The verb tenses you’ve learned so far have all been in the active voice.  In the active voice the subject does the verb.  We usually don’t tell you this because in the beginning it’s not important.  In the passive voice the subject does not do the verb.  This is because the subject in the passive voice is the object in the active voice.

Examples:

The dog bit the boy.  (active)
The boy was bitten by the dog.  (passive)

A thief stole his motorcycle.  (active)
His motorcycle was stolen by a thief.   (passive)

The police arrested the thieves.  (active)
The thieves were arrested by the police.   (passive)

To form the passive, put the verb be in the same tense as the main verb in the active sentence, and then add the past participle of this main verb.  The subject in the active sentence is put after the verb in a prepositional phrase starting with by. It is then called the agent.

Examples:

My friends and I finished the job in three days.  (active)
The job was finished in three days by my friends and me. (agent = my friends and me)
Note:  I changes to me because it is now an object, not a subject.

Most of the students passed the test.  (active)
The test was passed by most of the students. (agent = most of the students)

His grandfather built a tree house in the back yard.  (active)
A tree house was built in the back yard by his grandfather. (agent = his grandfather)

If there is a modal verb, then put be after the modal in the passive.

Examples:

The children must do all homework before bedtime.  (active)
All homework must be done by the children before bedtime.

I couldn’t read his handwriting.  (active)
His handwriting couldn’t be read by me.

He promised me that he would finish everything by Friday.  (active)
He promised me that everything would be finished by Friday.

If there is no object in an active sentence, then the sentence cannot be made passive.

Examples:

We all went to the movies after dinner.  (We went who / what? = no answer / no object)

After the movie, everyone was crying.  (Everyone was crying who / what? = no answer / no object)

The agent in the passive voice can go after the verb or at the end of the sentence.

Examples:

Parents teach their children to be polite.  (active)
Children are taught to be polite by their parents.
OR:  Children are taught by their parents to be polite. (agent = their parents)

Her mother named her after her grandmother.  (active)
She was named after her grandmother by her mother.
OR:  She was named by her mother after her grandmother. [agent = her mother]

His parents gave him a laptop on his graduation from high school.  (active)
He was given a laptop by his parents on his graduation from high school.
OR:  He was given a laptop on his graduation from high school by his parents.  [agent = his parents]

The agent is dropped in the passive voice for 3 reasons.

Reason 1:

When the subject is not important (it doesn’t add any real information), then you can drop it, especially when it’s they, people, someone or any other general subject.

Examples:

People call this river the Columbia River.  (active)
This river is called the Columbia River.  (passive) (by people is not important)

Someone lost this cell phone on the bus.  (active)
This cell phone was lost on the bus.  (passive) (by someone is not important)

They grow lots of rice in Asia.   (active)
Lots of rice is grown in Asia.  (passive) (by them is not important)

Reason 2:

When the subject is unknown. (no one knows)

Examples:

Someone stole my bike.
My bike was stolen. (by someone is unknown)

They broke the mirror in the move.
The mirror was broken in the move. (by them is unknown)

I know someone will buy that car today.
I know that car will be bought today. (by someone is unknown)

Reason 3:

When the subject is obvious (everyone knows who it is.)

Examples:

The teacher gave him a C on his composition.
He was given a C on his competition. (by teachers is obvious because only teachers mark compositions)

The police arrested him late yesterday afternoon.
He was arrested late yesterday afternoon. (by the police is obvious because only the police arrest people)

An artist painted a mural on the side of the building.
A mural was painted on the side of the building. (by an artist is obvious because only artists paint)

However, when the agent is important, such as a name, you must include it in the sentence.

Examples:

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.  (active)
The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.

Leonardo DaVinci painted the Mona Lisa.  (active)
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo DaVinci.

The Ford Motor Company produced the first Model T Ford in 1908.  (active)
The first Model T Ford was produced in 1908 by the Ford Motor Company.

When there is both a direct object and an indirect object, either one can be the subject of the passive voice, but it is more common to use the indirect object.

Examples:

My parents gave me a bicycle for my birthday.
I was given a bicycle for my birthday.  (commonly used)
A bicycle was given to me for my birthday.  (not often used)

After the ballet, they presented her with a bouquet of flowers.
After the ballet, she was presented with a bouquet of flowers.  (commonly used)
After the ballet, a bouquet of flowers was presented to her.  (not often used)

They told him their secret.
He was told their secret.  [commonly used]
Their secret was told to him.  [not often used]

The verb get can also be used in place of be.  Get is most often used:

When the result is negative.

Examples:

A fire destroyed the factory.  (active)
The factory got destroyed in a fire.  (destroyed is a negative result)
OR:  The factory was destroyed in a fire.

Her boss fired her for her sloppy and incomplete work.  (active)
She got fired for her sloppy and incomplete work.  (sloppy and incomplete are negative)
OR:  She was fired for her sloppy and incomplete work.

If he tells the truth, his parents won’t punish him.  (active)
If he tells the truth, he won’t get punished.  (punished is negative)
OR:  If he tells the truth, he won’t be punished.

When the result happened because of some action that was done.

Examples:

They finally painted the porch.  (active)
The porch finally got painted.  (action = painting)
OR:  The porch was finally painted.

The Canadian people elected Pierre Trudeau Prime Minister in 1968.  (active)
Pierre Trudeau got elected Prime Minister in 1968.  (action = running for election)
OR:  Pierre Trudeau was elected Prime Minister in 1968.

Did the company reimburse you for the meal yesterday?  (active)
Did you get reimbursed for the meal yesterday?   (action = asking the company)
OR:  Were you reimbursed for the meal yesterday?

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

bake: to cook in the oven, to make very hot
All afternoon she baked cookies for the party
Everyone was baking in the hot summer sun.

cheat: to not follow the rules
He can’t go back to the casino because they caught him cheating at cards.
When he was dividing the money, he cheated and kept more for himself.

chop: to cut with an axe or knife
He chopped wood all afternoon for the fireplace.
While he fried the meat, she chopped the onions and peppers for the spaghetti sauce.

create: to make an idea real
They brought in sand and created a beach in their backyard.
She created a beautiful logo for her new company.

flow: to move along like water
The oil from his car flowed all over the garage floor.
The water from washing his car flowed down the driveway into the street.

grab: to take forcefully with the hand
The thief grabbed her purse and ran out the door.
As he started to fall, he grabbed onto the railing.

invite: to ask someone to do an enjoyable thing you’ve planned
She invited him over for dinner.
They invited him to speak at the conference.

rescue: to save from danger
The fire fighter recued the babies from the burning house.
The organization rescues lost dogs.

scare: to make someone afraid
She hid behind the door so she could scare her brother when he entered.
The government wants to scare us into believing that we need more security.

skip: to not do
Do this grammar exercise, but skip part B; it’s too difficult for this level.
I have to make sure all these addresses are correct, and I can’t skip any of them.

store: to keep for future use
They stored their old bikes in the garage.
We rented a storage locker to store all the furniture that wouldn’t fit in the new house.

weigh: to find the weight (of something), to have the weight
If you’re on a diet, don’t weigh yourself everyday.
All the apples weighed two kilos.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

by Pink

an American singer and songwriter, whose non-stage name is Alecia Beth Moore.  This song is from her album “Greatest Hits…So Far,” released on December 14, 2010.  It was co-written by Max Martin and Shellback.

Made a wrong turn once or twice
Dug my way out blood and fire
Bad decisions, that’s alright
Welcome to my silly life

Mistreated, Misplaced, Misunderstood
Miss no way, it’s all good, it didn’t slow me down
Mistaken, always second guessing
Underestimated, look I’m still around

Pretty, pretty please, don’t you ever, ever feel
Like you’re less than, less than perfect
Pretty, pretty please if you ever, ever feel
Like you’re nothing, you are perfect to me

You’re so mean when you talk
About yourself, you are wrong
Change the voices in your head
Make them like you instead

So complicated, look how big you’ll make it
Filled with so much hatred, such a tired game
It’s enough, I’ve done all I can think of
Chased down all my demons, see you do the same

Oh, oh, pretty, pretty please, don’t you ever ever feel
Like you’re less than, less than perfect
Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel
Like you’re nothing, you are perfect to me

The whole world stares so I swallow my fear
The only thing I should be drinking is an ice cold beer
So cool in lying and we tried, tried, tried
But we tried to hard, it’s a waste of my time

Done looking for the critics ’cause they’re everywhere
They don’t like my jeans, they don’t get my hair
Strange ourselves and we do it all the time
Why do we do that? Why do I do that? Why do I do that?

Yeah, oh, oh, pretty, pretty, pretty
Pretty, pretty please, don’t you ever, ever feel
Like you’re less than, less than perfect
Pretty, pretty please, if you ever ever feel
Like you’re nothing, you are perfect to me, yeah

You’re perfect, you’re perfect to me
Pretty, pretty please, don’t you ever, ever feel
Like you’re less than, less than perfect
Pretty, pretty please, if you ever ever feel
Like you’re nothing, you are perfect to me

Vocabulary:

wrong turn:  bad choice in life
blood and fire:  very bad situations
silly:  imperfect
second guessing:  thinking your first decision was wrong
underestimated:  not thought by others that you’re good enough
mean:  not nice, nasty
hatred:  hating yourself
demons:  things that frighten her or make her feel bad
cool in:  okay with
critics:  people whose jobs are to say what they think is good or bad.
strange:  not knowing

© 2015 Ambien Malecot for vocabulary lesson only

Conversation:

Greg:  I just came into a lot of money.  My rich uncle died and left me a tidy sum in stocks, bonds and property in his will.  All in all, I think it’s in the neighborhood of half a million dollars.

Sarah:  Hey!  That’s good news.  What are you going to do with all that money?

Greg:  I don’t have the money yet.  There’s a lot of red tape. They tell me it could take up to six months to probate his will, which does me no good in the short run. I’m under the gun to pay next semester’s tuition.

Sarah:  You should keep this news on the q.t.   If our friends got wind of this, they’d all be looking for a handout.

Greg:  You’re probably right.  Let’s keep this between us for now.  You know, all my life I’ve been struggling with money.  It’s about time I got a break.  Finally, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Vocabulary:

stocks:  shares in the profits of a company
bonds:  loans to a company or government
will:  a legal paper that states where your property will go after you die
probate:  determine if a will is legal
handout:  something given for free
struggling:  having a hard time

Idioms:

• come into                                              receive (money)
• a tidy sum                                              a large amount of money
• all in all                                                    all together
• in the neighborhood of                  around, about
• red tape                                                   legal requirements and delays
• in the short run                                   over a short period of time, in the near future
• under the gun                                      needing to do something fast
• on the q.t.                                               a secret [q.t. = quiet]
• get wind of                                             hear about
• it’s about time                                      it took too long to happen
• get a break                                             get some good luck
• light at the end of the tunnel      an easier time in the future

Notes:

All in all can also be shortened to in all.

In the short run has an opposite: in the long run, which means over a long period of time.
In the short run can also be in the short term, and the opposite can also be in the long term or over the long term.

Get a break is the opposite of give (someone) a break, which means to give someone some luck by not doing anything bad to them.

© 2014 Ambien Malecot

Subjects, such as I, the boy, and everyone, come before verbs, but objects come after verbs. There are 2 kinds of objects:

Direct objects answer the question “who” or “what.”

Examples:
My roommate lost his keys.  My roommate lost what? – his keys.
I know the answer.  I know what? – the answer.
She loves her boyfriend.  She loves who? – her boyfriend.

Indirect objects answer the question “to whom” or “to what” (sometimes “for whom” or “for what”) and are used together with direct objects.

Examples:
I gave the dog a bone.
I gave a bone to what? – the dog.

He bought a diamond ring for his girlfriend.
He bought a diamond ring for whom? – his girlfriend.

We told the police officer the truth.
We told the truth to whom? – the police officer.

Direct and indirect object pronouns can replace the nouns:

Examples:
My roommate lost them. (his keys)
I know it. (the answer)
She loves him. (her boyfriend)
I gave it a bone. (the dog)
He introduced her to them. (his girlfriend / his parents)
We told him the truth. (the police officer)

Object pronouns are used after prepositions.

Examples:
Would you come to the dance with me this Saturday night?
I did all of this for you.
Because of them, I decided to join the team.
This is between you and me, so don’t tell anyone.
She sits across from us in class.

The list of direct and indirect object pronouns is:

Me, you, him, her, it, one, us, them

Note:  It replaces nouns beginning with the, this or that.
One replaces nouns beginning with a.

If you put the indirect object before the direct object, don’t use to (sometimes for.) However, if you put the direct object first, then use to (sometimes for) before the indirect object.

Examples:
I gave her my phone number.
I gave my phone number to her.
I gave her it.
I gave it to her.

She bought me a T-shirt.
She bought a T-shirt for me.
She bought me one.
She bought one for me.

They told us their reasons.
They told their reasons to us.
They told us them.
They told them to us.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

by Greg Gage

a neuroscientist and engineer who is passionate about helping students understand how our brains and our neurons work, because as he said, “We still know very little about how the brain works, and we need to start inspiring kids early to want to know more.

First preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Vocabulary:

organ: important part of the body
complex: complicated, not simple
access: interact with
neurological disorder: problem with the brain, mental illness
affordable: inexpensive
DIY: do it yourself
demonstration: showing something
electrodes: pads that read and send electricity
neurons:  brain cells
motor cortex: part of the brain that controls movement
spinal chord: nerve in the backbone
free will: ability to choose
weird: strange

© 2014 Ambien Malecot

LINC stands for Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada and is the standard for the entire country of Canada.  This grammar test will tell you if you are ready for a LINC 6 ( Upper Intermediate) class.  A score of Excellent or Good  is a pass.

Multiple choice.  Choose the correct answer:  a,b,c or d.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

become: to change or grow to be
When he heard his name called, he became nervous.
You will become a better student if you learn how to study.

bump: to hit with a little force
Coming out of the parking space, he bumped the car behind him.
She bumped her head on the table and had to go to the hospital.

charge: to ask for payment, put on a credit card
He only charged me $10 to fix my tire.
Since I don’t have the cash, I’ll have to charge it.

decorate: to make fancy with beautiful additions
We need to decorate this room for the party tonight.
The school decorated the walls with art that the students made.

deliver: to bring to someone
The post office will deliver that package for you.
Does the restaurant deliver pizza or do we have to go there?

harm: to hurt, injure
She harmed her plants by not watering them for two weeks.
Too much sun can harm your skin.

join: to become part of
We would love you to join us for coffee after class.
At age eighteen, he joined the navy.

obey: to do what someone else tells you to do
Children should always obey their parents.
If you don’t obey the rules, you will be asked to leave.

scrub: to clean by rubbing hard
She scrubbed the floor on her hands and knees for hours.
The child scrubbed the dirt off his hands.

snore: to make a loud breathing noise while sleeping
Her husband sleeps in another bedroom because he snores all night.
Many students fell asleep and some snored during class.

tease:   to playfully make someone feel bad.
The boy was teased at school for not being athletic.
The boy is always teasing his little sister.

wonder: to think about possibilities
I wonder what she’s doing right now?
She’ll always wonder if he was the right one.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

attack: to begin fighting
I was walking through a park when a dog attacked me.
The army will attack the enemy in the early morning.

blink: to close and open both eyes quickly
The bright lights made him blink several times.
If you have something in your eye, look down and blink rapidly.

coach: to show (someone) how to do something
My teacher coached me on how to do a good interview.
In her spare time she coaches a girls volleyball team.

crash: to break or be destroyed with a loud noise
The car crashed through the wall into the living room.
The plane crashed into the side of a mountain.

earn: to get in return for working or investing
He earns enough money to support a big family.
She doesn’t earn much interest on her savings account.

fail: to not get what you want, not succeed
They failed to fix the problem, so they had to call an expert.
Her daughter failed math again this term.

laugh: to make a sound of pleasure or joy
She laughs at all my jokes.
People were laughing and having a wonderful time at the party.

repeat: to say or do again
The teacher said the new word and all the children repeated it.
Could you please repeat that; I didn’t hear you the first time.

rush: to go fast
The kids rushed to the cafeteria when the lunch bell rang.
I have to rush this morning. I’m a little late.

scratch: to rub hard with your fingernails
My cats like it when I scratch their cheeks.
He scratched his head trying to think of a solution to his problem.

tap: to hit lightly
She tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.
I hear a bird tapping on the window.

worry: to think a bad thing will happen
Don’t worry; we’ll find your keys.
Her parents worried that she was all alone.

Pronunciation Exercise: Listen and repeat the above vocabulary on the audio file below.

Use these flashcards to help you study.

When you think you’re ready, do the following exercise.

© 2013 Ambien Malecot

This exercise tests the following verb tenses:  simple present, simple past, past continuous, simple future, present perfect, present perfect continuous, future continuous, past perfect, past perfect continuous, future perfect, and future perfect continuous

© 2013 Ambien Malecot