1. Primary Longman Elect
6A Chapter 7
The passive voice

2. = ‘be’ + past participle
The passive voice
We use the passive voice when we want to focus on the action, not the person who does it. Sometimes the person who does the action is unknown.
People perform the lion dance at Chinese New Year.
The lion dance
is performed
at Chinese New Year.
= ‘be’ + past participle

3. The passive voice
We use the passive voice when we want to focus on the action, not the person who does it. Sometimes the person who does the action is unknown.
People watch firework displays at Chinese New Year.
Firework displays
are watched
at Chinese New Year.

4. The passive voice — Regular verbs
Present
Past Participle
clean
cleaned
decorate
decorated
display
displayed
perform
performed
place
placed
play
played
tie
tied
visit
visited
watch
watched

5. The passive voice — Irregular verbs
Present
Past Participle
buy
bought
eat
eaten
give
given
light
lit / lighted
make
made
sell
sold
sweep
swept
take
taken
throw
thrown
wear
worn

6. passive = be + past participle
Key structure
Active
People perform the lion dance at Chinese New Year.
Passive
The lion dance is performed at Chinese New Year.
Active
People watch firework displays at Chinese New Year.
Passive
Firework displays are watched at Chinese New Year.
passive = be + past participle

7. Practice Change the holiday tradition into the passive voice.
People decorate Christmas trees at Christmas.
Christmas trees are decorated at Christmas.

8. Practice Change the holiday tradition into the passive voice.
People sweep graves at Ching Ming Festival.
Graves are swept at Ching Ming Festival.

9. Practice Change the holiday tradition into the passive voice.
People give red packets to children at Chinese New Year.
Red packets are given to children at Chinese New Year.

10. Practice Change the holiday tradition into the passive voice.
People eat moon cakes at Mid-Autumn Festival.
Moon cakes are eaten at Mid-Autumn Festival.

11. Practice Change the holiday tradition into the passive voice.
People buy good luck flowers at Chinese New Year.
Good luck flowers are bought at Chinese New Year.

12. Practice Change the holiday tradition into the passive voice.
People watch dragon boat races at Dragon Boat Festival.
Dragon boat races are watched at Dragon Boat Festival.

13. Practice Change the holiday tradition into the passive voice.
People eat chocolate eggs at Easter.
Chocolate eggs are eaten at Easter.

14. The End