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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > help with the passive plz     

help with the passive plz



badr.a7
Morocco

help with the passive plz
 
how would you put these sentences into the passive voice: 

1- someone promised me a job if i passed my exam

2- they are having dinner now 

3- nobody has ever talked to me like that before

4- people shan �t speak to me as if i were a child 

4 Dec 2012      





SaraMariam
United States

For 3/4 I would say ... more like ...

3. I have never been talked to like that before / It has never been talked to me like that before
4. I can �t be spoken to as if I were a child / It can �t be spoken to me as if I were a child

4 Dec 2012     



badr.a7
Morocco

thanks bro. i thought of the passive the same way but as some of them sounded weird i asked for help in case i might be wrong. 

4 Dec 2012     



badr.a7
Morocco

thnks sara

4 Dec 2012     



Shalottslady
Belgium

3. see SaraMariam �s 1st option (not the 2nd since �it � cannot be subject here, nor in her 2nd option for 4)
also possible and perhaps more natural:
Never before has anyone talked to me like that!

4 Dec 2012     



cindyfreksen
Denmark

1- someone promised me a job if I passed my exam - I was promised a job if I passed my exam

2- they are having dinner now - Dinner is now being eaten ( I don �t think that you can use have in this sentence, it sounds odd.

3- nobody has ever talked to me like that before - I have never been spoken to like that before (again I would not use talk as it infers action)

4- people shan �t speak to me as if i were a child - I will not be spoken to as a child (shan �t is not correct in the first sentence)

The passive is difficult in English mainly because it is rarely used!

 Hope that helped
Cindy

4 Dec 2012     



almaz
United Kingdom

@Cindy "The passive is difficult in English mainly because it is rarely used!" You�ve probably just proved that it�s neither �difficult� nor �rarely� used. It�s a useful construction when used appropriately - like any other feature of the language.

4 Dec 2012     



cindyfreksen
Denmark

I agree that it is useful, but believe me compared to the language I now speak most of the time it is rare in English!!


Cindy

5 Dec 2012