English Grammar: Passive Voice and Reported Speech Rules

The Passive Voice

• Present Simple: Many people watch TV. → TV is watched by many people.
• Present Continuous: TV producers are creating new reality shows. → New reality shows are being created by TV producers.
• Past Simple: Juan switched on the TV. → The TV was switched on by Juan.
• Past Continuous: TV channels were showing too much sport. → Too much sport was being shown on TV channels.
• Present Perfect Simple: The creators of The Simpsons have written a new series. → A new series has been written by the creators of The Simpsons.
• Past Perfect Simple: Belen had borrowed my favorite DVD. → My favorite DVD had been borrowed by Belen.
• Future: Channel Ten will film a new soap opera next year. → Next year, a new soap opera will be filmed by Channel Ten.
• Modal Verbs: TV companies should ban advertisements. → Advertisements should be banned by TV companies.

Vocabulary

Soap opera, reality TV show, documentary, chat show, game show, news broadcast, sitcom, drama, film, comedy show, channel, contestants, episode, entertainment, footage, series, viewer, deal with, switch off, turn down, turn over.

Reported Speech

Tense Changes: AM/IS/ARE, HAVE/HAS → was, were, had.

• Present Simple: "I watch TV." → He said he watched TV.
• Present Continuous: "I am watching TV." → He said he was watching TV.
• Present Perfect: "I have watched TV." → He said he had watched TV.
• Past Simple: "I watched TV." → He said he had watched TV.
• Can: "I can watch TV." → He said he could watch TV.
• May: "I may watch TV." → He said he might watch TV.
• Must: "I must watch TV." → He said he had to watch TV.
• Will: "I will watch TV." → He said he would watch TV.

Commands (Orders)

Use to + infinitive for affirmative and not to + infinitive for negative.

• "Open the window." → The teacher ordered/reminded me to open the window.

Suggestions

Use the verb with -ing.

• "Let us join a keep-fit class." → My friend suggested joining a keep-fit class.

Questions

• "How/Where/When are you?" → She asked how/when/what/where I was.