Skill: Grammar
Category: General English & Academic English
Level: Upper-Intermediate
Active and Passive Voice (Part Four)
| The Passive Form of Modals Modals + be + Past Participle |
| Positive Form |
| Elena will be invited to the party . |
| Chinese can’t be taught to children as a second language. |
| This letter should be mailed by tomorrow. |
| The computer might be sold. |
| The book ought to be read by next week. |
| Past Passive |
| Modals + have been + past participle |
| The car should have been sold last week. |
| This ancient house must have been built over hundred years ago. |
| The principal of the university ought to have been invited to the graduation ceremony. |
Exercise. Complete the sentences with the verbs in parenthesis using modal or phrasal modal verbs.
1- She is wearing a ring on her finger. She (marry) _____________________________________________
2- I found this pencil on the chair when I entered the class. It (leave) __________________________ by one of the students.
3- As our teacher said, all of our assignment (write) __________________________ by pencil. He won’t accept typing them through computer.
Non-progressive passive
When passive is used in non-progressive form, it usually describes a situation or state. In non-progressive passive, 1) there is no action to take place because the action happened before 2) there is no by-phrase and 3) the past participle is used as an adjective.
Example:
Nate broke the chair.
The chair was broken by Nate.
Now the chair is broken.
Note. Other prepositions—except by—can be used in non-progressive passive verbs.
Ex: I am interested in reading.
They are satisfied with their life situation.
Nate is married to Elizabeth.
Exercise. Use simple present or past to complete the sentences with non-progressive passive.
1- Franklin is wearing a yellow t-shirt. It (make) __________________________ of silk.
2- The lamps in our neighbor’s room (turn) __________________________ on.
3- The city (crowd, not) ________________________________________.
Passive with “Get”
Get + Adjective
Get can follow specific adjectives. Get gives the idea of: becoming, beginning to be, and growing to be.
Ex: I am getting tired. I wasn’t tired before but now I am beginning to be tired.
Ex: I stopped running because I got hungry.
Get + past participle
Get can also be followed by ‘past participle’ and the past participle functions as an adjective to describe the subject.
No: Passive with get is used in spoken, but in writing it is informal.
Ex: I got dressed.
Ex: They are getting married next week.