Passive

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 the focus is on the project (the object), it is moved to the front of the sentence and the change in word-order is marked by the passive verb form. The subject or agent is optionally mentioned in a "by" phrase. (See next page 'When to include the "by" phrase'.)
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

Sentence Forms

Transformation

To change emphasis, the speaker changes word order, transforms the sentence, by leading with the object or indirect object.

The "agent" is the person or thing that causes the action.
The "receiver" is the person or thing affected by the action - the 'by phrase".

FOCUS	SUBJECT	VERB	OBJECT	OBJECT PHRASE
Active	Everyone (agent)	expects	this knowledge(receiver)	to lead to better treatment.
Passive	This knowledge (receiver)	is expected	[by everyone] (agent)	to lead to better treatment.

Verb Forms

Passive Voice - Tenses

Read the sentence in the Active Voice column and decide how to transform it to a passive sentence.
Reveal the answer using the pull-down menu in the Passive Voice column.

ACTIVE	PASSIVE
PRESENT ACTIVE	PRESENT PASSIVE
Scientists map genes.	Genes mapped.
Scientists are mapping the human genome.	The human gene mapped.
PAST ACTIVE	PAST PASSIVE
Scientists mapped the human genome.	The human genome mapped.
Scientists were mapping the human genome.	The human genome mapped.
PRESENT PERFECT ACTIVE	PRESENT PERFECT PASSIVE
Scientist have mapped the human genome.	The human genome mapped.
*Scientists have been mapping the human genome.	The human genome mapped.
FUTURE (& MODALS) ACTIVE	FUTURE (& MODALS) PASSIVE
Scientists will find medical uses.	Medicinal uses found.
Scientists can use this knowledge for cures.	This knowledge used.
We must protect individual privacy.	Individual privacy protected.
Employers should not access genetic information.	Genetic information accessed.
INFINITIVE ACTIVE	INFINITIVE PASSIVE
Doctors want to tell their patients about health risks.	Patients want about risks.

Common Mistake

ERROR	FIXES
Scientists have been mapping the human genome. *The human genome has been being mapped. (There is no passive equivalent for this tense.)	The human genome has been mapped.
	The human genome is being mapped.

Sentence Forms

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.

Also see Irregular Participle Practice

Practice

How Will We Use this Precious Genetic Map?

Select the word from each menu that best completes the sentence.
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 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 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 by The U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Trust.
4.	Everyone expects this to revolutionize the practice of medicine. This to revolutionize the practice of medicine.
5.	We must protect individual privacy as science moves forward with this project. Individual privacy as science moves forward with the project.
6.	Researchers took a poll to find out if people wanted to know their genome. A poll 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 of their genetic "defects". (quantity agreement)
8.	Scientists are proposing rules that will govern the use of personal genomes. Rules 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) 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.

Grammar-Quizzes.com

PRACTICE ON POINTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Passive

Focus on the Project

Focusing on the collective work rather than the team

Use passive:

Agent vs. Object Focus

Sentence Forms

Transformation

Verb Forms

Passive

Passive Voice - Tenses

Common Mistake

Sentence Forms

Agreement & Tense

Practice

How Will We Use this Precious Genetic Map?

Answers

Text View