PASSSIVE VOICE (2 MARKS)

LESSON SPECIFIED FOR ‘PASSIVE VOICE’ ARE ‘TOO DEAR’ AND ‘THE VOTER’

Passive voice sentences in ‘Too Dear’

1. The gaming houses were forbidden by little German sovereigns.
2. A murder was committed.
3. A council was called.
4. So, the letter was written and a prompt reply was received.
5. There was a small lock up where the people were kept temporarily.
6. The matter was announced.

Passive voice sentences in the ‘The Voter’

1. We are favoured by the leaders of PAP.
2. She was roundly and publicly rebuked by her husband.
3. POP had been formed by the tribes of the down coast.
4. No words were wasted.
5. He was confronted by the car and the head.

Observation (1)

1. A man (1) committed murder (2)
2. The authorities (1) wrote a letter (2).
3. The king (1) placed the guard (2).
4. The kinglet (1) noticed the new item of expenditure (2).

• No 1 stands for ‘subject’ or doer of action.
• No 2 stands for ‘action’
• sentences have both -subject an action
• subject is in first priority and action is in second priority.
•  so, these are active voice sentence

OBSERVATION

1. a murder was committed (1).
2. A letter was written (1).
3. The guard was placed (1).
4. The new item of expenditure was noticed.
5. A murder was committed by a man.

• The sentences from 1-4 have actions only.
• Such sentences may/ may not have the subject
• The reason is – the subject may not be available or there is no need to mention it.
• The sentence 5 has action as well as subject joined by – ‘by’
• Action is in first priority and subject is in second priority if it is mentioned.
• So, these are passive voice sentence.

• CASE 1 (with V1 only)

Some years ago, a murder was committed. the case ……………… (1) ……………. (try) with most judicial manner. The verdict …………. (2) …………. (confirm) by the king of Monaco.

• Find the tense indicator                                            some years ago(past)
• Number of the subject                                               a murder (singular)
• Find the corresponding helping verbs                  1) was                 2) was
• V3 or past participle of v1                                        1) tried                 2) confirmed.

(Was tried)         (was confirmed)

• CASE 2 (with modal and v1)

The king of Italy was a brother monarch……………… (1) ……………. [might, induce] to do the things cheaper. So, the letter……………. (2) …………….. [write] and a prompt reply was received

• Might is a modal verb.
• Modal verb has a common form for singular as well as plural subjects.
• For example, I can, she can, you can, we can, they can
• Helping verb (modal):                                 might
• Addition                                                           be
• V3 of induce                                                   induced

might be induced, was written

• CASE 3 (have form +v1)

When asked the soldiers said, “it is not a thing we …………………… (have teach)

• Helping verb                                                   have given
• Addition                                                           been
• V3                                                                      taught

Have been given

Approaches to form v3 of irregular verbs

1. By adding ‘d’,’ ed’, and ‘ed’          – prepare-prepared, inform-informed, try-tried
2. Irregular approach                        – keep-kept, send-sent, write-written, forbade-forbidden,
3. No change in v1                             – put-put, cut-cut

Note:

• you are advised not to take for granted that passive voice construction happens in past tense only.
• Sometime It happens in past and present tense for e.g.

The general was called and he ………………. (ask) to provide a soldier to cut the criminals head off. When general asked the soldiers said, “it is not a thing we …………….” (have teach)

Ans: was asked, have been taught

 Fill in the blanks by choosing the right form of the verb given in the bracket

LESSON: TOO DEAR

1. few years ago, a man committed murder. The case……………… [try]in the most judicial manner. The criminal……………… [sentence] to death.

• Letter was sent to the French government. A prompt reply ………………[receive]. it said that a machine and an expert……………. [could supply] but the cost would be 16,000 francs.

• The king called the general. He ………………[asks] to find our soldier who would cut the man’s head off. The general talked it over with the soldiers. But the soldiers said, “it is not a thing we ……………… [have, teach].

• The criminal refused to run away from the prison. So, it ………………[decided] to offer the criminal a pension. The pension fixed was 600 francs. This……………… [announced] to the prisoner.

• The crime was reported to the Prince of Monaco. The prince……………. [amaze] for a murder committed in his toy kingdom. The ministers……………… [summon] to discuss the matter.

• A man committed murder in the toy Kingdom, a council……………… [call] to consider what……………. [could, do]. It was decided to send a letter to the king of Italy,

• The king of Italy was a brother monarch, and……………… [might, induce] to do the thing cheaper. So, the letter……………. [write], and a prompt reply was received.

• The council met again. The general……………. [summon] and he ……………. [instruct] to ask to provide a soldier to cut the criminals head off.

• The prince agreed to this and the matter……………. [arrange]. There was a small lockup where people……………… [keep] temporarily.

1. Some of the little German sovereigns used to keep the gaming houses. The reason they ………………[stop] was done they caused harm to the people. So gaming houses……………… [forbid].

1. The king looked over the account. New item of expenditure……………… [notice] by the prince. More than 600 francs……………… [spend] for a year.

LESSON: THE VOTER

1. Roof was a young man. he……………. [know] to everyone in Umuofia. The POP campaigner met him at night. No words ……………. [Waste] between them.
2. Marcus Ibe was the PAP candidate. He……………. [warn] about the radical change in the thinking of Umuofia. So, 5 months’ salary ……………. [draw] in advance by Marcus Ibe.

• Marcos Ibe was extremely generous to roof. He ……………. [asks] to lend one of his many robes by roof. When Marcus Ibe’s wife objected, she…………….  [rebuke] publicly by him.

• Roof received a strange visit from PAP campaigner. Though the campaigner and roof…………….  [know] to each other, his visit was cold and business like. No words ……………. [exchange] between them.