this school in 1998."
   Passive: This school _______ in 1998.
   Answer: was built
2. Active: "Shakespeare wrote 'Romeo and Juliet'."
   Passive: "Romeo and Juliet" _______ by Shakespeare.
   Answer: was written
3. The two ancient temples _______ by the same king many centuries ago.
   Answer: were designed (Use 'were' because 'temples' is plural.)
4. My wallet _______ yesterday at Psar Nat. I don't know who took it.
   Answer: was stolen

📝 Homework: Change the Focus

Change these active sentences into passive sentences.

1. Active: My grandmother made this delicious curry.
   Passive: This delicious curry was made by my grandmother.
2. Active: Someone left this bag on the chair yesterday.
   Passive: This bag was left on the chair yesterday.
3. Active: The teacher answered the students' questions.
   Passive: The students' questions were answered by the teacher.

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Passive Voice: (Noun Phrase) - ប្រយោគកម្មវាចក (brâyoŭk kâm'mâ'véa'chôk) - A sentence where the subject receives the action of the verb. ↩
2. Focus: (Noun) - ការផ្តោតអារម្មណ៍ (kaa ph'daot'a'râm) - The center of interest or attention. ↩
3. Transform: (Verb) - បំប្លែង (bâm'bleng) - To change something completely, especially in a good way. ↩
4. Past Participle: (Noun Phrase) - ទម្រង់ទី៣នៃកិរិយាស័ព្ទ (tûm'rɔng tii bay ney kĕ'rĭ'ya'sâp) - The third form of a verb, used in passive voice and perfect tenses (e.g., break -> broke -> broken). ↩
5. Agent: (Noun) - អ្នកធ្វើ (neăk'thvə) - The person or thing that performs the action in a passive sentence. ↩