Passive Voice in English: A Crime Story

The Local Times

$1.25

Monday, March 17, 2014

Vol XCIII, No. 311

The bank robbers have not been found

Many clues were left at the bank

Bank Robbery at First National Bank

Find the passive voice sentences!

$1,000,000 was stolen

No bank customers were hurt

Several customers were interviewed about the robbery

Police were called to the First National Bank yesterday. The bank was robbed at 12:15pm. One million dollars was stolen. No customers were hurt, but one robber

was shot by police.

Seventeen customers were in the bank at the time of the robbery. They followed the instructions of the robbers, and dropped to the ground. No customers were hurt in the robbery. One robber was shot by a police officer when he tried to leave the bank. The robber was hit by one bullet, but he escaped with the other robbers. They drove away in a white truck. Some of the customers were interviewed on TV about the robbery. They were happy to be alive after this terrible experience.

Find the passive voice sentences!

When the robber was shot, I screamed.

The robbers were caught on video

Clues are being investigated

The robbery was filmed by security cameras

Fingerprints were found at the bank

Find the passive voice sentences!

Many clues were left at the bank. The most important clues are fingerprints of the robbers. The fingerprints were found on the desk, on the doors, and on the guns. Two guns were left at the bank as the robbers escaped in a car. One robber was shot, and the blood he left on the floor is another important clue. The fingerprints and the blood are being studied by police investigators.

The robbers were filmed by the bank's cameras, but they have not been identified yet. The video is being analyzed by the police. Call the police if you have any information.

Find the passive voice sentences!

Passive voice is used when the subject is unknown or not important.

How do we make a passive voice sentence?

What are the past simple forms

of the verb BE?

Bring the object to the beginning of the sentence and delete the subject.

I was

you were

he, she, it was

we were

they were

Change the verb: add a form of BE in front of the verb, and use the past participle of the verb.

The bank was robbed.

We don't know who did it.

Complete each sentence with the passive voice:

rob

The bank ___ _______ yesterday.

Many clues were found.

$1,000,000 ___ _______ from the bank.

steal

It's not important who found them.

No customers ___ _______ in the robbery.

hurt

One robber ___ _______ by a police officer.

shoot

The focus is on the object.

find

Many clues ___ _______ at the bank.

film

The robbery ___ _______ by security cameras.

ANSWERS

rob

The bank was robbed yesterday.

$1,000,000 was stolen from the bank.

steal

No customers were hurt in the robbery.

hurt

One robber was shot by a police officer.

shoot

find

Many clues were found at the bank.

film

The robbery was filmed by security cameras.

Complete each sentence with the passive voice:

leave

Two guns ___ _______ at the bank.

Fingerprints ___ _______ on the doors

find

The customers ___ _______ on TV.

interview

The white truck ___ _______ leaving the robbery.

see

call

The police ___ _______ to the scene of the crime.

catch

The robbers ___ _______ on camera.

ANSWERS

leave

Two guns were left at the bank.

Fingerprints were found on the doors

find

The customers were interviewed on TV.

interview

The white truck was seen leaving the robbery.

see

call

The police were called to the scene of the crime.

catch

The robbers were caught on camera.

We make passive voice by:

In these examples, BE is in past simple,

so the sentences are passive voice past simple.

For more practice:

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive/exercises

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive/exercises?02

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive/exercises?simple-present

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive/exercises?simple-past

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive/exercises?simple-present-2

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive/exercises?simple-past-2

Example:

Someone found fingerprints.

Fingerprints were found.

By Jen McCoy