PASSIVE VOICE

1. BELÉN CORBELLE DOMÍNGUEZ
2ºBAC B
PASSIVE VOICE

2. WHAT ARE VOICES OF VERB?
There are two
types: The active
voice and the
passive voice.

3. USE OF THE PASSIVE VOICE
 Passive voice is used when the
focus is on the action.
 When it is not important or not
known, however, who or what is
performing the action.

4. FORM OF PASSIVE (VERBS)
AFIRMATIVE VERB TO BE IN THE CORRECT TENSE + PAST
PARTICIPLE OF THE PRINCIPAL VERB
NEGATIVE VERB TO BE IN THE CORRECT TENSE + NOT + PAST
PARTICIPLE OF THE PRINCIPAL VERB
INTERROGATI
VE
VERB TO BE IN THE CORRECT TENSE + SUBJECT+
PAST PARTICIPLE OF THE PRINCIPAL VERB

5. THEY SOLD THEIR HOUSE LAST
WEEK
 AFIRMATIVE
The house was sold last week
 NEGATIVE
The house wasn’t sold last week
 INTERROGATIVE
Was the house sold last week?

6. Examples for explain the verbs:
TENSE SUBJECT VERB OBJECT
PRESENT
SIMPLE
ACTIVE Rita Writes A letter
PASSIVE A letter Is written By Rita
PAST
SIMPLE
ACTIVE Rita wrote A letter
PASSIVE A letter Was written By Rita
PRESENT
PERFECT
ACTIVE Rita Has written A letter
PASSIVE A letter Has been
written
By Rita
FUTURE
SIMPLE
ACTIVE Rita Will write A letter
PASIVE A letter Will be
written
By Rita
PRESENT
CONTINUO
US
ACTIVE Rita Is writing A letter
PASIVE A letter Is being
written
By Rita
PAST
CONTINUO
US
ACTIVE Rita was writing A letter
PASSIVE A letter Was being
written
By Rita

7. Examples for explain the verbs:
TENSE SUBJECT VERB OBJECT
PAST
PERFECT
ACTIVE Rita Had written A letter
PASSIVE A letter Had been
written
By Rita
FUTURE
PERFECT
SIMPLE
ACTIVE Rita Will have
written
A letter
PASSIVE A letter Will have
been written
By Rita
BE GOING
TO
ACTIVE Rita Is going to
write
A letter
PASSIVE A letter Is going to be
written
By Rita
CONDITIONA
L
ACTIVE Rita Would write A letter
PASIVE A letter Would be
written
By Rita

8. Examples for explain the verbs:
TENSES SUBJECT VERB OBJECT
CAN
COULD
ACTIVE Rita Can write A letter
PASSIVE A letter Can be
written
By Rita
MUST ACTIVE Rita Must write A letter
PASSIVE A letter Must be
written
By Rita

9. STEPS TO REWRITE A
SENTENCE
The object of the active
sentence becomes the subject
of the passive sentence.
Change the form of the verb
The subject of the active
sentence becomes the object of
the passive sentence (with by)

11. PASSIVES WITH TWO
OBJECTS
 We can write a passive sentence with two objects
in two ways:
1)
-A.S.: Subject + verb + I.o. + D.o.+ Complement
-P.S: I.o.+ Be+ Past participle + I.o+ Complement
Example:
She brought me a souvenir yesterday
I was brought a souvenir yesterday
* The subject isn’t important, so, in this case, we
can skip it

12. PASSIVES WITH TWO
OBJECTS
2)
-A.S.: Subject + verb + I.o. + D.o.+ Complement
-P.S. : D.o + Be + Past Participle + D.o +
Complement
Example:
She brought me a souvenir yesterday
A souvenir was brought to me yesterday

13. THE AGENT
 Here, there are two options depend if the subject
is important or not.
1) The preposition by + ‘the agent’ (the subject)
2) The agent is omitted if who isn’t important
1) NEVER use by people, by someone, by me,
by him, or by her.

14. MORE EXAMPLES WITH TWO
OBJECTS
THEY GAVE HER A PRESENT IN THE PARTY
SHE WAS GIVEN A PRESENT IN THE PARTY
A PRESENT WAS GIVEN TO HER IN THE PARTY
PAUL OFFERED HARRY A GOOD JOB
HARRY WAS OFFERED A GOOD JOB BY PAUL
A GOOD JOB WAS OFFERED TO HARRY BY PAUL
TOMORROW SOMEONE WILL GIVE SALLY THE MESSAGE
SALLY WILL BE GIVEN THE MESSAGE TOMORROW
THE MESSAGE WILL BE GIVEN TO SALLY TOMORROW

15. IMPERSONAL PASSIVE
 We have this kind of sentence when there are
verbs such as say, know, consider, expect,
suppose, think, …
 Here, there isn’t direct object, so…
1) People say that he is a thief
- It is said that he is a thief
The sentence don’t change
We put the verb in the correct tense of the passive

16. IMPERSONAL PASSIVE
2)
People say that he is a thief
He is said to be a thief
Verb in infinitive
We put the verb in the correct tense in the passive
(be+past participle)

17. EXAMPLES ABOUT IMPERSONAL
PASSIVE
PEOPLE SAY THAT THE NEW FILM IS VERY VIOLENT
IT IS SAID THAT THE NEW FILM IS VERY VIOLENT
THE NEW FILM IS SAID TO BE VERY VIOLENT
THEY THINK THAT THE RIVER BANKS ARE ABOUT TO BURST
IT IS THOUGHT THAT THE RIVER BANKS ARE ABOUT TO BURST
THE RIVER BANKS WERE THOUGHT TO BE ABOUT TO BURST
THEY THOUGHT THAT THE FLOWERS HAD ARRIVED FROM
HOLLAND
IT WAS THOUGHT THAT THE FLOWERS HAD ARRIVED FROM
HOLLAND
THE FLOWERS WERE THOUGH TO HAVE ARRIVED FROM HOLLAND

18. THE CAUSATIVE
 When we order somebody to do something for
us.
 If we want to say who is doing the action, we
write by+the person at the end of the sentence
 FORM:
Examples:
- I will have my car washed tomorrow
- Peter had his house painted last month
SUBJECT HAVE
(CORRECT
TENSE)
OBJECT PAST
PARTICIPLE
OF THE
VERB
COMPLEMEN
T

19. THE CAUSATIVE :
TRANSFORMATIONS
THE HAIRDRESSER IS CUTTING MY HAIR THIS AFTERNOON
I AM HAVING MY HAIR CUT THIS AFTERNOON
NEXT WEEK, AN ARTIST IS GOING TO PAINT HER PORTRAIT
MARY IS GOING TO HAVE HER PORTRAIT PAINTED NEXT WEEK BY
AN ARTIST
THE MECHANIC REPAIRED HIS CAR LAST WEEK
HE HAD HIS CAR REPAIRED LAST WEEK BY THE MECHANIC
EVERY WEEK A GARAGE WASHES HER CAR
SHE HAS HER CAR WASHED EVERY WEEK BY A GARAGE

20. BELÉN CORBELLE DOMÍNGUEZ, 2ºBAC B