Passive Voice

Used for 2 reasons:

1) to emphasize the action

2) when we don’t want to mention the person doing the action

Newspaper articles, TV news, scientific writings

1. Present Simple Active to Passive

Positive form

a) A lot of people speak English around the world.

Subject Verb Object

(Person,people) What do they speak?

English is spoken around the world (by a lot of people).

Subject to be +past participle Object

b) Millions of tourists visit Italy every year.

Italy is visited by millions of tourists every year.

c) Several students ask me questions every day.

I am asked questions by several students every day.

Form:

Object in the active becomes subject in the passive + am,is,are+past

participle + by agent(the subject in the active becomes object in the
passive)

Negatives

A lot of people don’t speak English around the world.

English isn’t spoken around the world by a lot of people.

Questions

Do a lot of people speak English around the world?

Is English spoken around the world by a lot of people?

Exercises 1

1. A lot of /use/Indian dishes

2. Thousands of photos/take/every day

3. Plants/use/medicine

4. Istanbul/visit/lots of tourists

5. Best pizzas/make/Italy
Exercise 2

1. What is a chair made of?

2. What is sushi made with?

3. When is New year celebrated around the world?

4. Where are the Oscars held?

5. Which electronic devices are used almost every day?

Let’s summarize

Positive form

O + am/is/are+p.p+by agent

Negative

O+am not/isn’t/aren’t + p.p + by agent

Questions

Am/is/are+object+p.p+ by agent?

People grow a lot of coffee in Columbia.

A lot of coffee is grown in Columbia

A lot of coffee isn’t grown in Columbia

Is a lot of coffee grown in Columbia?

Extra Practice

www.e-grammar.org (grammar rules and explanations)

https://www.e-grammar.org/download/present-simple-passive-exercise-2.pdf
From Passive to Active

1.Too much waste is produced in developed countries.

2.Big cities are blocked by cars.

3.Beaches are covered with plastic bags and bottles.

4.Millions of dead animals are found on roads every year.

5.Air is polluted by factories and vehicle exhausts.

6.Rain forests are cut down in South America and Asia.

7.Water is filled with toxic pollutants.

8.The human influence on the climate can be seen.

9.Our planet is overpopulated.

10.Nothing is done about it.