Present & Past Simple Passive

Article excerpt · target grammar marked

Since 1800, more than half of the world's original forests have been cleared. Roughly 40 percent of the Earth's ice-free surface is now used for agriculture. The flow of more than half the world's major rivers has been altered by dams and industrial runoff.

Grammar Reference · Present & Past Simple Passive

Present simple passive

The river is used for irrigation. — subject receives the action now

Past simple passive

The dam was built in 1960. — subject received the action in the past

Omitting the agent

The forest was cleared. — no by-phrase needed when agent is unknown or obvious

Common error

The river is damage. ✗ → The river is damaged. ✓ — always use past participle

01Exercise 1 — Form · Write the Correct Form

Present & Past Simple Passive

1.The Amazon rainforest at an alarming rate throughout the twentieth century.

2.Today, almost a third of all global fish stocks as overexploited.

3.The Clean Air Act in the United States in 1963 to reduce industrial pollution.

4.Carbon emissions to be the leading cause of rising global temperatures.

5.Thousands of species before scientists had the chance to name them.

6.Freshwater from major rivers across six continents to irrigate farmland.

02Exercise 2 — Transform

rewrite with the new structure

1.Farmers cut down the forest in the 1960s.

2.Engineers build new dams every year across Asia.

3.Researchers measure carbon levels in the atmosphere daily.

4.The government banned single-use plastics last year.

5.Scientists document new species in the Amazon every decade.

6.A chemical company released toxic waste into the river in 1978.

03Exercise 3 — About You

in your notebook

Personalise: complete five sentences about yourself using the target grammar.

Present & Past Simple Passive01EnglishPlans.com