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 PRACTICE ON POINTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

• Passive Summary
• Passive Diagnostic
• Focus on Object
• Focus on Project
• By Phrases
• Focus Ind Object
• Never Passive
• Get-Passives
• Participles w/ Preps
• Participle-Prep Prac
• Participial Clauses 1
• Participial Clauses 2
• Been / Being
• Passive in Context

• On this page:
• Active v. Passive
• Word Order
• Agreement & Tense
• Exception
• Practice 1
• Practice 2

Focus on the Project

Focusing on the collective work rather than the team

(intermediate to advanced students)

 

Use passive:

• when the receiver (object or indirect object) is your focus
• when the agents are too many to list
• when the agent(s) is/ are unknown
• when the agent is not specific (everyone in general)

 

Agent vs. Object Focus

 The passive voice is often used to shift the emphasis from the persons doing work (agents) to their group work.  

AGENT FOCUS	OBJECT FOCUS
When the focus is on the people (subject) doing the work, they are moved to the front of the sentence.	When we want to focus on the project (the object) rather than the people doing the project (the agents), we move the object of the clause to the front.This focus change is marked by a passive verb form.  The subject or agent is optionally mentioned in a "by" phrase. (See next page By Phrases.)
Scientists have mapped the human genome.	The human genome has been mapped by scientists.
Scientists have determined three billion base-pairs of DNA	Three billion base-pairs of DNA were determined. (by scientists who are too many to list)
Researchers expect this knowledge to lead to better treatments for diseases like cancer and diabetes.	This knowledge is expected to lead to better treatments for diseases like cancer and diabetes.  (by an unknown future research team)
We must link this discover to responsible use.	The discovery must be linked to responsible use.  (by everyone)

 

NOVA, PBS. "Cracking the Code of Life". http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/genome/program.html
Wikipedia, "The Human Genome Project". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Genome_Project

 

 

Passive

Word Order

 

 

ACTIVE			PASSIVE
To change focus, the speaker changes word order, transforms the sentence, by leading with the object or indirect object.			The "agent", the person or thing that causes the action, moves after the verb.  The "receiver", the person or thing affected by the action, moves before the verb.
SUBJECT — AGENT Everyone	ACTIVE VERB expects	OBJECT — RECEIVER a cure.	SUBJECT — RECEIVER A cure	PASSIVE VERB is expected	OBJECT — AGENT by everyone.

cure (n.) – a medicine or therapy to end a health problem

 

 

Passive

Agreement & Tense

 

 

TENSE	SINGULAR	PLURAL
PRESENT	A cancer cure is discovered.	Cancer treatments are discovered.
PRESENT PROG.	A cancer cure is being discovered.	Cancer treatments are being discovered.
PAST	A cancer cure was discovered.	Cancer treatments were discovered.
PAST PROG.	A cancer cure was being discovered.	Cancer treatments were being discovered.
PAST PERFECT	A cancer cure has been discovered.	Cancer treatments have been discovered.
*PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE	A cancer cure has been discovered.	Cancer treatments have been discovered.

 

 

 

Choose the verb form that agrees with the subject:

  A.       A   map of the human genome have been has been completed.        

  B.       All of the human genes and their functions is being are being identified.             

 

Also see Irregular Participle Practice

 

 

*A complicated word form – exception

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE	PRESENT PERFECT OR PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
Explorers have been mapping the land forms under the south pole. *The land forms have been being mapped.     (This rather complicated word from is simplified to present perfect or present progressive.)	The land forms have been mapped.    have been being is just too complicated to use!
	The land forms are being mapped.

 

 

 

Practice 1

Gene Mapping Project

 

Completed in 2003, the Human Genome Project (HGP) was a 13-year project coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. During the early years of the HGP, the Wellcome Trust (U.K.) became a major partner; additional contributions came from Japan, France, Germany, China, and others.  Human Genome Project

 

Project goals were to:

• identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA,
• determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA,
• store this information in databases,
• improve tools for data analysis,
• transfer related technologies to the private sector, and
• address the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project.

 

Fill in the Blank – Tense and Agreement

1. Fill in the blank with the passive verb form of the given verb.
2. Compare your response to the answer to the right.

	YOUR RESPONSE	ANSWER
1.	PRESENT TENSE Scientists study genes. Genes by scientists.	Genes   are studied by scientists.
2.	PRESENT PROGRESSIVE –  ACTIVE Scientists are studying gene therapy. (medical use) Gene therapy by scientists.	Genes   is being studied by scientists.
3.	PAST –  ACTIVE Several teams of scientists mapped genes.  Genes by several teams of scientists.	Genes   were mapped by several teams of scientists.
4.	PAST PROGRESSIVE –  ACTIVE Scientists were mapping the human genome. The human genome (by scientists) .	Genes   was being mapped .
5.	PRESENT PERFECT –  ACTIVE Scientist have mapped the human genome. (the entire DNA) The human genome (by scientists) .	Genes   has been mapped .
6.	PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE –  ACTIVE *Scientists have been mapping the human genome. The human genome (by scientists) .	The human genome   is being mapped has been mapped .
7.	WILL –  ACTIVE Doctors will find medical uses. Medical uses by doctors.	Medical uses   will be found by doctors .
8.	CAN –  ACTIVE Scientists can use this knowledge for medicine. This knowledge for medicine.	This knowledge   can be used for medicine.
9.	MUST –  ACTIVE We must protect individual privacy. Individual privacy .	Individual privacy   must be protected .
10.	SHOULD –   ACTIVE Employers should not use genetic information. Genetic information by employers.	Genetic information   should not be used by employers .
11.	INFINITIVE  – ACTIVE Doctors want to tell their patients about health risks. Patients want about health risks.	Patients want   to be told about risks.

 

 

 

 

 

Practice 2

How Will We Use this Precious Genetic Map?

 

 

1. Select the word from each menu that best completes the sentence. 
2. Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right.  Text view of answers

#	YOUR RESPONSE	FEEDBACK
1.	The issue of how we will use human genomics divides many people. Many people – divides divided is divided are divided by (on) the issue about how we will use human genomics.
2.	Health insurance companies could refuse coverage of individuals with genetic illnesses. Coverage of individuals with genetic illnesses – are refused is refused could be refused could been refused by health insurance companies.
3.	The U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Trust supported The Human Genome Project. The Human Genome Project – is supported was supported by The U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Trust.
4.	Everyone expects this to revolutionize the practice of medicine. This – is expected is being expected to revolutionize the practice of medicine.
5.	We must protect individual privacy as science moves forward with this project. Individual privacy – must protected must be protected as science moves forward with the project.
6.	Researchers took a poll to find out if people wanted to know their genome. A poll – is taken was taken to find out if people wanted to know their genome.
7.	Sixty per cent of the people said that they want a doctor to inform them of their genetic "defects". Sixty per cent of the people said they – want be informed want to be informed want informed of their genetic "defects".    (quantity agreement)
8.	Scientists are proposing rules that will govern the use of personal genomes. Rules – are proposing are being proposed are been proposed that will govern the use of personal genomes.
9.	In the sequencing phase, researchers identified the approximately 3.5 billion chemical letters (A, C, G, T).  Three and a half billion chemical letters (A, C, G, T)  – was identified were identified in the sequencing phase.  (quantity agreement)

 

 

 

Answers

Text View

 

 

#	SUBJECT	VERB	OBJECT
1.	The issue of how we will use human genomics	divides	many people.
	Many people	are divided	by the issue of how we will use human genomics.
2.	Health insurance companies	could refuse	coverage of individuals with genetic illnesses.
	Coverage of individuals with genetic illnesses	could be refused	by health insurance companies.
3.	The U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Trust	supported	The Human Genome Project.
	The Human Genome Project	was supported	by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Trust .
4.	Everyone	expects	this to revolutionize the practice of medicine.
	This	is expected	[by everyone] to revolutionize the practice of medicine.
5.	We	must protect	individual privacy as science moves forward with this project.
	Individual privacy	must be protected	(?) as science moves forward with this project.
6.	Researchers	took	a poll to find out if people wanted to know their genome.
	A poll	was taken	[by researchers] to find out if people wanted to know their genome.
7.	Sixty-one per cent of the people would want a doctor	to inform	them of their genetic "defects".
	They [sixty-one per cent of the people] would want	to be informed	[by a doctor] of their genetic "defects".
8.	Scientists	are proposing	rules that will govern the use of personal genomes.
	Rules	are being proposed	[by scientists] that will govern the use of personal genomes.
9.	In the sequencing phase, researchers	identified	the approximately 3.5 billion chemical letters (A, C, G, T)  .
	3.5 billion chemical letters (A, C, G, T)	were identified	[by researchers] in the sequencing phase.