Present and Past Passives: The Grammar Gameshow Episode 16

Hello and welcome to today’s Grammar Gameshow!

I’m your host, Will!

It’s a short ‘I’...

less like 'sheep',

and more like 'ship'.

And of course, let’s not forget Leslie,

our all-knowing voice in the sky.

Hello everyone!

Tonight we’re going to ask you three questions about…

Present and past passives.

That whodunnit verb form

that’s made with ‘be’ and a past participle.

OK! Now, let’s meet our contestants!

Hello all.

My name’s Selene.

And contestant number two?

Contestant number two? Oh dear, it seems…

Hello, everyone.

My name is Mark.

Mark!

You came back!

Of course!

What is a herd of stampeding elephants

compared to true love?

Wow! Mark!

This is a first!

Welcome back!

We really need to feed the elephants less.

Still...

respect!

Thanks, Will.

I’ll never let us be separated again, my love.

Nor I, my…

elephant man.

Awww… isn’t that cute?

I’ll tell you what.

If you can both get through the episode without

making a single mistake,

I’ll let you both go together.

Really?

Ok!

Let’s do it!

OK. Our first round is a quick-fire round.

Change these sentences into present or past passives.

Someone stole our car.

Our car was stolen.

Correct!

People use buses every day.

Buses are used every day.

Correct!

I peeled and sliced the onion.

The onion was peeled and sliced.

Correct!

Selene loves Mark

Mark is loved by Selene.

Correct!

Tell them Leslie!

The passive verb form is made using

‘be’ and a past participle verb.

The object of the active sentence

is moved to the subject position

and the verb is transformed.

The tense applies to the ‘be’ verb:

‘are’ or ‘is’ for present,

and ‘was’ or ‘were’ for past!

Good job, lovebirds!

Have 20 points!

On to our next question.

We use the passive form for many reasons.

Here are a few of them,

but one of them is incorrect.

Which one is it?

The action or object is more important than the subject.

We do not know who did the action.

The person who did the action is obvious.

The action or object is hypothetical or unreal.

… mutter... mutter…

I’m going to have to hurry you.

Trust me.

To the end of Earth and back.

The answer is

D.

Leslie?

Correct!

The passive verb form is only used for specific reasons,

mostly concerning how the speaker

views the object and the subject.

If they consider the object or action

to be more important than the subject,

or if the subject is unknown, or obvious,

they are more likely to use a passive structure.

Well done, lovebirds.

Alright!

Control yourselves! Three points to both of you.

One more right answer, and you can leave together!

Here we go.

When using the passive,

we may wish to include the person doing the action.

This subject is known as the 'agent',

but

which preposition do we use to introduce them?

We use ‘by’.

For example:

My heart was captured by Mark.

Correct!

But

it’s not over yet!

Sometimes we also include the object

that was used to perform the action.

This is known as the 'instrument'.

Which preposition introduces it?

I don’t know!

Nor do I.

I’m sorry…

we’re not going to make it.

But at least we’ll be together!

Will: How touching.

I can’t let you drop like that!

Look…

With!

The instrument is introduced using ‘with’.

The door was unlocked with a key!

Leslie?

That’s right!

In a passive,

if you wish to introduce the person doing the action,

we use ‘by’.

To introduce a tool that they have used,

we use ‘with’

For example:

The elephants were defeated

by Mark

with his bare hands.

What a man.

Indeed, Leslie!

Well done both of you.

That brings us to the end of today’s

Grammar Gameshow.

You've passed.

Here’s what you’ve won!

It’s an unmatched set of wedding rings!

I know something about love.

Yes…

in all the cafes,

in all the worlds,

she had to walk into mine…

but that was such a long time ago.

Go on.

Go

with our blessing.

Go on.

Hurry up.

We will drop you.

It looks like we’ll need

two more contestants.

Well…

we’ll see you again next week when…

I made it!

I’m alive!

Levington!

You too?

We’ve really got to grease that tube!

How do you feel?

I feel...

invincibl…

Sorry!

We can only help one person a day…

today wasn’t yours.

Loose the bats!

Thanks for joining us.

Say goodbye, Leslie.

Zàijiàn Leslie

See you next time.