PASSIVE VOICE Autor: Enrique Hinojosa

(Active) The boy broke the window

S V O

(Passive) The window was broken (by the boy)

S V Agent

1.- El sujeto de la frase activa pasa a complemento agente en pasiva

2.- El objeto de la frase activa pasa a ser sujeto en pasiva
3.- El verbo se forma con “to be” en el tiempo del verbo de la frase activa seguido
del participio pasado de ese mismo verbo.

Para que podamos pasar una frase activa a voz pasiva es necesario que dicha
frase tenga algún objeto directo o indirecto, es decir, que tenga un verbo transitivo.
(“It rains everyday here” no se podría pasar a voz pasiva porque no tiene un
objeto, sólo complementos circustanciales).
La mayoría de las veces no es necesario poner el complemento agente, y nunca
se pone si es general (they, people, the police, we, everyone...) Si lo ponemos irá
precedido de la preposición “by”, excepto cuando es un país, en cuyo caso sería
“in” (“Renault cars are made in France”).

Active Passive

Present Simple builds --------------- is built

Present Continuous is building --------------- is being built
Present Perfect has built --------------- has been built
Past Simple built --------------- was built
Past Continuous was building -------------- was being built
Past Perfect had built --------------- had been built
Future “will” will build --------------- will be built
Future “going to” is going to build --------------- is going to be built
Modal verbs can build --------------- can be built
must build --------------- must be built
“have to” has to build --------------- has to be built

Algunos ejemplos:

-My friend sells books --------------- Books are sold by my friend

-Helen is eating a sandwich ---------
-They have drunk some wine -------
-Sheila wrote a letter ----------------
-We will paint the wall --------------
-I´m going to prepare dinner ------
-You must study English ------------
-China consumes a lot of rice ------
-I had finished the work ------------
-You have to decorate the room ---
A sandwich is being eaten by Helen
Some wine has been drunk (by them)
A letter was written (by Sheila)
The wall will be painted (by us)
Dinner is going to be prepared (by me)
English must be studied (by you)
A lot of rice is consumed in China
The work had been finished (by me)
The room has to be decorated (by you)
 Cuando nos encontramos una frase en interrogativa, la mejor forma de no
equivocarnos es pasarla primero a afirmativa, buscando el orden SVO, luego se
hace la pasiva y una vez que tengamos la pasiva, se pasa de nuevo a interrogativa:

Does he eat vegetables?

-He eats vegetables ------------ Vegetables are eaten (by him)
Are vegetables eaten (by him)?

When will you wash the dishes?

-You will wash the dishes when ----- The dishes will be washed (by you) when
When will the dishes be washed (by you)?

What are they going to cook tonight?

-They are going to cook what tonight ----- What is going to be cooked tonight
What is going to be cooked tonight?

Did she finish the homework?

-she finished the homework -------- The homework was finished (by her)
Was the homework finished (by her)?

Cuando nos encontramos un verbo ditransitivo (2 objetos), siempre pasaremos

a sujeto el objeto indirecto (give, lend, offer, ask, send, sell,…).

I gave Peter some money --------------------- Peter was given some money
She will lend me her bike ---------------------- I will be lent her bike
The teacher asked me a question -------------- I was asked a question
They have offered him a new job -------------- He has been offered a new job
What did you send me?
-you sent me what --- I was sent what -------- What was I sent?

Cuando nos encontramos un sujeto general (they, people,…) con un verbo de

juicio, pensamiento u opinión (think, believe, say, suppose, consider,...)
seguido de una frase subordinada con “that”, hay dos pasivas posibles:

People say that he is crazy ---------- *that he is crazy is said by people

S V O

Esa frase no es válida: -“by people” no se pone porque es general

- “that he is crazy” no se pone al principio porque es un
objeto demasiado largo, así que se pasa hacia atrás y
es sustituido por “it”, y obtenemos la 1ª pasiva

1ª It is said that he is crazy

La segunda pasiva se obtiene partiendo de la primera; en vez de poner “it”,

colocamos el sujeto de la frase subordinada como sujeto de la frase pasiva,
quitamos “that” y ponemos el verbo en infinitivo:

2ª He is said to be crazy

They think that he has a lot of money

1ª It is thought that he has a lot of money
2ª He is thought to have a lot of money
EXERCISES

1.- Write the passive, omitting the “by-phrase” if possible.

1-A red-haired woman occupied the seat opposite me.

2-A bell broke the silence.
3-They aren´t restoring the old church.
4-Somebody had locked the door from the inside.
5-We heard a loud explosion in the middle of the night.
6-You can see this sort of advertisement everywhere.
7-Everybody received the books two weeks in advance.
8-They´ve planted olive trees on the sides of the mountain.
9-A new federal law will regulate American universities.
10-We have already wasted too much time.
11-One cannot see the stars during the day.
12-The laboratory was then developing a new vaccine.
13-They´re investing a lot of money to fight pollution.
14-People should always keep their secrets.
15-We´ll never know the true story.
16-Has anybody mentioned the subject before?
17-Does the Anopheles mosquito transmit malaria?
18-Will they make new cars?
19-Have you sent the letters?
20-Do they open shops at 9.00?
21-Did you receive the catalogues?
22-Does Germany consume a lot of meat?
23-What are they producing?
24-Who phoned you yesterday?
25-Who did you phone yesterday?

2.- Write the passive voice of these sentences; they have ditransitive verbs
or subordinate clauses!!

1-They told me to do it.

2-They gave Peter the first prize.
3-They brought him his supper.
4-They offered us a cup of tea.
5-Somebody gave us your address.
6-They had promised me a watch.
7-They didn’t show us the private rooms.
8-Janet introduced me to Mrs. Hayes.
9-Did they lend you their car?
10-Have they offered you a new job?
11-Will you promise me a present?
12-Are they going to send me an email?
13-When did they tell you the secret?
14-What have they brought you?
15-Who told you the news?
16-Who have you given the money?
17-Everybody believes that Sarah is a witch.
18-The police consider that Jonny is the criminal.
19-They say that he is a secret agent.
20-Many people think that the government will lose the election
21-Scientists suppose that the universe is expanding.
22-The Egyptians believed that the Pharaohs were descendants of the gods
3.- Rewrite these sentences in active voice.

1-Many of the buildings in this town were built by an Italian architect

2-Most of the groceries are run by families from Asia
3-The house is surrounded by a bamboo fence
4-The city was modernized by the British in 1850
5-The project was funded by the National Geographic Society
6-Chicago was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1871
7-The car was still being repaired
8-The thieves have not been caught yet
9-The victim had been poisoned
10-Some of the books have been returned
11-The city was patrolled to prevent thefts
12-Those first hours will be never forgotten
13-We were taken by surprise
14-The child was taken by the hand
15-The vaccine was discovered by chance
16-My books were sent by train
17-The lessons were learnt by heart
18-I was called by my name
19-Were you offered a new job?
20-What was he given for his birthday?
21-When will the bridge be opened?
22-Where have the keys been put?
23-What product is being made here?
24-Is English spoken here?
25-Are texts translated to French?
26-Was penicillin discovered by Fleming?
27-Who was the radio invented by?

4.- Translate these sentences into English using passive constructions

1-Entregarán el paquete a las siete (box)

2-Nos darán una comida estupenda (nice meal)
3-Me estaban observando (watch)
4-Sólo se salvaron quince personas (only/save)
5-Nos hicieron muchas preguntas (ask/questions)
6-El español se habla en Sudamérica (speak)
7-La declararon culpable (find/guilty)
8-Se debe comprobar la temperatura (test)
9-Habían devuelto el dinero (return)
10-Se rieron de nosotros (laugh at)
11-No me entregaron la casa nueva (give)
12-¿Cuándo te enviaron las fotos? (send)
13-¿Dónde se colocó el martillo? (put/hammer)
14-¿Qué te han vendido? (sell)
15-¿A qué hora te visitaron? (what time)
16-¿Por qué te expulsaron del cole? (expel)
17-¿Cuándo han entregado los exámenes? (give)
18-¿Qué le ofrecerán? (offer)
19-¿Cuándo se va a inaugurar el puente? (open/bridge)
20-¿Cómo te contaron la historia? (tell)
5.- PASSIVE VOICE

1.- Shakespeare wrote “Romeo & Juliet”

2.- My friend is singing a song
3.- They will open the bridge next year
4.- Did you eat your dinner?
5.- What will they lend you?
6.- Sheila offered Arthur a present
7.- Those men have cut the tree
8.- People think that he is a robber
9.- They often close shops at 9 pm
10.- When are the beds going to be made?
11.- The robber was caught last night
12.- It can´t be done now
13.- Se le va a vender un coche
14.- Se supone que ella está casada
15.- ¿Se te entregó el examen?
16.- Bad weather has delayed the trains
17.- Someone had informed the police about the robbery
18.- People believe the contract is worth a million dollars
19.- You can make delicious meals with cheese and eggs
20.- He broke his leg in a skiing accident
21.- People play football in most countries of the world
22.- You have to see it to believe it
23.- The neighbours will water the plants
24.- Jack is taking Sandra out for dinner tonight
25.- Students normally study exams the day before

6.- “Will” and other modal verbs in the passive

Example: We can expect a difficult time, you know

A difficult time can be expected

1. We have to reduce costs

2. We must keep the factory open
3. We all agree that we must take action
4. We should warn the staff, of course
5. We ought to make things clear to them
6. The company will employ no more new staff
7. We can´t allow the situation to continue
8. We´ll hold the next meeting on May 8th
9. You shouldn´t tell him the secret
10. We need more people to help here
11. The police may find the criminal
12. We could possibly finish the work
13. People must always keep their secrets
14. Can we leave the door open?
15. You mustn´t turn on the lights
7.- Rewrite these sentences in the passive

1 Someone broke this mirror last night.

2 Someone washes the towels in the hotel every day.
3 Someone built the house ten years ago.
4 They grow this fruit in very hot countries.
5 They pay the office workers weekly.
6 Someone bought all this cheese in France.
7 Someone found Emily's bike in the river.
8 Someone visits most of the prisoners once a week.
9 Someone cleans this car every week.
10 They play a lot of sport on the beach.
11 Someone stole all my best jewellery.
12 They carried the children all the way home.
13 Someone watches the palace twenty-four hours a day.
14 They leave the grapes to dry in the sun.

8.-Complete the sentences using is, are, was or were and a verb

grown/cut/taught/locked/sent/explained/killed/given/built/driven

1 His father ______________ in the war.

2 The grass ______ never ________ in the winter.
3 When _______ these houses __________?
4 You can't go into the school. The gates _______ always ________ at 4.30.
5 ________ these potatoes ___________ in your garden?
6 I ___________________ a beautiful gold watch.
7 We take the bus during the week so the car ______ only ________ at weekends.
8 The problem ____________________ to us very clearly.
9 This letter _________ never _____________
10 Children _______ not ____________ any languages at primary school now.

9.- Rewrite these sentences, putting the verbs in the passive

1 My car / damage / last night

2 This computer / make / in the USA
3 The machines / make / in Scotland
4 The President / kill / last night
5 The money / change into dollars / tomorrow
6 The parcels / post / yesterday
7 Cheese / make / from milk
8 The children / give / some food
9 The house / paint / every year
10 Several people / hurt / in an accident last night