Here you can learn how to use the passive voice.

1. 5th
grade
The Passive voice
Crime and
Punishment

2. Vocabulary
Arrest - arrested - arrested – arrestar
Break - broke - broken - romper
Burglarize – burglarized – burglarized – robar
Commit – committed – committed – cometer
Call - called - called - llamar
Disconnect - disconnected – disconnected - desconectar
Find - found - found - encontrar
Interview – interviewed – interviewed – entrevistar
Lead - led - led – guiar, llevar
Raise - raised - raised - levantar , elevar
Read - read - read - leer
Remove - removed - removed - quitar, sacar
Review - reviewed - reviewed - examinar , estudiar
Select - selected - selected - elegir, seleccionar
Sentence - sentenced - sentenced - condenar, sentenciar
Submit - submitted - submitted - presentar, someter

3. Crime Report
Examples of Passive Voice:
On the night of January 12th, Star Video
on Main Street was burglarized. The police
reported the following: The glass door was broken
and the alarm was disconnected. The suspect, who
was watching a video, was found in a back room.
Police were led to the suspect by a trail of popcorn
and gummy bears. He was taken to the police
station for questioning.

4. Legal System in the U.S.
Examples of Passive Voice:
If a crime is committed, a suspect is usually
arrested and taken to jail. A lawyer is called and the
suspect is interviewed. If a trial is necessary, jurors
are selected. If the defendant is found guilty, he is
sentenced by the judge to serve time in prison.

5. Form
Passive Voice = Be + Past Participle + (by + Object)
Be (not) Past Participle (by + Object)
Subject
Star Video was burglarized.
A case is being
reviewed
by a
judge.
The videos were not stolen.

6. Active vs. Passive 1
Active sentences focus on the agent (person or thing doing
the action). Passive sentences focus on the object (person
or thing receiving the action).
The police arrested the criminal.
Subject is
doing the action.
Active
voice
The criminal was arrested by the police.
Subject is
receiving the action.
Passive
voice

7. Active vs. Passive 2
Passive Voice
The case is reviewed by a
judge.
A judge reviews the case.
Someone removed the
videos.
The videos were removed.
The jury didn’t find the
defendant guilty.
The defendant wasn’t found
guilty.
Active Voice

8. Identify the agent and receiver
of the action. Are the verbs
active or passive? Practice 1
1. The lawyer instructed the jury.
2. The jury was instructed by the lawyer.
Receiver of the
action
Passive voice
Agent of the
action
Active voice

9. Identify the agent and receiver
of the action. Are the verbs
active or passive? Practice 2
1. The case was read by the judge.
2. The judge read the case.
Agent of
the action
Active voice
Receiver of
the action
Passive voice

10. Use of Passive Voice 1
Use the passive voice when the agent of
the action is unknown or not important.
Pictures and fingerprints are taken.
Jurors are selected.

11. Use of Passive Voice 2
Use the passive voice when we want to
avoid mentioning the agent.
Passive voice
We don’t know
who is responsible.
Active voice
Paolo is
responsible.
Paulo A crime was committed. committed a crime.

12. By Phrases
Use a by phrase when it is important to
know who performs the action.
The video store was burglarized
bbyy aa ffoorrmmeerr eemmppllooyyeeee.
The information
is surprising.

13. Practice 3 active to passive voice.
Change the sentences from
Example:
The lawyers submitted evidence.
Evidence was submitted by the lawyers.
1. The witness answered questions.
Questions were answered (by the witness).
2. The prosecution raised objections.
Objections were raised (by the prosecution).
3. Jurors take notes.
Notes are taken (by the jurors).

14. USES
 RECIPES
 GIVING AND ASKING FOR PRODUCT
INFORMATION
 NEWSPAPER HEADLINES
 STATISTICS

15. CHOCOLATE CAKE
 4 cups of flour
 1 cup of cocoa powder
 2 cups of sugar
 2 cups of milk
 2 tablespoons of baking powder
 2 eggs
 a pinch of salt

16. CHOCOLATE CAKE (In the
passive voice)
 The eggs, sugar and butter are beaten
together.
 The flour, cocoa, baking powder and
salt are added to the egg mixture.
 The milk is poured in and all the
ingredients are mixed.
 It is baked for 45 minutes in a
moderate oven.

17. GIVING AND ASKING FOR
PRODUCT INFORMATION
 Are videos made in Japan?
 Is the car insured?
 The doors were repaired last week.
 The microwave was invented in 1945 by
Percy Spencer.
 The tree is used for Christmas decoration.

18. NEWSPAPER HEADLINES
 LONDON IS FLOODED
 BANK WAS ROBBED
 TAXES ARE LOWERED
 GREAT DAMAGE WAS DONE
 THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY SOMEONE

19. STATISTICS
 Ten years ago,
sewing machines
were found in 70%
of the homes.
 Today, they are
found in 45% of the
homes.
SEWING MACHINES
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Ten
years ago
Today