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09 Introduction Passives Íñeaa the two versions of the text. Then underline the passive verb forms in the second one. Why do you think the writer decided ta use the passive in the second version? The Chrysler Building is currently the third tallest skyscraper in New York City. Williara Van Alen designed it in Art Deco style, and building contractors started work in September 1928. They completed the tower less than two years later, after bricklayers had laid nearly four million bricks manually. In 2007, the American Institute of Architects ranked it ninth on the “List of Americas Favorite Architecture”. The Chrysler Building is currently the third tallest skyscraper in New York City. It was designed in Art Deco style by William Van Alen, and work was started in September 1928. The tower was completed less than two years later, after nearly four million bricks had been laid manmually. 1 2007, itwas ranked ninth on the “List of Americas Favorite Architecture” by the American Institute of Architects. Suggested answers: see page 199 082 ; 09 Passives Verbs can be in the active or the passive voice. When we use the pa the thing or person being acted on (or being affected by the action) and not with the thing or person carrying out the action (the agent). The subject of a passive sentence would normally be the object of an active sentence. 'he passive is formed by using a form of be with a past participle. fan agent is mentioned in the sentence, it comes after by. + Passive: One of the earliest accounts of the Nuremberg trials was writien in 1945 by Robert H Jackson, the US Chief Prosecutor. + Active: Robert 11 Jackson, the US Chief Prosecutor, wrote one of the earliest accounts of the Nuremberg trials in 1945, ive voice we begin [he sentence with The passive is fairly common in academic writing, where an impersonal or neutral tone is often preferred, and where the emphasis may be on results, events or processes, rather than agents. + When the vaccine had been produced, ¡t was stored in airtight containers and transported under military escort to the main hospital in the region. This unil looks at when to use the passive, how to form the passive in different tenses and with prepositions, and the passive with reporting verbs. 3] Unit content: 1 Avoiding the agent page 083 2 Ordering information page 083 3 The passive in different tenses page 084 4 Passive modals, infinitives and gerunds Page 085 5 Passive reporting verbs page 086 6 Passives with prepositions page 087 Other units that dcal with passives are unit 1 Tense review, and unit 4 Being formal and informal. EE] Avoiding the agent 9.1 study The passive is often used when Lhe agent is obvious, very general, unimportant, or unknown. 70% of the operations were carried out within two days of the patients being admitted to the hospital. (I€'s obvious that doctors or surgeons would carry out the operations, and hospital staff would admit the patients.) Passports can be renewed online or at a post office. (l'he agents are “people” in general.) An opinion poll was conducted in Scotland to find out how much support there currently is for independence. (l'he agent - a market research company in this case, presumably — is unimportant.) Two students were attacked on their way home from a town centre club. (The agent is unknown. No one knows who altacked the students.) The agent is usually obvious, general, unimportant or unknown when processes are being described. lt is very common to use the passive in this case, particularly when there are a number of stages Lo mention. » To ensure their freshness, peas are shelled, sorted, washed, and frozen within two hours of being picked. (See section 9.6 below for information on including the agent.) 9.1 test yourself Rewrite the sentences so that the underlined phrase is the subject. Do not include the agent. 1 A company launched a new device for measuring the purity of water at a conference in Manchester last year. 2 Factories abroad make mos! of the sparc parts for the car. 3 Construction companies build some new urb: roads without pavements. 4. Somcone stole four laptops from the offices of the research team. 5 People can obtain copies of (he company's annual report from reception. 6 Staff print, pack, and distribute the new. brochures to all the retail oullets. El) Ordering information 9.2 study You can use the passive to put information in the order that best suits the text. You may wish Lo mention the action, idea, or event itself first, for example, rather than the agent or agents, + A potential cure for Alzheimer's has been discovered by scientists working at the Hays Laborator Texas. In the text below, the writer introduces the President as the main topic in the first sentence, and then uses the passive to keep him as the subject of the next two sentences. + At around 4.30p.m., the President arrived in Lagos. He was shown a new building project before being taken to the restored Museum of Ancient Art. Later he was offered tea at the Mayor's residence on Princes Street. Notice whal Lhe alternative in the active voice might look like, = Ataround 4.30p.m., the President arrived in Lagos. His hosts showed him a new building project ... (His hosts is distracting and doesn't add any important information.) TIP There are some common intransitive verbs (1.e. verbs without an object) such as arrive, he, come, which do not have a passive form. go, happen, loc 9.2 test yourself Rewrite the sentences so that the underlined phrase is the subject. Include the agent unless it is in brackets. 1 A team of Swiss naturalists identified welve new species ol Peruvian insect last year. 2 Pablo Picasso painted Guernica in 1937 as a direct response to the bombing of he Basque town. (The arlist) first exhibited it as part of the Spanish display at the World's Fairin Paris in 1937. 3 Hi-tech companies have created 10,000 new jobs in the UK electronics industry since 2008. 4 (A construction company) converted the Mcnier Chocolate Factory into a theatre in 2004. Over the last few years, (its artistic director) has staged a number of award-=winning productions there. 09 Passives EX) Passive modal verbs, infinitives and gerunds 9.4 study 1 Modal verbs You will ind the passive voice with modal verbs (modal verh + he + past participle) useful in ordering information effectively and leaving out unimportant agents. The verbs most frequently used are can and could (expre e possibilily), and must and should (expressing obligation). » Wikipedia can be edited by anyone with access to the internet. + Exporting to a new market could be described as one of the Rey challenges facing an expanding business. > Any incident involving staff trained in first aid must be reported to a senior manager: « Local radio is a medium that should not be overlooked when planning an advertising campaign, Past forms are less common. +» Alternalive proposals should have been explained in detail before the committee reached ¡ts decision. 2 Infinitives with fo and gerunds You can also use infinitives with to and gerunds in the passive. A passive infinitive is formed by verb + to be + past participle + MosL clients expect to be met at the airport. +» The staff who had hoped to be given a pay rise were offered a bonus scheme instead. A passive gerund is formed by verb + being + past participle. + No managing director enjoys being criticized by shareholders. + Curators at the gallery denied being influenced by negative reviews when they closed the exhibition two weeks early. 9.4 test yourself A Correct the incorrect sentences. Some sentences are already correct. 1 llealth and safety checks must to be carried out hy qualified staff. 2 Officials from the trade delegation resented being meet by a junior member of staff. 3 None of the files can be accessed without a password, 4. The equipment in a laboratory should not touch until a member of staff is present. 5 Burton argues that a council without a published green agenda” deserves be criticized. 6 Early types of rifle could not be fired without significant risk of injury to the soldier. B Using the passive form of the underlined verb phrases, make the necessary changes to the sentences. Include the agent unless ¡tis in brackets. 1 Local communities can make simple changes Lo aid biodiversity, according to Shalmi (2012). 2 Most people would prefer (the relevant authorities) to consult them before a flight path is permanently re-routed over the area where they live, 3 Middleton (2011) argues that better qualily healthcare could prevent more than 100,000 dcaths per year in the UK. 4 Llolstein (2009) describes (an official) questioning him for three hours in a threatening manner at Los Angeles International Airport. 5 BAA are piloting a system that will allow (officials) to examine hand luggage more eficiently. 6 Ifan accident victim is unconscious, (someone) should check his or her breathing regularly. DJ Passives EJS Passive reporting verbs 9.5 study An important way of achieving the impersonal style that academic writing often requires is to use the passive form of a small group of reporting verbs (believe, claim, estimate, expect, feel, know, report, say, think, understand). » Itis estimated that Saudi Arabia holds 18% of the global reserves of oil. Sentences using this type of structure can start either with il... (somelimes called an “empty' subject), or with the third person singular or plural (the American President ..., BP... experts...., etc.) The examples below demonstrate the varicty of tenses that can be used. 1 It + be + past participle + that ... + (People belicyc that =) Zt is believed that computer science, despite the progress of the last twenty years, is stillin its infancy. (Someone has said that =) lt has been said that the prison system does very little to rehabilitate prisoners. (People understood that =) Zt was understood that a new trade treaty between Japan and China would be signed in December last year, but the two negotiating teams could not reach agreement. m Third person singular/plural + he + past participle + infinitive with lo... (People think that Alex Rodriguez earns =) Alex Rodriguez, the American baseball player, is thought to earn $7.5 million a year. (They had expected that the Prime Minister would stop over =) The Prime Minister had been expected to stop over in Berlin on his way to the Moscotw summit, but his schedule was changed at the last moment. In the following example, a continuous infinitive with Lo is used because Lhe action (children working) is taking place at the time of writing. + (People know that children are working =) Children are known to be working in the silk-weaving industry of Kanchipuram in India. ¿086 : 09 Passives In the example below, a past infinitive with to is used because Lhe action (buying a controlling share) has happened already, if the reports are true. » (Someone reports that Banco Do Brasil has bough! =) Banco Do Basil is reported to have bought a controlling share of' the Florida-based Eurobank. [TIP You can achieve an effect similar to that of the passive by the structure have + something + past participle. It is used to say that we have arranged or are planning to arrange a professional service or professional help. » Were having our new factory designed by a tear of avard-winning architects, * Wehadall our staff trained in presentation skills. 9.5 test yourself Rewrite the sentences, starting with the word(s) in brackets. Do not include the agent. 1 Officials have estimated that the cost of Tepairing Lhe fire damage to the port will be £60m. (It...) 2 There are reports that oil companies are exploring parts of Antarclica. (Oil companies ...) 3 Most people believe that Athens in Ancient Greece is the site of the first democracy. (Athens...) 4 People think that Juan Olmo, who died in 2009, was Europe's most skilful brain surgeon. (Juan Olmo...) 5 Ajournalist claimed that the drug had been | tested on soldiers without their knowledge. (IL...) 6 Commentators say that passengers on the new jet experience a slight feeling of weightlessness. (Passengers ...) 09 Challenge yourself A Complete the text about whaling with the correct passive form of the verb in brackets. For centuries, or even millennia, whales * E (hunt) offshore from. small boats such as canoes and kayaks. From the mid-nineteenth century, with the development of the Industrial Revolution, this fairly limited activity E (join) by pelagic, that is, deep sea, whaling, culminating in modern factory ships. In the 19605, £20 million*_____——— (generate) annually by the global whaling industry. In spite of the worldwide ban on commercial whaling that 2 (impose) in 1986, itis worth noting that smallscale shore-based hunting of cetaceans continues in several countrics from the Arctic Lo Polynesia. 1% (justify) on the grounds of continuing a long cultural tradition, and usually Ue meat and other products * (consume) within the same community. B Complete the text about a form of mental illness, using the phrases in the box and a form of be. Two of the phrases are not needed. associated with admitted to basedon classified as composed of confined to diagnosed as entilled to located at Patients who * Es bipolar often face a frustrating search for suitable treatment, Serious side effects*______— somcof the most frequenly prescribed medications, and this leads some patients to discontinue the drugs. In trying to take control of their lives, they may? —— non-compliant, especially by doctors without specialist treining. Patients£__——————afree consultation with a psychiatrist, but often this entails a long wait, during which the condition can worscn. In the worsl cases, the person may need * an in-patient facility, and perhaps even*_____asecureward ina psychiatric hospital. These psychiatric hospitals tend?_____ some distance from the patient's home, increasing the sense of isolation and betrayal. 088 : 03 Challenge yoursel* AWL GLOSSARY revolution'a great change in conditions, ways of working, beliefs, etc. that affects large numbers of people impose to introduce a new law, rule, tax, etc.; to order that a rule, punishment, etc. be used justify¿to show that something is rightor reasonable cultural iconnected with the culture ofa particular society or group, its customs, beliefs, etc. tradition'a belief, custom, or way of doing something that has existed for a long time amonga particular group of people consume to eat or drink something AWL GLOSSARY consultation:a meeting with an expert, especially a doctor, to get advice or treatment secure guarded and/or made stronger so that it is difficult for people to enter or leave isolatian the state of being alone or lonely € In the text about a public health pioneer, match the beginning of each sentence with the correct ending. 1 The observation that infections were being transmitted between patients 2 The physician who first deduced the link 3 Hcis now known Lo be 4 Dr Semmelweis was working in the obstetric clinic at Vienna General Hospital, 5 He discovered that the number of cases of this so-called childbed fever 6 The scientific papers Lhal he wrote about this ? His ideas 8 Somc doctors 9 Still only in his 40s, Semmelweis experienced a mental breakdown, and 10 Later, when Louis Pasteur explained his germ theory, Semmelweis a could be dramatically reduced by the use of hand disinfection. were turned down by many publishers. were offended at the implication that they were unclean was shunned by his collcagues and his findings were ignored. was committed to an asylum for the mentally ill, wherc he died two weeks later. were rejected by his medical peers. was hailed as the 'saviour of mothers”. by the doctor who was treating them was a radical one for the mid-nineteenth century. one of the most visionary scientists of his age. where many women died of infection within days of giving birth. ou a > 00 D Correct the mistakes in the underlined verb forms in the text about dementia. Some verb forms are correct, According to recent reports, the threat posed by dementia 'was n be defined as a decline in mental functioning over age. To start with, dementia owing as societies time, beyond what “might be being expected trom the natural effects of aging. A recent survey that *is being conducted by the Dementia Alliance revealed that the costs Lo health services %are ix reased twice as fast as inflation, and within twenty years “are expecting to outrun the amounts spent on cancer treatment. As with other cognitive disorders, higher or more complex mental functions "had bccn affected before he simpler ones. 1, unusually, Lhe illness strikes a patient under 65, it *is termed “early onset dementia'. Another minority of patients have what %is know as “mixed dementia' ANI ISSARY transmit:to pass something from onc person to another deduce:to form an opinion about something based on the information or evidence thatis available mental connected with the state of health of the mind or with the treatment ofillnesses of the mind theory¿a formal set of ideas thats intended to explain why something. happens or exists dramatically:in a sudden, very great, and often surprising way publisher'a person or company that prepares and prints books, magazines, newspapers, or electronic products and makes them available to the public AWL GLOSSARY poseito create a threat, problem, etc. that has to be dealt with functionito work in the correct way surveyian investigation ofthe opinions, behaviour, etc. ofa particular group of people, which is usually done by asking them questions minority¿the smaller part ofa group; less than half of the people or things in a large group 09 Challenge yourself ¿ DB9 G Aformof the verb be (e.g. been, was) has been omitted from seven of the nine sentences in the text about the material graphene. Complete the text with the hg words. ¡Graphene has called the latest miracle material. “It is said to be the thinnest | material in the world, and possibly the hardest and the strongest as well. “Graphene is a form of carbon in which the atoms packed into a lattice structure which is so flat that ¡t can considered two-dimensional. “It described in the 19805, but it took until 2004 before it was isolated and manipulated. *The physicists whose experiments led to this increased understanding, Konstantin Novoselov and Andre Geim, awarded the Nobel Prize in 2010. "They have been cautious in their claims for the practical implications of their discoveries, but other commentators, particularly media popularizers, have made grand claims about graphene. “It has already made into a touchscreen, and the possibilities | | are enormous if the material can, as its supporters suggest, replace silicon. ¿A | great deal of industrial money and research time are currently invested in ¡ts future. Within a decade, either the promise of graphene will have fulfilled, or | investors and scientists will have walked away. d H Write 100-200 words about a set of safety procedures, for example, what to do in case of fire at work or school. Use as many passive structures as possible. A OSSARY structureithe way in which the parts ofsomething are connected together, arranged, or organized; a particular arrangement of parts manipulate'to contra! or use something in a skilful way commentator'a person who ¡s an expert on a particular subject and talks or writes about it ontelevision or radio, or ina newspaper media'the main ways that large numbers of people receive information and entertainment, that is television, radio, newspapers, and the internet invest to spend time, energy, effort, etc. on something that you thinkis good or useful investoria person oran organization that invests money in something 09 Challenge yourself 
