More on Passives

Why do we use passive sentences?

• We use the passive voice when the receiver of the action is more important than the one who did it:

The new video game was published today. (We are interested in the video game, not the company that published it)

• We can use the passive when we don't know who did the action:

The jewels were stolen yesterday. (It was a robber but we don't know who)

• We use the passive when we don't need to say who did the action:

The prisoners were taken into prison after the trial. (We know that the police did it)

STEP BY STEP: Formation of the Passive Voice

Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle

A valuable painting was stolen from the Museum by a famous thief (passive)

A famous thief stole a valuable painting from the Museum (active)

A valuable painting was stolen from the Museum by a famous thief (passive)

Note the following changes when rewriting active sentences in the passive voice:

1. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence (A valuable painting)
2. The finite form of the verb is changed (to be  + past participle) (stole→ was stolen).The tense doesn't change (stole= Simple Past, was=Simple Past)
3.  If we want to say who does an action the subject of the active sentence becomes the object using "by" (a famous thief →by a famous thief)
4. But if the subject of the active sentence is a generic expression (people, they, someone), we never use it in the passive.
   They publish this newspaper daily → This newpaper is published daily.
   Someone stole my car yesterday → My car was stolen yesterday.
   
   

Watch these presentations about the present simple passive and the past simple passive:

Present Simple Passive

   Past Simple Passive

Passive Sentences with two objects 

Rewriting an active sentence with two objects (direct object and indirect object) into the passive voice means that one of the two objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an object. Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you want to focus on:

They gave medals to the winners.

a) The winners were given medals 

b) Medals were given to the winners

*Important: we usually prefer the first example because people are more important.

Remember that the first option (changing an indirect object into a passive subject) doesn't exist in Spanish, so the way to translate both is by using an Impersonal construction:

(a/b) A los ganadores se les dio medallas

Impersonal Passive

Some verbs of reporting (say,report, state, rumour) and belief (believe,think) make an impersonal construction using "It" as the subject. Therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive.

They say that Literature is more difficult than Maths. 

→   It is said that Literature is more difficult than Maths.

Note the structure:
It is said/reported/rumoured/believed/thought that.......

¿Por qué se usa la pasiva?

• Usamos la pasiva cuando el afectado de una acción es más importante que quien lo hizo:

The new video game was released today.(Han sacado el nuevo videojuego hoy).(Nos interesa el videojuego, no quien lo saca)

• Podemos usar la pasiva cuando no sabemos quién hizo la acción:

Las joyas fueron robadas ayer.(Era un ladrón, claro, pero no sabemos quién)

• Usamos la pasiva cuando no queremos decir quién hizo la acción

The prisoners were taken to jail after the trial (Se llevaron a los prisioneros a la cárcel después del juicio.) (We know that the police did it)

PASO A PASO: Formación de la pasiva

Sujeto + BE (en un tiempo verbal) + Participio

A valuable painting was stolen from the Museum by a famous thief (pasivo)(Un cuadro valisoso fue robado del Museo por un ladrón famoso)

A famous thief stole a valuable painting from the Museum (activo)(Un ladrón famoso robó un cuadro valioso del museo)

A valuable painting was stolen from the Museum by a famous thief (passive)

Presta atención a los siguientes cambios cuando se cambia una frase active a la pasiva:

1. El objeto de la frase activa se convierte en el sujeto de la frase pasiva sentence (A valuable painting (Un cuadro valioso))
2. La forma del verbo se cambia (to be  + participio) (stole→ was stolen).El tiempo verbal de la frase no cambia (stole= Simple Past, was=Simple Past
3.  Si queremos decir quién hace una acción el sujeto de la frase activa se convierte en el agentemediante la preposición "by"(=por)(a famous thief →by a famous thief)
4. Pero si el sujeto de la frase active es una expresión generica -people, they, someone (la gente, ellos, alguien)-no lo usamos en la pasiva.
   They publish this newspaper daily(Publican este periódico a diario → This newpaper is published daily (Se publica este periódico a diario.)
   Someone stole my car yesterday (Alguien robó mi coche ayer) → My car was stolen yesterday.(Mi coche fue robado ayer)
   

Ver las presentaciones de arriba sobre la pasiva en presente y pasado simple.


Oraciones pasivas con doble objeto

Volver a escribir una oración activa con dos complementos objeto (CD y CI) en la voz pasiva implica que uno de los dos objetos se va a convertir en el sujeto paciente (sujeto pasivo), mientras que el otro se quedará como complemento objeto. La elección de cuál complemento objeto va a ser el sujeto paciente dependerá de lo que queramos enfatizar:

They gave medals to the winners.

a) The winners were given medals 

b) Medals were given to the winners

*Importante: se prefiere utilizar el primer ejemplo ya que las personas son más importantes.

Recuerda que la primera opción (cambiar el CI como sujeto pasivo) no existe en español, así que la forma de traducirlo al español es mediante una constucción impersonal con "se":

(a/b) A los ganadores se les dio medallas

Pasiva Impersonal

Algunos verbos que se usan para informar –say (decir), report (informar), state (afirmar), rumour (rumorear) y para indicar creencia - believe (creer), think (pensar) forman una construcción impersonal usando "It" como sujeto, y esta pasiva se llama Pasiva Impersonal.

They say that Literature is more difficult than Maths. 

→   It is said that Literature is more difficult than Maths

Se dice que la literatura es más difícl que la matemática. 

Fíjae en la estructura:
It is said/reported/rumoured/believed/thought that... ( = Se dice/informa/rumorea/cree que...)

 Practice:  Exercise1,  Exercise2, Exercise3, Exercise4, Exercise5, Exercise6, Exercise7.

Shrove Tuesday

Happy Carnival!

Shrove Tuesday, commonly referred to as 'Pancake Day', is one of my favourite days of the year! Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday - which means the date that we celebrate Pancake Day changes every year. Shrove Tuesday is the last day before Lent starts. In the past, this meant that people would use up all the butter and eggs (which weren't allowed to be eaten during Lent) to make pancakes before Lent began.

When I was younger, my mum would make pancakes for tea. When I went into school the next day, everyone would compare how many pancakes they had managed to eat the night before! I like to have my pancakes with lemon and sugar, but many people like adding jam or Nutella to their pancakes. Pancakes are very easy to make and it's great fun trying to toss pancakes in the air! You can find lots of recipes online if you want to give it a go.

During Lent, many people give something up - for example biscuits or caffeine. A few years ago I gave up crisps; now I don't eat them very often at all! I have also tried giving up sweets and all forms of chocolate at the same time. I really missed having a hot chocolate before bed but I was pleased that I succeeded at going without it for so long. This year, I have decided that I won't give anything up. This is because I want to make the most of my year abroad - whilst in France it would be a shame to deprive myself of all their wonderful bakery delights. Some people choose to take something up for Lent instead - for example going for a jog every morning. 

Whether or not you choose to give up (or take up!) anything for Lent, everyone can enjoy pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. My family is visiting me next week - it'll be so much nicer to celebrate Pancake Day with them, instead of just eating pancakes alone!

 

¡Feliz Carnaval!

El Martes de Carnaval, comúnmente conocido como 'Pancake Day', es uno de mis días favoritos del año. El Martes de Carnaval siempre cae 47 días antes del Domingo de Pascua - lo que significa que la fecha en que se celebra el Día del Panqueque cambia cada año. El Martes de Carnaval es el último día antes de que comience la Cuaresma. En el pasado, esto significaba que la gente usaba toda la mantequilla y huevos (que no se les permitía comer durante la Cuaresma) para hacer panqueques antes de la Cuaresma comenzara.

Cuando era pequeño, mi madre hacía panqueques para el té. Cuando al día siguiente iba a la escuela, todo el mundo comparaba la cantidad de panqueques que habían conseguido comerse la noche anterior. Me gusta prepararme mis panqueques con limón y azúcar, pero a muchos les gusta añadir mermelada o Nutella a sus panqueques. Las crepes son muy fáciles de hacer y es muy divertido tratar de tirar las crepes en el aire! Podéis encontrar un montón de recetas online si queréis intentarlo.

Durante la Cuaresma, muchas personas dejan de tomar cosas- por ejemplo galletas o cafeína. Hace unos años dejé de tomar patatas fritas; ahora ya no las como mucho. También he intentado renunciar a los dulces y a todos los tipos de chocolate al mismo tiempo. Echaba de menos un chocolatito caliente antes de acostarme, pero me alegró que consiguiera dejarlo por tanto tiempo. Este año, he decidido que no voy a renunciar a nada. Esto es porque quiero pasar la mayor parte del año en el extranjero -mientras que esté en Francia sería una pena privarme de todas sus maravillosas delicias de bollería. Algunas personas optan por hacer algo nuevo en la Cuaresma en vez de dejar de hacer cosas- por ejemplo, ir a correr todas las mañanas.

Independientemente de si decides renunciar a (¡o empezar!) algo para la Cuaresma, todo el mundo puede disfrutar de crepes en el martes de carnaval. Mi familia me va a visitar la próxima semana - será mucho más agradable celebrar el Día del Panqueque con ellos, en lugar de comer tortitas solito.

High vs. Highly

Hi guys!

High (adjective and adverb) has different meanings:

1) extending or reaching some considerable distance above the ground level.

2) important, chief.

3) very great level of sound that the ear can perceive.

4) excited, very happy. (in high spirits = very happy)

Examples: 
The palace is surrounded by a high wall.

She screamed in a higher voice than his.

Mt. Everest in the Himalayas is the highest peak in the world.

  

Remember that ‘high’ is uninflected, i.e. it has the same spelling in adjective and adverb form. 

The building is built on the high level ground.  (high – adjective)

The batsman hit the ball high into the air.  (high – adverb)
Peter can jump high. (high – adverb)  

And ‘high’ is also used as a noun, e.g.:
This year the temperatures reached an all time high.

 "Highly” is an adverb and it means ‘extremely; to a high degree; to a great extent; very’.  It is often used for qualifying adjectives and those adjectives formed from the past participles of verb words:

Watching films in English is highly recommended. [i.e. it's very advisable] 
She speaks highly of her boss.  [i.e. she says good things about her boss with great respect]

He is a highly skilled carpenter.  [i.e. his work is very, very good; he works with great skill]

They are highly paid technicians.  [i.e. they know so much about their job and can do their job 
                                                              so well that they are paid very, very much]

Note that “highly” is not the derivative of the adjective and adverb word ‘high’. For example, with the word ‘quick’, which is an adjective word categorically, has “quickly” as its adverb form, but ‘high’ has the same form as an adjective and as an adverb.

Some of the common words that follow ‘high’ are:  
high-born, high rent, high morale, high-sounding, high-pitched, high-level, high-brow, high spirits (excited/very happy), etc.  Some of the common words that follow ‘highly’ are: highly desirable, highly infectious, highly controversial, highly qualified, highly recommended, highly paid, highly praised, highly seasoned (food), highly-strung (excited), highly dangerous, etc.



¡Hola chicos!

High (adjetivo y adverbio) tiene varios significados:

1) que llega o alcanza a una distancia considerable por encima del nivel del suelo.

2) importante.

3) alto nivel de sonido que se puede percibir por el oído.

4) muy feliz, emocionado. (in high spirits = very happy)

Ejemplos: 
The palace is surrounded by a high wall.

She screamed in a higher voice than his.

Mt. Everest in the Himalayas is the highest peak in the world.

  

Recordad que ‘high’ no admite inflexión, es decir, que tiene la misma forma para el adjetivo y para el adverbio. 

The building is built on the high level ground.  (high – adjective)

The batsman hit the ball high into the air.  (high – adverb)

Peter can jump high. (high – adverb)  

Y ‘high’ puede también usarse como sustantivo, por ejemeplo: 
This year the temperatures reached an all time high.

 "Highly” es un adverbio y significa 'extremadamente, en alto grado, altamente, muy'. A menudo se usa para cualificar adjetivos y con los adjetivos que se forman con participios de pasado: 

Watching films in English is highly recommended. [se recomienda mucho ver cine en inglés]
She speaks highly of her boss.  [ella dice cosas buenas de su jefe con respeto]

He is a highly skilled carpenter.  [su trabajo es muy, muy bueno, trabaja con gran habilidad]
They are highly paid technicians.  [saben mucho sobre su trabajo y pueden hacerlo tan bien 
                                                             que se les paga muchísimo]

Ten en cuenta que “highly” no es la forma derivada del adjetivo o adverbio 'high’. Por ejemplo, con la palabra ‘quick’, que es un adjetivo, tiene “quickly” como su forma de adverbio, pero  ‘high’ tiene la misma forma para adjetivo y adverbio. 

Algunas palabras típicas que van con ‘high’ son:  
high-born, high rent, high morale, high-sounding, high-pitched, high-level, high-brow, high spirits (excited/very happy), etc.  Some of the common words that follow ‘highly’ are: highly desirable, highly infectious, highly controversial, highly qualified, highly recommended, highly paid, highly praised, highly seasoned (food), highly-strung (excited), highly dangerous, etc.