PASSIVE VOICE

ACTIVE / PASSIVE VOICE Active voice We usually think of verbs as “doing” words. They describe an action – like running, walking, eating …. The active voice is actually the most common voice used, and it describes the subject actually doing the action. Let’s take a look at some examples: “She ate the cake.” “He’s running a marathon.” “I am waiting for a phone call.” In all of these examples, you can see that the subject of each sentence is directly carrying out the action being described – eating, running and waiting. As well as that, the verb is happening to the object of each sentence.

Passive voice

The passive voice is less common. Unlike the active voice,

this describes a verb being happened to the subject of the

sentence, rather than the subject carrying it out.

In this way, the action is said to be “passive”.

Let’s take a look at some examples:

“The cake was eaten by the girls.”

“The fish was caught by the bear.”

“The books were collected by him.”

What’s the difference between the passive and active voice?

In the passive voice you would say”

“The prisoner were caught by the guards.”

The prisoner is the subject of the sentence here, and the guards are

the object.

In the active voice, this would be reversed – but the meaning would

still be the same:

“The guards caught the prisoner.”

The passive voice is used when you want to draw attention

to the thing the verb is happening to, rather than what is

doing it.

The passive is a grammar construction that uses the auxiliary to be and the past participle of a verb: When we are more interested in what happened than who did it. In saying My camera has been stolen the speaker is conveying important information about his camera. The camera is the focus of interest, and so the speaker has made it the subject of the sentence. He does not know or care who took it.

The passive can be used in all tenses.

The classrooms are cleaned every afternoon. (present simple)

A new road is being built behind the school. (present continuous)

The boy was seen spraying paint on the wall. (past simple)

I was late because the road was being repaired. (past continuous)

The car thief has been caught. (present perfect)

The painting had been damaged during the war. (past perfect)

You will be shown how to do it. (future)

It must be done. (modal verb + simple infinitive)

She likes to be praised when she does well. (infinitive with to)

I hate being watched when I'm working. (gerund)

Two objects in an active sentences

two possible passive sentences

When there are two objects in an active sentence, there

are two possible active sentences and two possible passive

sentences.

Sentence 1: The professor gave the students the books.

Sentence 2: The professor gave the books to the students.

There are two objects in each of the following sentences:

Object 1 = indirect object → the students

Object 2 = direct object → the books

Subject Verb indirect Object direct Object

The professor gave the students the books.

An indirect object is very often a person, a direct object a thing. When a direct object is followed by an indirect one, we put to in front of the indirect object.

Active sentence 1

Active sentence 2

Subject Verb direct Object indirect Object with to

The professor gave the books to the students.

Each of the objects (books/students) in the active sentences can become subject in the passive sentence. Passive sentence 1

Subject Verb Object (by-agent)

The students were given the books. (by the professor).

Passive sentence 2

Subject Verb Object (by-agent)

The books were given to the students (by the professor).

Passive – Form to be + past participle How to form a passive sentence when an active sentence is given: object of the active sentence becomes subject in the passive sentence subject of the active sentence becomes object in the passive sentence (or is left out) We can only form a passive sentence from an active sentence when there is an object in the active sentence.

Type of sentence

Subject Verb Object

Active sentence: Peter builds a house.

Passive sentence: A house is built by Peter.

Simple Present

Type of sentence Subject Verb Object

Active sentence: Peter builds a house.

Passive sentence: A house is built by Peter.

Simple Past

Type of sentence Subject Verb Object

Active sentence: Peter built a house.

Passive sentence: A house was built by Peter.

Present Perfect

Type of sentence Subject Verb Object

Active sentence: Peter has built a house.

Passive sentence: A house has

been built by Peter.

will-future

Type of sentence Subject Verb Object

Active sentence:

Peter will build a house.

Passive sentence:

A house will be built by Peter.

Modals

Type of sentence

Subject Verb Object

Active sentence: Peter can build a house.

Passive sentence: A house can be built by Peter.