Welcome to
ESL Printables, the website where English Language teachers exchange resources: worksheets, lesson plans,  activities, etc.
Our collection is growing every day with the help of many teachers. If you want to download you have to send your own contributions.

 


 

 

 

ESL Forum:

Techniques and methods in Language Teaching

Games, activities and teaching ideas

Grammar and Linguistics

Teaching material

Concerning worksheets

Concerning powerpoints

Concerning online exercises

Make suggestions, report errors

Ask for help

Message board

 

ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > passive voice    

passive voice



nathalie891
France

passive voice
 

Hi there!

 

4 of my pupils have started writing a short story in our English club and I �m not sure about one of the sentences they want to write.
 
Would it sound natural to say "I was stolen my handbag" which is grammaticaly correct if I �m not mistaken? Could a native speaker give me his/her opinion?
 
Thank you!
Have a nice day in spite of the terrible news coming from London.
 
Nathalie 

4 Jun 2017      





redcamarocruiser
United States

It was stolen, my handbag. OK It was stolen (my handbag). OK "I was stolen my handbag" Does not work.

4 Jun 2017     



Pedro14
Spain

I was robbed of my handbag. "Things" are stolen; "people" and "places" are robbed. I �m not a native speaker but this is what I teach my students because they always use "steal". Redcamarocruiser �s answers are also perfect.

4 Jun 2017     



nathalie891
France

 So we can �t use "steal" with the same structure as "give"  (I was given a handbag) ?

Thank you for your answers
 

4 Jun 2017     



redcamarocruiser
United States

You cannot use steal with the same structure as given. You must say as Pedro14 said,"I was robbed of my handbag" or "My handbag was stolen."

4 Jun 2017     



yanogator
United States

Yes, "I was stolen" means that someone took you, not something of yours.
 
"I was given a handbag" is the same as "A handbag was given to me", whereas "My handbag was stolen" is the same as "A handbag was stolen from me". That �s why the structure isn �t the same as with "given".
 
Bruce 

4 Jun 2017     



nathalie891
France

Thank you all for your answers, it all makes more sense now

 

Nathalie 

4 Jun 2017     



crzaroni
Brazil

Why don �t you use. My handbag was stolen. I think it�s the easiest way to avoid mistakes. Passive voice. It�s not important who did the action but what happened.

6 Jun 2017