Unit 1: You Ask We Answer Thai
Everything you need to know to become a better English speaker
Select a unit
Session 1
4 ΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈΰΈ΅ΰΈΰΈ΅ΰΉΰΈͺΰΈ²ΰΈ‘ΰΈ²ΰΈ£ΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΉ passive ΰΉΰΈΰΉ
Today's question from Thailand is about when to use the active and the passive forms - join Sian and Clare as they answer this question and share with you 4 occasions when you should use the passive structure.
ΰΈ§ΰΈ±ΰΈΰΈΰΈ΅ΰΉΰΉΰΈ£ΰΈ²ΰΈ‘ΰΈ΅ΰΈΰΈ³ΰΈΰΈ²ΰΈ‘ΰΈΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈΰΉΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈΰΈΉΰΉΰΈΰΈ‘ΰΈΰΈ²ΰΈ§ΰΉΰΈΰΈ’ ΰΈΰΈΆΰΈΰΈΰΈ²ΰΈ£ΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈ£ΰΈΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ active ΰΉΰΈ₯ΰΈ° passive ΰΈΰΉΰΈ° ΰΈ‘ΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈΉΰΈΰΈ₯ΰΈ΄ΰΈΰΈΰΈ΅ΰΉΰΈΰΈ²ΰΈΰΉΰΈ₯ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈΰΈ₯ΰΈ£ΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈͺΰΈΰΈͺΰΈ±ΰΈ’ ΰΈΰΈ£ΰΉΰΈΰΈ‘ΰΉΰΈΰΈ°ΰΈΰΈ³ 4 ΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈΰΈ΅ΰΈΰΈ²ΰΈ£ΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈ£ΰΈΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ passive ΰΈΰΉΰΈ°
αααααα«α΅ 1 αα₯α₯α’
0 / 3
- 0 / 3Activity 1
Activity 1
4 reasons to use the passive
What is the difference in meaning between these two sentences?
a) Sian is filming Clare.
b) Clare is being filmed.
Watch the video to find out! :)
Watch the video.
ΰΉΰΈ£ΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈ£ΰΈΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ passive ΰΉΰΈ‘ΰΈ·ΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈ?
ΰΉΰΈ£ΰΈ²ΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈ£ΰΈΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ active ΰΉΰΈΰΈ·ΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈΆΰΈΰΈΰΈΈΰΈΰΈΰΈ₯ΰΈ«ΰΈ£ΰΈ·ΰΈΰΈͺΰΈ΄ΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ΅ΰΉΰΈΰΈ³ΰΈ₯ΰΈ±ΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈΉΰΉΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΈΰΈ³ΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ
- Sian is filming Clare (the focus is on the person doing the action - Sian).
ΰΉΰΈ₯ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈ£ΰΈΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ passive ΰΉΰΈ‘ΰΈ·ΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈΰΈ²ΰΈ£ΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ΅ΰΉΰΈΰΈΈΰΈΰΈΰΈ₯ΰΈ«ΰΈ£ΰΈ·ΰΈΰΈͺΰΈ΄ΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈΰΈΰΈΰΈ΅ΰΉΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈΉΰΉΰΈΰΈΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΈΰΈ³ΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ
- Clare is being filmed (the focus is on Clare and the person doing the action is not important).
How do we form the passive?
Subject + be verb + past participle
ΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ²ΰΈ£ΰΉΰΈΰΈ₯ΰΈ΅ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ tense ΰΉΰΈ«ΰΉΰΉΰΈΰΈ₯ΰΈ΅ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ 'be verb'.
- The fridge is checked regularly. (present)
- Clare is being filmed. (present continuous)
- I was told to arrive at 10. (past)
- My lunch has been eaten. (present perfect)
- Food will be removed at the end of the week. (future)
4 reasons to use the passive
1) When we don't know who did the activity
- My lunch has been eaten.
2) When it's not important or it's obvious who did an activity
- My room has been cleaned. (by the cleaners)
3) In polite, formal English (written notices)
- The fridge is checked regularly.
4) To avoid blaming someone
- I was told to arrive at 10! (Clare doesn't want to blame Sian for giving her false information!)
Passive quiz!
3 Questions
ΰΈ‘ΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈΆΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈ₯ΰΈ΅ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ active ΰΉΰΈ«ΰΈ₯ΰΉΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈ΅ΰΉ ΰΉΰΈ«ΰΉΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ passive ΰΈΰΈΉΰΈΰΈ°ΰΈΰΈ°!
Change these active sentences into passive sentences!
α΅αα
Activity
ΰΈ‘ΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈΆΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈ₯ΰΈ΅ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ active ΰΉΰΈ«ΰΈ₯ΰΉΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈ΅ΰΉ ΰΉΰΈ«ΰΉΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ passive ΰΈΰΈΉΰΈΰΈ°ΰΈΰΈ°!
Change these active sentences into passive sentences!
ααα
It is obvious that the police do this action, so we don't need to mention them.Question 1 of 3
α΅αα
Activity
ΰΈ‘ΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈΆΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈ₯ΰΈ΅ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ active ΰΉΰΈ«ΰΈ₯ΰΉΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈ΅ΰΉ ΰΉΰΈ«ΰΉΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ passive ΰΈΰΈΉΰΈΰΈ°ΰΈΰΈ°!
Change these active sentences into passive sentences!
ααα
We don't know who did the action so it's good to use the passive here - check the tense though!Question 2 of 3
α΅αα
Activity
ΰΈ‘ΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈΆΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈ₯ΰΈ΅ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ active ΰΉΰΈ«ΰΈ₯ΰΉΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈ΅ΰΉ ΰΉΰΈ«ΰΉΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈ°ΰΉΰΈ’ΰΈ passive ΰΈΰΈΉΰΈΰΈ°ΰΈΰΈ°!
Change these active sentences into passive sentences!
ααα
Ok, so this is a formal notice so it's good to use the passive here. Also it's obvious that the cleaner is doing the action.Question 3 of 3
Excellent!Great job!αα₯α α₯α΅α αα₯α₯ α α΅αααα αα :
Go to our Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages for more fun with English!
Join us for our next episode of You Ask We Answer to learn more about English pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.
ΰΈΰΈ₯ΰΈ±ΰΈΰΈ‘ΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈ΄ΰΈΰΈΰΈ²ΰΈ‘ΰΈΰΈΰΈΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈΰΈ You Ask We Answer ΰΉΰΈΰΈ·ΰΉΰΈΰΈΰΈΆΰΈΰΈΰΈ²ΰΈ£ΰΈΰΈΰΈΰΉΰΈͺΰΈ΅ΰΈ’ΰΈ ΰΉΰΈ§ΰΈ’ΰΈ²ΰΈΰΈ£ΰΈΰΉ ΰΉΰΈ₯ΰΈ°ΰΈΰΈ³ΰΈ¨ΰΈ±ΰΈΰΈΰΉΰΉΰΈΰΈ΄ΰΉΰΈ‘ΰΉΰΈΰΈ΄ΰΈ‘ΰΈΰΈ°ΰΈΰΈ°
α¨α°αα°α ααα αα
4 reasons to use the passive
1) When we don't know who did the activity
- My lunch has been eaten.
2) When it's not important or it's obvious who did an activity
- My room has been cleaned. (by the cleaners)
3) In polite, formal English (written notices)
- The fridge is checked regularly.
4) To avoid blaming someone
- I was told to arrive at 10! (Clare doesn't want to blame Sian for giving her false information!)