Page 174 - Grammar for Great Writing B

Common Errors

Common Error 12.1 Is the passive missing a form of be?
are
Camels used for transportation in the desert because they can survive without drinking water for a
^
very long time.

REMEMBER: All passive sentences have a form of be + past participle.

ACTIVITY 4 Common Error 12.1

There is one incorrect passive form in each sentence. Underline and correct the incorrect passive form.
1. In 2015, more than 15,000 drones sold every month in the United States.

2. Many people think that consultants paid more than employees, but this is not always true.

3. More children left alone at home after school in the last decade because their parents have been busy
working.
4. Neuroscientists think that some Alzheimer’s patients’ memories can retrieved with a specific type of
brain stimulation.

5. Many mountainous areas have search and rescue teams that used to help hikers who get lost or hurt.

6. Engineers paid higher salaries than education professionals such as teachers or school counselors.
7. Children who praised at school often perform better than children who criticized.

8. For years, thousands of young people have arrived in Los Angeles every year with hopes to become
actors, but very few given the opportunities they need to succeed

9. Artificial food coloring added to farmed salmon to make it look like freshwater salmon.

10. House plants often die either because they not watered enough or they are overwatered.

Common Error 12.2 Is the passive form correct?
were robbed were broken
After Hurricane Katrina, many stores was rob and houses was broke into.

REMEMBER: Use the form of be or have/has that agrees with the subject of the sentence, and use
the past participle form of the verb.

164 Unit 12 Using Passive Voice

Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
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