UNIt 8b
Remember to distinguish between:
1. VOCABULARY
History
5. GRAMMAR
The passive
In the active sentence, the focus is more on the person.
Peter Jackson directed The Lord of the Rings.
In the passive sentence the focus is more on the film.
The Lord of the Rings was directed by Peter Jackson.
The passive is often used in English where other languages use an impersonal subject, e.g.
It is said that they won't be invited to the wedding
(Se dice que ...)
It's made in
(Se hace en / Hecho en) ...
Olives are grown in most regions of Spain.
(Crecen en)...
My wallet has been stolen!
(Me han robado ...)
Typical mistakes:
· using the active instead of the passive
The tickets sell at a newsagent's; The tickets are sold at a newsagent's.
The house is going to be paint next week; The house is going to be painted next week.
· don't think you always have to use by (somebody) when you make a passive sentence.
· problems of form, e.g. leaving out the verb be or not using the participle correctly.
Impersonal you
The impersonal you is often used for generalizations about people and with rules and laws.
It is more common in spoken English than in formal writing.
you = people in general
You can't learn German in two weeks.
you as an impersonal object
Healthy food is good for you.
The passive
In the active sentence, the focus is more on the person.
Peter Jackson directed The Lord of the Rings.
In the passive sentence the focus is more on the film.
The Lord of the Rings was directed by Peter Jackson.
The passive is often used in English where other languages use an impersonal subject, e.g.
It is said that they won't be invited to the wedding
(Se dice que ...)
It's made in
(Se hace en / Hecho en) ...
Olives are grown in most regions of Spain.
(Crecen en)...
My wallet has been stolen!
(Me han robado ...)
Typical mistakes:
· using the active instead of the passive
The tickets sell at a newsagent's; The tickets are sold at a newsagent's.
The house is going to be paint next week; The house is going to be painted next week.
· don't think you always have to use by (somebody) when you make a passive sentence.
· problems of form, e.g. leaving out the verb be or not using the participle correctly.
Impersonal you
The impersonal you is often used for generalizations about people and with rules and laws.
It is more common in spoken English than in formal writing.
you = people in general
You can't learn German in two weeks.
you as an impersonal object
Healthy food is good for you.