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:

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.