WRITTEN EXPRESSION

When a country in an early stage of development, investments in fixed capital

A B ~C~
are vital.

_ 9. John Chapman became famous in American folklore as "Johnny Appleseed” after he

A
plants apple trees throughout the northeastern part of the United States.
B C D

_10. Inasmuch he kept mostly to himself, the author of The Treasure o f the Sierra Madre
A B C
was known as “the mysterious B. Treuen.”
TT

PROBLEMS W IT H PASSIVE VERBS___________________________

S e n te n c e s in w h ic h th e err o r is an in c o r r e c t passive a re c o m m o n in th e W ritten E x p r e s­

sio n se c tio n o f th e T O E F L test. You th e r e fo r e n e e d to b e a b le to r e c o g n iz e th e c o r r e c t
form o f th e passive a n d to b e a b le to d e te r m in e w h en a passive verb r a th e r th a n an active
verb is n e e d e d in a s e n te n c e .
T h e d iffe r e n c e b e tw e e n a n active a n d a passive verb is th a t th e su b je c t in a n active s e n ­
te n c e does th e a c tio n o f th e verb , a n d th e su b je ct in a passive s e n te n c e receives th e a c tio n o f
th e verb. T o c o n v e r t a s e n te n c e fr o m active to passive, two c h a n g e s m u s t b e m a d e . (1 )
T h e su b ject o f th e active s e n t e n c e b e c o m e s th e o b je c t o f th e passive s e n t e n c e , w h ile th e
o b je c t o f th e active s e n te n c e b e c o m e s th e su b je ct o f th e passive s e n te n c e . (2 ) T h e verb in
th e passive s e n te n c e is fo r m e d by p u ttin g th e h e lp in g v e rb bein th e sa m e fo r m as th e v e fb
in th e active s e n te n c e a n d th e n a d d in g th e p a st p a r tic ip le o f th is verb.

SUBJECT OBJECT

T h e first e x a m p le is an active s e n te n c e . T o c o n v e r t th is active s e n te n c e to a p assive s e n ­

te n c e , y o u m u st first m ak e th e su b je ct o f th e active s e n te n c e , Margaret, th e o b je c t o f th e
passive s e n te n c e w ith by. T h e o b je c t o f th e active s e n te n c e , letter, b e c o m e s t h e su b je c t o f
th e passive s e n te n c e . N e x t, th e passive verb c a n b e fo r m e d . B e c a u se wrote is in th e p a st
te n se in th e active s e n te n c e , th e p a st te n se o f be (was) is u s e d in th e p assive s e n te n c e .
T h e n th e verb xvrote in th e active s e n te n c e is c h a n g e d to th e p ast p a r tic ip le written in th e
passive s e n te n c e .
It s h o u ld b e n o te d th a t in a passive s e n te n c e , by + object d o e s n o t n e e d to b e in c lu d e d
to h a v e a c o m p le te s e n te n c e . T h e fo llo w in g are b o th e x a m p le s o f c o r r e c t s e n te n c e s .

T he letter was written yesterday by Margaret.

T he letter was written yesterday.

N o tic e th a t th e s e passive s e n te n c e s a r e c o r r e c t i f by Margaret is in c lu d e d (as in th e first e x ­

a m p le ) o r i f by Margaret is o m itte d (as in th e s e c o n d e x a m p le ) .
 STRUCTUREANDWRITTEN EXPRESSION

NOTE: Exercises to practice active and passive forms can be found in Appendix G at the
back of the text. You may want to complete these exercises before you begin Skill 37.

S k i l l 37: USE T H E CORRECT FORM OF T H E PASSIVE

O n e way th a t th e passive can b e te sted o n th e T O E F L te st is sim p ly w ith an in c o r r e c t fo rm

o f th e p assive. T h e fo llo w in g are e x a m p le s o f passive e rro rs th a t m ig h t a p p e a r o n th e
T O E F L test:
T he portrait was p a in tin g by a fam ous artist.
The project will fin is h e d by Tim.

In th e first e x a m p le , th e passive is fo r m e d in c o rr ec tly b e c a u se th e p ast p a r tic ip le p a in ted

sh o u ld b e u s e d rath er than th e p r e se n t p a rticip le p a in tin g . In th e s e c o n d e x a m p le , th e
verb be h as n o t b e e n in c lu d e d , a n d so m e fo rm o f be is n e c essa ry for a passive verb . T h e
verb in th e s e c o n d s e n te n c e sh o u ld b e w ill be fin ish ed .

T h e fo llo w in g c h a r t o u tlin e s th e way to fo r m th e p assive correcd y:

THE FORM OFTHE PASSIVE

BE + past participic (BY + object)

E X E R C ISE 37: E ach o f th e fo llo w in g s e n te n c e s has a passive m e a n in g . U n d e r lin e tw ice

th e verb s th a t sh o u ld b e passive. T h e n in d ic a te i f th e s e n te n c e s are c o r r e c t (C ) o r in cor-
r ect (I).

1 1. T h e boy had never be stung by a bee.

C 2. T h e suits were hung in the closet when they were returned from the cleaners.

3. M oney is len ding by the credit union to those w ho want to buy hom es.

4. T h e record had been chose by dancers near the jukebox.

fi T h e topic for your research paper should have been approved by your advisor.

_____ 6. T hat song has been playing over and over again by Steve.

7. T heir utility bills have been increased again and again.

8. T he patients who are too sick to sit up are being assisted by the orderlies.

9. T he offices were thoroughly clean last evening by the n igh t crew.

. .. 10. T h e car that was struck in the intersection yesterday is b ein g repaired today.
 WRITTEN EXPRESSION

S k i l l 38: R E C O G N IZ E A C T IV E A N D PASSIVE M EA N IN G S

W h e n t h e r e is n o o b je c t (w it h o r w it h o u t by) a fte r a v e rb , y o u m u s t l o o k a t t h e m e a n in g o f
th e s e n te n c e to d e t e r m in e i f t h e v e r b s h o u ld b e a c tiv e o r passive. S e n t e n c e s w it h a n in ­
c o r r e c t p a ssive v e r b a n d n o by + object to te ll y o u th a t th e v e r b s h o u ld b e p a ssive a r e th e
m o st d if f ic u lt p a ssive e r r o r s to re c o g n iz e o n th e T O E F L test. S t u d y th e e x a m p le s :

We m ailed the package at the post office.

T h e letter was m ailed by us today before noon.
T h e letter was mailed today before noon.
T h e letter m ailed* today before noon.

T h e f ir s t th re e e x a m p le s a b o v e a r e c o r r e c t . T h e firs t e x a m p le h a s th e a c tiv e v e r b m ailed

u sed w ith th e o b je c t package, t h e s e c o n d e x a m p le h as th e passive v e r b w as m ailed u s e d w ith
by usr, t h e t h ir d s e n t e n c e h a s th e p a ssive v e r b was m ailed u s e d w it h o u t a n o b je c t.
T h e f o u r th e x a m p le is th e ty p e o f passive e r r o r th a t a p p e a rs m o s t o f te n o n th e
T O E F L test. T h is ty p e o f s e n t e n c e h as th e fo llo w in g c h a ra c te ris tic s : (1 ) a n i n c o r r e c t p a s­
sive v e r b th a t lo o k s lik e a c o r r e c t a c tiv e v e rb , a n d (2 ) n o by + object to te ll y o u t h a t a p a ssive
is n e e d e d . T o c o r r e c t t h e f o u r t h e x a m p le , th e a c tiv e v e rb n e e d s to b e c h a n g e d to th e p as­
sive was m ailed.
T o d e t e r m in e th a t s u c h a s e n t e n c e is in c o r r e c t , y o u m u s t s tu d y t h e m e a n in g o f th e
su b je ct a n d th e v e rb . Y o u m u s t a sk y o u r s e lf i f th e s u b je c t does t h e a c t io n o f th e v e r b (s o a n
a ctive v e r b is n e e d e d ) o r i f t h e s u b je c t receives th e a c t io n o f th e v e r b (s o a p a ssiv e v e rb is
n e e d e d ). I n th e i n c o r r e c t e x a m p le , y o u s h o u ld stu d y th e m e a n in g o f th e s u b je c t a n d v e rb ,
the letter m ailed. Y o u s h o u ld ask y o u r s e lf i f a letter m ails its e lf (t h e le t t e r does t h e a c t i o n ) o r i f
s o m e o n e m ails a letter ( t h e le t t e r receives th e a c t io n o f b e in g m a ile d ). S i n c e a le t t e r d o e s
n o t m a il itse lf, t h e p a ssive is r e q u ir e d in th is s e n te n c e .

T h e f o llo w in g c h a r t o u d in e s th e d if f e r e n c e in m e a n in g b e tw e e n a c t iv e a n d p a ssive
verbs:

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE MEANINGS

ACTIVE The subject does the action of the verb.
PASSIVE The subject receives the action of the verb.

E X E R C I S E 38: E a c h o f t h e f o llo w in g s e n te n c e s c o n t a in s a t le a st o n e a c t iv e v e r b ; h o w e v e r,
so m e o f th e v e rb s s h o u ld b e p a ssive. U n d e r l in e th e v e rb s tw ice. T h e n in d ic a t e i f t h e se n ­
te n ce s a r e c o r r e c t ( C ) o r i n c o r r e c t ( I ) .

— !— 1. T h e car parked in a no-parking zone.

—_ 2. T he physics exam began just a few m inutes ago.

-------- 3. Everything to organize the picnic has already don e.

-------- 4. T he police investigated him because o f his unusual actions.

5. T he package containing the necessary sam ples has just sent.

 STRUCTUREANDWRITTEN EXPRESSION

6. The vacation to Europe will plan carefully before the scheduled departure date.

7. The coffee turned bitter w hen it left on the stove for so long.

8. The soccer gam e won in the closing m inutes.

9. The clothes m ade to rival the latest fashions o f the season.

10. W hen the roads are icy, the buses do not drive.

E X E R C I S E (S k ills 3 7 - 3 8 ): U n d e r l in e th e v e rb s tw ic e in th e f o llo w in g s e n te n c e s . T h e n in ­
d ic a te i f th e s e n te n c e s a re c o r r e c t ( C ) o r i n c o r r e c t ( I ) .

_____ 1. After the old radiator had be replaced, the travelers continued their cross-country
trip.

_____ 2. During the lightning storm, he struck in the head by a falling tree.

_____ 3. W hile I am on vacation, the pets should be feeds every m orning and evening.

_____ 4. A book being written now by a team o f writers will be published in the fall.

_____ 5. I found out that the real estate agent had already been leased the condom inium .

_____ 6. The hou se that Mrs. Martin has always wanted to buy has just placed on the market.

_____ 7. The foundation should have been finishing by the construction workers before they
left the construction site.

_____ 8. We m ust leave that m oney in the checking account because the bills pay o n the first
o f the m onth.

_____ 9. The horses can ’t be taken out now because they have been rode for the past few
hours.

_____ 10. It is being announced by a presidential aide that a lawyer from Virginia has b een
nam ed attorney general.

T O E F L E X E R C I S E (S k ills 3 7 - 3 8 ): C h o o s e th e le t t e r o f th e w o r d o r g r o u p o f w o rd s th a t
b e s t c o m p le te s th e s e n te n c e .

_discussed by the board of directors 3. The X-ray tre a tm e n ts---up to the

when it was proposed again by the th at he w as dism issed from the hospital,
supervisors. (A) gavedaiIy
(A) The problem had already (B) were given daily
(B) The problem is already (C) basically have given
(C) The problem had already been (D) daily had been given
(D) The problem has already

2. M uch of the carnage of elephants, giraffes,

and big c a ts _____ uncaring hunters.
(A) m ust com m it by
(B) m ust be com m itted
(C) m ust have com m itted
(D) m ust have been com m itted by
 WRITTEN EXPRESSION

C h o o s e th e le t t e r o f t h e u n d e r lin e d w o r d o r g r o u p o f w o rd s t h a t is n o t c o r r e c t .

4. Particular issues that concern teenagers were covering in the half-hour program.
A B C D

5. Electrical impulses may also picked up by the optic nerve.

A B C D

6. Workers training for a specific job have a strong possibility of being replace by a
A B C D
machine.

7. On June 30, 1992, international timekeepers in Paris were added an extra second to
~A” B C
the da
D- ^

8. The report could not be turned in on time because all the needed work lost.
A B C D

. 9. In English these questions have be formed by changing the word order of a

A B C
statement, whereas in som e languages the word order remains the same.
D

.10. He was not able to define the process by which the body had protected by the
A B C D
immunologic system.

T O E F L R E V IE W E X E R C IS E (S k ills 1-3 8): C h o o s e th e le t t e r o f t h e w o r d o r g r o u p o f

w o rd s th a t b e s t c o m p le te s t h e s e n te n c e .

1. _____ Big Dipper, a seven-star 3. impressive chapter in the book was

constellation in the shape of a cup, is part the chapter on Stuart’s scientific theories.
of Ursa Major.
(A) It was the most
(A) The (B) The most
(B) It is the (C) Most
(C) With the (D) Most of the
(D) That the

2. The Military Academy at West P oint--------

on the west bank o f the Hudson River,
north of New York City.
(A) located
(B) is located
(C) which is located
(D) whose location is