The Passive voice

Form of Passive
Subject + appropriate tense of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular
verbs)
Example: A letter was written.

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

 the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive
sentence
 the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
 the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive
sentence (or is dropped)

Use of Passive
1- Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or
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.
2- 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 (e.g. You have made a mistake.).

3- Passive voice is used when the person who does the action (the agent) is
unknown, unimportant or obvious from the context

Example : Jane was shot. (we don’t know who shot her)

He has been arrested (obviously by the police)

4- To put the emphasis on the agent :

Example : The new library will be opened by the queen.

TENSE ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE

PRESENT The teacher punishes me. I am punished by the teacher.

SIMPLE The teacher punishes the boy. The boy is punished by the teacher.

The teacher punishes the boys. The boys are punished by the
teacher.

PRESENT The teacher is punishing me. I am being punished by the teacher.

CONTINUOUS The teacher is punishing the The boy is being punished by the
boy. teacher.

The teacher is punishing the The boys are being punished by the
boys. teacher.

PAST SIMPLE The teacher punished me. I was punished by the teacher.

The teacher punished the boys. The boys were punished by the
teacher.

PAST The teacher was punishing me. I was being punished by the
teacher.
CONTINUOUS The teacher was punishing the
boys. The boys were being punished by
the teacher.
PRESENT The teacher has punished me. I have been punished by the
teacher.
PERFECT The teacher has punished the
boy. The boy has been punished by the
teacher.

Future : The teacher will punish me

will/is going I will be punished by the teacher.
The teacher is going to punish
to me

I am going to be punished by the

teacher.