EnglishTechnology in Everyday Life
What technology do you use every day?
- phone • laptop • headphones • apps • social media
- Where was your phone made?
- Who made it?
- What is your favourite app used for?
My phone was made in ___.
This app is used for ___.
Notice: the product or object can become the subject of the sentence.
Useful technology words
Say the words, then use selected words in a sentence about your own devices.
- device [/dɪˈvaɪs/]
- a piece of electronic equipment
This device is used every day. - software [/ˈsɒftweə(r)/]
- programs used by a computer or device
The software is updated regularly. - app [/æp/]
- a program for a phone or tablet
The app can be downloaded for free. - download [/ˌdaʊnˈləʊd/]
- to copy a file or app from the internet to a device
The file is downloaded in seconds. - update [/ʌpˈdeɪt/]
- to make software more modern or correct problems
The software has been updated. - install [/ɪnˈstɔːl/]
- to put software onto a device so that it can be used
The program is installed automatically. - invent [/ɪnˈvent/]
- to create something new for the first time
The first smartphone was invented decades ago. - manufacture [/ˌmænjuˈfæktʃə(r)/]
- to make products, usually in large numbers
The parts are manufactured abroad. - prototype [/ˈprəʊtətaɪp/]
- the first model of a product
A prototype was tested last year. - component [/kəmˈpəʊnənt/]
- one part of a larger machine or system
Each component is checked carefully. - battery [/ˈbætəri/]
- the part that provides electrical power
The battery must be charged. - screen [/skriːn/]
- the flat part of a device that shows images or text
The screen is protected by glass. - release [/rɪˈliːs/]
- to make a new product, app, or version available
The new model will be released soon. - charge [/tʃɑːdʒ/]
- to put electrical power into a battery
The phone can be charged wirelessly.
Which app is downloaded most often on your device?
What software is installed on your phone or laptop?
Verb | Related word |
|---|---|
invent | invention |
manufacture | manufacturer |
release | release |
How passive voice works
The main rule
Passive voice = be + past participle (V3)
Active | Passive |
|---|---|
Engineers manufacture phones. | Phones are manufactured. |
A company released the app. | The app was released. |
Developers have updated the software. | The software has been updated. |
Pattern:
subject + correct form of be + V3 (+ by + agent)
Part | Examples |
|---|---|
Forms of be | am • is • are • was • were • been • be |
Past participle (V3) | made • invented • installed • updated • released |
The past participle usually stays the same. The form of be changes to show the time.
The phone is made in Korea.
The phone was made in Korea.
The phone has been made in Korea.
The phone will be made in Korea.
Five key forms
Meaning / time | Passive form | Technology example |
|---|---|---|
Present Simple | am / is / are + V3 | The device is made in Korea. |
Past Simple | was / were + V3 | The app was invented in 2010. |
Present Perfect | has / have been + V3 | The software has been updated. |
Future | will be + V3 | A new model will be released soon. |
Modal | can / must + be + V3 | The file can be downloaded. |
Present Simple passive
Use it for routines, facts, and regular processes.
Smartphones are manufactured in many countries.
Each component is checked carefully.
The screen is protected by glass.
Past Simple passive
Use it for a finished action at a finished time.
The first iPhone was released in 2007.
The app was installed yesterday.
New batteries were tested last week.
Present Perfect passive
Use it for a completed action with a present result. Do not use a finished past-time expression such as yesterday with this form.
The software has been updated.
The security problem has been fixed.
Several new features have been added.
Compare:
Active | Passive |
|---|---|
The developers have updated the app. | The app has been updated. |
Future passive
Use it for future plans, predictions, and announcements.
The new phone will be released next month.
More recycled materials will be used in future devices.
The results will be shared online.
Modal passive
After a modal verb, use be + V3.
The app can be downloaded for free.
The battery must be charged before use.
The file should be saved in the cloud.
Active | Passive |
|---|---|
Users can download the app. | The app can be downloaded. |
Users must charge the battery. | The battery must be charged. |
When we use passive voice
Use passive voice when:
- the action, process, or object is more important than the person doing it:
> The screen is tested.
- the agent is unknown:
> My account was hacked.
- the agent is obvious or unimportant:
> The app was updated.
- the agent is useful information:
> The phone was designed by engineers.
In technical and process writing, passive voice is common because the focus is often on products, materials, stages, and results.
Some languages often prefer active or impersonal wording in these situations. English uses passive voice more frequently, especially in formal, scientific, technical, and process writing.
Common problems
Problem | Better form | Why |
|---|---|---|
The app has updated. | The app has been updated. | A passive needs been + V3 in the Present Perfect. |
The file can downloaded. | The file can be downloaded. | A modal passive needs be + V3. |
The phone will released soon. | The phone will be released soon. | A future passive needs will be + V3. |
The software is update. | The software is updated. | Use the past participle: updated, not update. |
The battery must charged. | The battery must be charged. | Use must be + V3. |
Build accurate passive sentences
Say the time clue first. Then choose the correct form of be and the past participle.
Connect each active sentence to its passive form
Connect each sentence with the equivalent sentence.
- Engineers design the prototype every year.
- The prototype is designed every year.
- A company released the app yesterday.
- The app was released yesterday.
- They will test the new battery tomorrow.
- The new battery will be tested tomorrow.
Connect each form to its meaning
Connect each passive form with its time meaning.
- has been installed
- present result
- can be shared
- ability or possibility
- was manufactured
- past finished action
Choose the correct form
This smartwatch [___] in Japan.
The security problem [___] already.
The app [___] from the official store.
Change the focus to the product
They update the software every month.
The software [___] every month.
Apple released a new device last week.
A new device [___] by Apple last week.
They will manufacture more recycled phones next year.
More recycled phones [___] next year.
Users must charge the battery before use.
The battery [___] before use.
How your smartphone is made
How Your Smartphone Is Made
Every smartphone begins with an idea. First, the model is designed by engineers, and a prototype is created in a laboratory. After the design has been approved, parts are manufactured in different countries. The screen is produced, the battery is tested, and the camera is assembled. Next, the components are sent to a factory, where the phone is put together. Special software is installed and the operating system is updated. Before shipment, each device is checked carefully. Faulty phones are removed, while approved phones are packed in boxes. They are transported to warehouses and then delivered to shops or customers. In the future, more phones will be made with recycled materials. Many details can be changed during this process, but every device must be charged and tested before it is sold.
Difficult words
- prototype — an early model used for testing
- approved — accepted as suitable or correct
- assembled — put together from separate parts
- shipment — the process of sending products to customers or shops
- faulty — not working correctly
- warehouse — a large building where goods are stored
- recycled materials — materials used again to make new products
- Which stages happen before the phone is put together at the factory?
- What happens to faulty phones before shipment?
- Where are approved phones sent after they are packed?
- Why are engineers named in the first sentence, but not named in most other sentences?
Quick recap
The key pattern
Time | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
Present | is / are + V3 | It is made. |
Past | was / were + V3 | It was invented. |
Present Perfect | has / have been + V3 | It has been updated. |
Future | will be + V3 | It will be released. |
Modal | can / must be + V3 | It can be downloaded. |
Say it aloud
Give a short recap.
- Describe one completed technology action in the past.
- Make one prediction about future technology.
- Use one modal passive sentence.
A new app was released last year.
Smart glasses will be used more often.
Personal data must be protected.
Technology words to remember
device • software • app • download • update • install • invent • manufacture • prototype • component • battery • screen • release • charge
