Passive Voice, Past Simple and Past Simple Continuous

Passive - UseWe only use the passive when we are interested in the object or when we do not know who caused the action.

Example: Appointments are required in such cases.

We can only form a passive sentence from an active sentence when there is an object in the active sentence.
Form

to be + past participle

How to form a passive sentence when an active sentence is given:
- object of the "active" sentence becomes subject in the "passive" sentence
- subject of the "active" sentence becomes "object" in the "passive" sentence" (or is left out)

Active: Peter builds a house.

Passive: A house is built by Peter.

Examples

Active: Peter builds a house. Simple Present

Passive: A house is built by Peter.

Active: Peter built a house. Simple Past

Passive: A house was built by Peter.

Active: Peter has built a house. Present Perfect

Passive: A house has been built by Peter.

Active: Peter will build a house. will-future

Passive: A house will be built by Peter.

Active: Peter can build a house. Modals

Passive: A house can be built by Peter.

Simple past

USE 1 Completed Action in the Past

Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.

Ex. I saw a movie yesterday

USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions

We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.

Ex. I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.

USE 3 Duration in Past

The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.

Ex. I lived in Brazil for two years.

USE 4 Habits in the Past

The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the same meaning as "used to." To make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we often add expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc.

Ex. I studied French when I was a child.

Past Continuous

USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Past

Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.
Ex. I was watching TV when she called.

USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption

In USE 1, described above, the Past Continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in the Simple Past. However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.

Ex. Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.



USE 3 Parallel Actions

When you use the Past Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.

Ex. I was studying while he was making dinner.

USE 4 Atmosphere

In English, we often use a series of parallel actions to describe the atmosphere at a particular time in the past.

Example:

When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing, some were talking on the phones, the boss was yelling directions, and customers were waiting to be helped. One customer was yelling at a secretary and waving his hands. Others were complaining to each other about the bad service.

While vs. When

Clauses are groups of words which have meaning, but are often not complete sentences. Some clauses begin with the word "when" such as "when she called" or "when it bit me." Other clauses begin with "while" such as "while she was sleeping" and "while he was surfing." When you talk about things in the past, "when" is most often followed by the verb tense Simple Past, whereas "while" is usually followed by Past Continuous. "While" expresses the idea of "during that time." Study the examples below. They have similar meanings, but they emphasize different parts of the sentence.

Examples:

• I was studying when she called.
• While I was studying, she called.


Exercises

Passive Voice

Put in the correct form of the verb in Passive into the gaps. Use the verb and the tense given in brackets.

Example:
A letter __________ by Peter. (to write - Simple Present)

Answer:
A letter is written by Peter.

1) The words________________ by the teacher today. (to explain - Simple Present)
2) We ______________________ a letter the day before yesterday. (to send - Simple Past)
3) This Car_________________. It's too old. (not/to steal - will-future)
4) This street _____________ because of snow. (already/to close - Present Perfect)
5) A new restaurant __________________ next week. (to open - will-future)
6) He ________________ to the party yesterday. (to invite - Simple Past)
7) The blue box_________________________. (can/not/to see - Simple Present)
8) I ______________________ the book by my friend last Sunday. (to give - Simple Past)
9) The dishes__________________ by my little brother. (not/to wash - Present Perfect)
10) I ___________________________ by Robert. (not/to ask - will-future)

Simple Past and Past Continuous Tenses

1. A: What (you, do)_________________when the accident occurred?
B: I (try)__________________to change a light bulb that had burnt out.

2. After I (find)_____________the wallet full of money, I (go, immediately)_______________to the police and (turn)____________it in.

3. The doctor (say)____________that Tom (be)____________too sick to go to work and that he (need)________________to stay at home for a couple of days.

4. Sebastian (arrive)______________at Susan's house a little before 9:00 PM, but she (be, not_______________ there. She (study, at the library)_______________for her final examination in French.

5. Sandy is in the living room watching television. At this time yesterday, she (watch, also)__________________television. That's all she ever does!

6. A: I (call)_______________you last night after dinner, but you (be, not)___________there. Where were you?
B: I (work)______________out at the fitness center.

7. When I (walk)______________into the busy office, the secretary (talk)______________on the phone with a customer, several clerks (work, busily)________________at their desks, and two managers (discuss, quietly)__________________methods to improve customer service.

8. I (watch)______________a mystery movie on TV when the electricity went out. Now I am never going to find out how the movie ends.

9. Sharon (be) _____________in the room when John told me what happened, but she didn't hear anything because she (listen, not) ________________.

10. It's strange that you (call)_______________because I (think, just) ________________ about you.

11. The Titanic (cross) ______________the Atlantic when it (strike) ______________an iceberg.

12. When I entered the bazaar, a couple of merchants (bargain, busily) _______________and (try) ______________to sell their goods to naive tourists who (hunt) ___________for souvenirs. Some young boys (lead) ______________their donkeys through the narrow streets on their way home. A couple of men (argue)___________over the price of a leather belt. I (walk) _____________over to a man who (sell) ____________fruit and (buy) _____________a banana.

13. The firemen (rescue) _____________the old woman who (be) ___________trapped on the third floor of the burning building.

14. She was so annoying! She (leave, always) ______________her dirty dishes in the sink. I think she (expect, actually) _______________me to do them for her.

15. Samantha (live) ______________in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she (live) __________________there when the Berlin Wall came down.