Skil l 5: U ndersta nding the Passive Voice

In Part 5, your understanding of the passive voice will help you choose the verb form that fits the
context of the sentence. The passive voice is often used in formal and business communication.
It is used when you do not need (or want) to mention who does the action.

Sample TOEIC Test Question

1 . Before the dam ___, the river overflowed its banks every spring.
(A) was bujJt
(B) built The verb be is used both
(C) was building i n the passive voice and
i n the continuous tense.
(D) builds
Don't confuse them!
Look at the whole
Answer sentence.

Choice (A) is the correct ansvver. The sentence should read, Before the da111 Examples:
was built, the river overflowed its banks every spring. The verb was built is the past The reservations were
confirmed. (passive
tense of the passive voice. The emphasis is on the dam. It's not important who voice)
built the dam. Choices (B), (C), and (D) are all incorrect because they are
They were confirming
active voice. That is, they all mean d1at d1e dam built somed,jng (which is
the reservations when
illogical) . We know that someone built the dam, so the sentence reqllires d1e the phone went dead.
passive voice. Choice (D) is illogical for another reason also. The main verb, (past continuous tense)
overflowed, is i n the past tense, so we cannot use the present tense in the
subordinate clause, which begins with before.

Ski l l Focus

It is important to know how to recognize the passive voice. Think of the grammatical structure
of a sentence-subject, verb, and object. Also think of the role of these words in the meaning
of the sentence. In an active sentence, the subject is the agent (the person or thing that does
the action), the verb is the action, and the object is the receiver (the person or thing that the
action affects) . In a passive sentence, d1e agent and d1e receiver have changed positions. Study
the following clues for recognjzing a passive sentence.

Clues Examples Explanations

1 . The subject of a passive The letters were typed Who typed? Letters can't type,
sentence is NOT the agent by the secretary. but a secretary can. The subject
(the person or thing that (the letters) is not the agent.
does the action) .

2 . The object (agent) of a The announcement By the director means that the
passive sentence follows was made by the director. director is the agent.
the preposition by.

64 Reading
 Clues Examples Explanations

3 . The object (agent) of a
passive sentence may be
omitted from the sentence if
it is understood, unknown,
or unimportant. It may also
be omitted if we do not
want to name the agent.
The mail was delivered.
The crime was committed
at midnight.
We understand that the mail
carrier delivered the mail.
Therefore, the agent (the mail
carrier) is not important.
We don't know who committed
the crime. Therefore, there is
no agent.

Mistakes were made. We don't want to say who made

the mistakes.

4. The verb consists of a Our company has been The passive voice can be in any
form of be and the past mentioned in that magazine. tense. Has been tells us that
participle of the main verb. this is the present perfect form
of the passive voice.

Skill 5: Exercise
Circle the correct active or passive voice verb.

1. The viewers ___ the opportunity to judge the performance.

(A) were given
(B) gave The past participle (the
verb form with -ed) is
2. The shipment must ___ carefully. used in the passive
(A) handle voice, in the simple past
(B) be handled tense, and as an
adjective. Don't confuse
3 . The food manager ___ to eliminate theft. them! Look at the whole
sentence.
(A) was told
(B) has told Examples:
The meal was cooked
4. The flight on time. before we came.
(A) was left (passive voice in simple
past tense)
(B) left
They cooked the meal
5 . The proposal now. before we came. (active
(A) can be mailed voice in simple past
tense)
(B) can mail
The cooked food was on
the table when we
came. (adjective)

Incomplete Sentences 65