GRAMMAR BANK C1.

1 Module 1

A) PASSIVE VOICE

Use of Passive

-Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or
not known, however, who or what is performing the action.

Example: “My bike was stolen”.

-In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do
not know, however, who did it.

-Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the

following example shows:

Example: “A mistake was made”.

In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame
anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake.).

Form of Passive

Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular

verbs)

Example: “A letter was written”

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

• the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive
sentence
• the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
• the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive
sentence (or is dropped)
Examples of Passive

Tense Subject Verb Object

Active: Rita writes a letter.

Simple
Present
Passive: A letter is written by Rita.

Active: Rita wrote a letter.

Simple Past
Passive: A letter was written by Rita.

Active: Rita has written a letter.

Present
Perfect Passive: A letter has been written by Rita.

Active: Rita will write a letter.

Future I
Passive: A letter will be written by Rita.

Examples of Passive

Tense Subject Verb Object

Active: Rita is writing a letter.

Present
Progressive Passive: A letter is being written by Rita.

Active: Rita was writing a letter.

Past
Progressive Passive: A letter was being written by Rita.

Active: Rita had written a letter.

Past Perfect
Passive: A letter had been written by Rita.

Active: Rita will have written a letter.

Future II
Passive: A letter will have been written by Rita.
 Active: Rita would write a letter.
Conditional I
Passive: A letter would be written by Rita.

Active: Rita would have written a letter.

Conditional
II would have been
Passive: A letter by Rita.
written

Passive Sentences with Two Objects

-Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means that
one of the two objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an
object. Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you want
to put the focus on.

Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2

Active: Rita wrote a letter to me.

Passive: A letter was written to me by Rita.

Passive: I was written a letter by Rita.

As you can see in the examples, adding by Rita does not sound very
elegant. That’s why it is usually dropped.

Personal and Impersonal Passive

Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active sentence
becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb that needs an
object (transitive verb) can form a personal passive.

Example: “They build houses. – Houses are built”.

Verbs without an object (intransitive verbs) normally cannot form a

personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the subject
of the passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive verb in passive
voice, you need an impersonal construction – therefore this passive is
called Impersonal Passive.

Example: “he says – it is said”

Impersonal Passive is not as common in English as in some other

languages (e.g. German, Latin). In English, Impersonal Passive is only
possible with verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know).

Example: “They say that women live longer than men. – It is said that
women live longer than men”.

Although Impersonal Passive is possible here, Personal Passive is more

common.

Example: “They say that women live longer than men. – Women are
said to live longer than men”.

The subject of the subordinate clause (women) goes to the beginning of the
sentence; the verb of perception is put into passive voice. The rest of the
sentence is added using an infinitive construction with 'to' (certain auxiliary
verbs and that are dropped).

Sometimes the term Personal Passive is used in English lessons if the

indirect object of an active sentence is to become the subject of the passive
sentence.

B) HAVE/GET SOMETHING DONE

TO HAVE / GET SOMETHING DONE

What someone does for us

We use have + object + -ed form when we talk about someone doing
something for us which we ask or instruct them to do. It emphasizes the
process/action rather than who performs it:

Compare the sentences:

I fixed the washing machine. (I did it myself)
I had my washing machine fixed. (I asked someone to fix it for me)
FORM

Tense have/get something done

Present Simple I have/get my hair cut.
Past Simple I had/got my hair cut.
Present Continuous I'm having/getting my hair cut.
Past Continuous I was having/getting my hair cut.
Present Perfect I have had my hair cut.
Past Perfect I had had my hair cut.
will I will have my hair cut.
must I must have my hair cut.
be going to I'm going to have my hair cut.

2. We use CAUSATIVE HAVE to show that you ask someone to do

something.
(have + someone + infinitive without TO.)

I had my sister do my exercises.

They had their mothers pick them at school.

3. We use CAUSATIVE GET to show the idea that someone convinces

another person to do something.
(get + someone + infinitive WITH TO)

I got her to let me copy her homework.

He'll get them to arrive before 10 pm.

4. We use CAUSATIVE MAKE to show the idea 'to force someone to

do something'.
(make + someone + infinitive without TO.)

The mother made her kid do his homework.

Did teacher make you memorize all the poem?
C) IMPERSONAL PRONOUNS “IT” AND “THERE”

Impersonal Verbs

-There are certain verbs in English that cannot take a personal subject
because they are used solely to convey weather conditions. The “subject” is
normally IT.

Ex- “It rains, It thunders, It snows, It is hailing, It is drizzling”

IMP-Please note that even though It has no meaning whatsoever we

MUST write it, it’s what we call “empty subjects” because from the point
of view of the grammar ALL verbs must carry a subject. It is used in ALL
verbal tenses.

Impersonal IT

In many English sentences, you will find the word IT or THERE in the
subject position. These are usually Impersonal sentences- sentences where
there is no “natural” subject. You use these pronouns when:

-Talking about the weather

-Identifying something

-Talking about the time

-Talking about distance

Impersonal THERE

It is used to say that something exists in a particular place.

Ex- “There is a book on the table”, “There are two people shouting on
the street”