Passive Voice

Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or is not known, however,
who or what is performing the action.

Example: My bike was stolen.

In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know, however,
who did it.

Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example
shows:

Example: A mistake was made.

In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone

(Example: You have made a mistake.).

Form of Passive
Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of verbs list)

Example: A letter was written.

When rewriting Active Voice Sentences in Passive Voice, note the following:

 The Object of the Active Sentence becomes the Subject of the Passive Sentence
 The form of the verb in Passive Form is (to be + Past Participle)
 The Subject of the Active Sentence becomes the Object of the Passive Sentence
 Examples of Active and Passive Voice
Tense Subject Verb Object

writes a letter.
Simple Present Active: Rita

Passive A letter is written by Rita.

:
Simple Past 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.

:
Past Perfect Active: Rita had written a letter.

Passive A letter had been written by Rita.

:

is writing a letter.
Present Continuous Active: Rita

Passive A letter is being written by Rita.

:
Past Continuous Active: Rita was writing a letter.

Passive A letter was being written by Rita.

:
Defectives: (Can, Could, Active: Rita can write a letter.
May, Must, Should,
Might…) Passive A letter can be written by Rita.
:
Emphatic Future Active: Rita will have written a letter.

Passive A letter will have been written by Rita.

Unemphatic Future Active Rita a letter.

Is going to write

Passive A letter In going to be written by Rita.

:

Simple Conditional Active: Rita would write a letter.

Passive A letter would be written by Rita.

:
Active: Rita would have written a letter.
Conditional Perfect
Passive A letter would have been written by Rita
:
 Passive Sentences with Two Objects 

Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means that one of the two
objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an object. Which object to transform into a
subject depends on what you want to put the focus on.

  Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2

wrote a letter to me.

Active: Rita

Passive: A letter was written to me by Rita.

Passive: I was written a letter by Rita.

NOTE:
1.- The object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb. The subject of the active
verb becomes the object of the passive verb.

EXAMPLE:

. (ACTIVE VOICE) : Mary wrote a letter

Subject Verb Object

(PASSIVE VOICE) : A letter was written by Mary

Subject Verb Object

2.- The object of the passive verb is not always mentioned. If we have to mention it, we usually
introduce it by the conjunction “by”

Example: The letter was read.

 The letter as read by someone

3.- PERSONAL PRONOUNS CHANGES IN PASSIVE VOICE:

SUBJECT PRONOUNS OBJECT PRONOUNS

I ME
YOU YOU
HE HIM
SHE HER
IT IT
We US
They THEM

EXAMPLE: ACTIVE VOICE: THEY SAW HER ON THE STREET YESTERDAY

SUBJECT VERB OBJECT

PASSIVE VOICE: SHE WAS SEEM BY THEM ON THE STREET YESTERDAY

SUBJECT VERB OBJECT
CHANGE INTO PASSIVE VOICE THE SENTENCE IN ACTIVE VOICE AND INTO ACTIVE VOICE THE
SENTENCES IN PASSIVE VOICE:

1. A house is being built by them

_____________________________________________________________________

2. I will never forget this experience.

_____________________________________________________________________

3. Mother made a cake yesterday

_____________________________________________________________________

4. Meal is cooked by someone every day

_____________________________________________________________________

.5. She did her duty

_____________________________________________________________________

6. Bananas are being eaten by the child

_____________________________________________________________________

7. She has written a novel.

_____________________________________________________________________

8. She has learned her

lessons.______________________________________________________________

9. They are going to visit

her___________________________________________::::::::::::::::::::_____________

10. The police have caught the

thief_________________________________________________________________