92
The insertion of oxygen (subject) produces (active) the high temperature
in the furnace (object). = The high temperature in the furnace (subject) is
produced (passive) by the insertion of oxygen (agent).
The agent is often omitted if it contains no new or important information:
First, the vessel is tilted towards the charging aisle. Next, scrap steel is poured
into it.
Here, the reader is not interested in the mechanism which causes the
vessel to be tilted, or the machinery that causes the scrap steel to be poured, but
is more interested in the stages of the process (tilting the vessel, pouring in the
scrap steel), and so the agent is omitted.
Using the passive has two effects on the reader: it focuses their attention
on
•
the process or action (tilting, pouring)
•
the person or thing affected by the action (vessel, scrap steel).
Note that the above points are relevant for the passive forms of all verb
tenses.
present simple
We
serve
lunch at 12
o’clock every day.
Lunch
is
served
at 12 o’clock
every day.
present continuous We
are serving
lunch
now.
Lunch
is being
served
now.
future
We
will serve
lunch at 1
o’clock tomorrow.
Lunch
will be
served
at 1
o’clock tomorrow.
present perfect
We
have already
served
lunch.
Lunch
has
been
already
served
.
past simple
We
served
lunch at 12
yesterday.
Lunch
was
served
at 12
yesterday.
past continuous
We
were serving
lunch
from 12 till 1 p.m.
yesterday.
Lunch
was
being
served
from 12 till 1
p.m. yesterday.
past perfect
We
had served
lunch
before you came.
Lunch
hadbeen
served
befor
e you came.
Modify the sentences using the passive voice according to the model. Pay
special attention to the correct use of the tenses
1.Our engineers have developed many new devices. 2. Mendeleyev observed
interesting regularities in the properties of elements. 3. We use boilers for many
purposes. 4. We frequently cannot burn fuels completely. 5. The application of
electronics is changing the entire life of people. 6. Our engineers will design and
construct new thermal power stations. 7. Edisondiscovered a new phenomenon of
electricity. 8.Engineers in our country, US, and UK are constructing large atomic
power stations. 9. Our people have achieved considerable scientific and technical
