PASSIVE VOICE:  The Past Participle

Introduction

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In today's lesson we continue our unit on PASSIVE VOICE. We discuss the past participle, sometimes known as the 3rd part of a verb.

If you'd like to begin with Part 1 of our series, please click here: What Is Passive Voice?

 

How do we use the past participle with passive voice?

How do we use the past participle in constructing passive voice?

Only transitive verbs can be used in a passive voice verb construction, because only transitive verbs can take an object.

Below are past participles for common regular and irregular transitive verbs:

Regular Verbs
Base Form Simple Past Past Participle Passive Voice Sentence
       
carry carried carried Andromeda was carried away by a dragon.
determine determined determined  
finish finished finished It will be finished soon.
fix fixed fixed  
kiss kissed kissed  
marry married married We were married in Puerto Rico.
try tried tried
       

 

Irregular Verbs
Base Form Simple Past Past Participle Passive Voice Sentence
       
beat beat beaten The prisoner was beaten.
break broke broken  
catch caught caught A thief was caught in our neighborhood.
do did done My work has been done.
rive drove driven  
know knew known We were married in Puerto Rico.
make made made These are made in China
put put put He was put in jail.
see saw seen People are seen by a judge.
tell told told He was told to be quiet.
       

 

Problem-solving

Problem solving:  Passive Voice Verb Forms


Problem:   A person shouldn't get marry just because the other person is nice-looking.
Solution:   A person shouldn't get _______ just because the other person is nice-looking.

Problem: The laws must be obey.
Solution:   The laws must be _______ .

Problem:  A hydroelectric power station was builded along the Ob River.
Solution:  A hydroelectric power station was ________ along the Ob River.

 

Click here to check your answers.

Next.... Past Participle Forms as Adjectives

 

Next, we discuss how the past participle forms of verbs can be used as adjectives.

So from the ESL Help Desk, thanks for dropping by for this lesson and remember to email us your questions about English grammar by way of our blog. 

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