gave it to me first!” (active) “He The active emphasises the action. (passive) It was given to me first by him. → necklace has been stolen,” said “My The passive emphasises the action, rather than the anonymous person Bobby thinks has stolen the necklace. (active) Someone has stolen my necklace! → has taken my necklace,” (active) “Someone The active emphasises the action rather than the end result. (passive) My necklace has been taken. → is a less emphatic word than so it works less well here in the passive. ‘Taken’ ‘stolen’, Who could have stolen them?” (active) The active emphasises the mysterious unknown person and the action, rather than the result. (passive) Who could they have been stolen by? → think (active) “I is a stative verb giving Bobby’s opinion, so it is active. ‘Think’ (passive) is thought by me. → This sounds strange, both because we do not usually say by me’ and because ‘thought ‘think’ is a stative verb and so it is usually used in the active. it was someone [who is] employed by the railway,” (passive) The passive emphasises the fact that the person is employed by the railway. We do not know his or her name. This is a shortened relative clause that leaves out the words is’. ‘who (active) Someone the railway employs →
“He gave it to me first!” (active) The active emphasises the action. → (passive) It was given to me first by him. “My necklace has been stolen,” said The passive emphasises the action, rather than the anonymous person Bobby thinks has stolen the necklace. → (active) Someone has stolen my necklace! “Someone has taken my necklace,” (active) The active emphasises the action rather than the end result. → (passive) My necklace has been taken. ‘Taken’ is a less emphatic word than ‘stolen’, so it works less well here in the passive. Who could have stolen them?” (active) The active emphasises the mysterious unknown person and the action, rather than the result. → (passive) Who could they have been stolen by? “I think (active) ‘Think’ is a stative verb giving Bobby’s opinion, so it is active. → (passive) is thought by me. This sounds strange, both because we do not usually say ‘thought by me’ and because ‘think’ is a stative verb and so it is usually used in the active. it was someone [who is] employed by the railway,” (passive) The passive emphasises the fact that the person is employed by the railway. We do not know his or her name. This is a shortened relative clause that leaves out the words ‘who is’. → (active) Someone the railway employs
passives_exercises_english_for_uni.docx