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Passive voice Present Continuous

Presentation / Objective

Where is that place where entertaining activities are being offered 24hrs a day?

You’re probably thinking about NY or Las Vegas, and you are right!

Endless options of entertainment are constantly being renewed to offer you the best.

If you like to go to the theatre, different musicals are being performed all around the cities.

Objective

By the end of this topic, you will:
Discriminate the correct structure to emphasize the result of ongoing action in the present through passive voice present continuous exercises which will contextualize different situations.

Content

Passive voice Simple Present

Uses

In general, the active present continuous has precisely the same use in the passive voice. That is actions at the moment of speaking; temporary actions; or any that are not necessarily carried out at the moment of speaking. The only difference is that there is no subject (the person, thing, company or animal who does the action) in the passive voice.

The passive voice is used to express the following situations:

When a person, thing, company or animal is doing the action is unknown.

Wicked is being presented at the Gershwin Theatre in NY. (Who gives Wicked?)

Retrived: 02 de mayo de 2017 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wicked,_oriental_theater_in_chicago.jpg

Retrived: 02 de mayo de 2017 https://static.pexels.com/photos/32263/pexels-photo.jpg

The person, thing, company or animal doing the action is not essential or at least not as important as the consequences of the action.

Margaritas and all kinds of alcoholic beverages are being sold all along The Strip by the hotels. (Nobody cares about the owner, do you?)

When someone's description is too long and takes the emphasis off the action itself.

The MGM resort is owned by a group of businessmen who own, administrate and manage hotels and casinos all around the world. (The description of the subject is so long that you can forget everything when you finish reading it.)

Retrived: 02 de mayo de 2017 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20080404-Vegas-MGMGrand-Day.jpg

Structure

We will always include the verb “to be” in the passive voice and remember that the verb to be will take the conjugation of the structure you are using and the main verb is always in the past participle (the third column of the verb list).

For example:

NY is exporting the best musical in the world.

Retrived: 02 de mayo de 2017 https://www.flickr.com/photos/evarinaldiphotography/6626178677

Let’s see how to do it, shall we?

Affirmative sentences

You see! It is effortless.

We change the order of our sentence to make the complement more important than the subject.

Negative sentences

Let´s check what happens in a negative sentence and when you have more than one complement

If you have more than one complement, you have to choose which one you want to emphasize, then that part goes at the front of the structure and the second complement stays in the same place.

If you have a negative sentence, you need to keep it next to the verb to be in the present.

Reading

Activity 1

Travelling and the production industry

In the next activity, you will read about the production industry of the places we go on holiday to, and you will also practice your reading comprehension. Using the information in this lesson, answer True or False to the statements in the exercise. You will be able to check your answers once you complete the exercises. You have only one opportunity to answer correctly.

Retrived: 02 de mayo de 2017 http://maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com/Car-Industry-Mercedes-Mercedes-Star-Daimler-Star-558355

To begin, click on Travelling and the production industry.


Listening

Activity 2

The origin of “what is done is done.”

Listen to the podcast, which explains the origin of the expression.

While you listen, practice your comprehension according to the topic reviewed in the content.


Writing

Activity 3

Made in China?

You have reviewed information about places, and what they are producing now through this activity. You will practice the uses of the Present Continuous in the passive voice as well as the way to connect ideas in the context in a coherent way.

Speaking

Activity 4

What is done in your city, state or country?

We have learnt where different products are made and the advantages that are got while travelling now it is your turn. On this activity, you will practise fluency, pronunciation and the uses of the present simple passive. Using everything we have checked about it, describe what products are made in your city or country, the materials used to make them, etc. Check the rubric to evaluate it yourself.

Remember that not everything has to be expressed in the passive voice; you can mix your ideas with other structures as long as they are coherent.

Retrived: 02 de mayo de 2017 https://pixabay.com/es/f%C3%A1brica-trabajador-vintage-1386216/

Self-assessment

Sentence transformation

After reviewing all the information about “Present Continuous passive voice” follow the rules in the content, to put your knowledge to practice.

Transform the following sentences to emphasize the action. Click here to check the content if you have any doubt.

Then compare your answers with the ones provided.

Retrived: 02 de mayo de 2017 https://pixabay.com/es/cambio-flechas-distrito-artes-948018

References

References

• English grammar on line. (s.f.). English grammar on line. Obtenido de https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive
• Swan, M. (2005). Practical English Usage. En M. Swan, Practical English Usage (págs. 616 - 618). New York: Oxford University Press.
• The economist. (12 de marzo de 2015). Obtenido de https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21646204-asias-dominance-manufacturing-will-endure-will-make-development-harder-others-made