## Step 4 - Grammar

Let’s look at... Passives. We use the passive form when we want to underline or focus on the action rather than the person of thing that caused the action. The subject of the passive verb is the object of the active verb.
ACTIVE:

| Action | Object
The family | threw away | the household waste.

PASSIVE:

| Subject | Passive verb
| Household waste | was thrown away.

We use the passive when:

- We don’t know who/what the agent is/was. It was thrown away. (who threw it away? We don’t know).
- It’s clear who/what the agent is (already stated and we don’t want to repeat). The waiter cleared the table and the leftovers were thrown away. (by the waiter)
- It’s not important. The food could have been eaten.
- It refers to people generally. More information about food waste can be found (by you) at www….
- It doesn’t want/need to be known. The machine has been broken (by me).

Present/past:
The family throws away/threw away nearly £500 worth of food.
Nearly £500 worth of food is /was thrown away.
Present/past continuous:
The family is/was reducing food waste.
Food waste is/was being reduced.
Present/past perfect:
The family has/had bought a food waste reducing app.
A food waste reducing app has/had been bought.
Present, future and past modals:
People may reduce food waste.
Food may be reduced.
Researchers will be creating new super crops.
New super crops will be being created.
Scientists might have solved the world’s food problems.
The world’s food problems might have been solved.

Study more theory in the Grammar Desks.

| #### Passive voice

| #### Passive voice | - extra

Harvest is Australia's leading food rescue charity.
Read about the company and use the verbs in brackets to complete the correct form of the passive.