Thinking in English 357. The Great Fire of London: Passive Voice (English Grammar Lesson)
Oct 13, 2025
Explore the catastrophic Great Fire of London in 1666, where over 13,000 houses were destroyed and the city had to be rebuilt. Delve into the conditions of 17th-century London that set the stage for disaster. Discover how the passive voice is used to describe historical events, highlighting who did what became less important than what happened. Learn about the fire's devastating four-day reign, ineffective firefighting efforts, and the aftermath that transformed London's architecture and regulations forever.
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Passive Voice Frames Disaster Stories
- The podcast links the Great Fire story to teaching passive voice in English.
- Tom explains disasters suit passive voice because actions matter more than doers.
How To Form The Passive
- Use subject + be (correct tense) + past participle to form the passive voice.
- Optionally add 'by' plus the doer when you need to mention who performed the action.
Practice Passive Across Tenses
- Convert active sentences across tenses by changing the verb 'be' and using the past participle.
- Example: 'The company will release a new phone' becomes 'A new phone will be released by the company.'
