The Passive Voice

Use
We use the passive voice when what concerns us is the action itself. The person who is doing it
does not concern us or we don’t know who is doing it.

The product was launched last week. (We do not mention who launched the product because we
already know that someone who works on sales did it – The active voice of this sentence could
be: They launched the product last week)

Watch this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkAyggAM1q4

Form
In order to form the passive voice, we must do the following:
1) The object of the sentence becomes the subject of the passive voice.

Active - Someone should deliver these packages today.

Passive -These packages should be delivered today.

2) We use the verb to be in the tense that we need and the past participle of the main verb.

TENSE ACTIVE PASSIVE

PRESENT SIMPLE They make progress. Progress is made.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS They are making progress. Progress is being made.
PAST SIMPLE They made progress. Progress was made.
PAST CONTINUOUS They were making progress. Progress was being made.
PRESENT PERFECT They have made progress. Progress has been made.
PAST PERFECT They had made progress. Progress had been made.
WILL They will make progress. Progress will be made
MODAL VERBS They must make progress. Progress must be made.
BE GOING TO They are going to make progress. Progress is going to be made.

Affirmative → It is going to be done.

Negative → It is not going to be done.

Interrogative → Is it going to be done?

3) And we add the subject of the active voice as agent using the preposition by, but it is
only added if it is relevant in the sentence.

Active – A famous architect has designed our new house.

Passive - Our new house has been designed by a famous architect. (The subject is added as
the agent because it is relevant in the action.
 Usually we do not use the agent:

 When the person who odes the action does not concern us.
This painting will be sold for a lot of money.

 When that person is unknown.

Many cars have been stolen in this neighbourhood.

 When it is easy to know who does the action, so it is implied from the context.
The best coffee in the world is grown in this country.

 When the subject of the active voice is somebody, someone, no one, they, people.
This traditional song is sung at Irish weddings. (Active: People sing this song at Irish weddings)

Pay attention to questions beginning with who as subject:

Active – Who stole the money?
Passive – Who was the money stolen by? (In this type of questions, the agent is never omitted
and as you can see the preposition is at the end of the question)

Common mistake:
Active – They have stored the furniture in the basement.
Passive – The furniture has been stored in the basement by they.

Practice
Exercise 1
Complete with the active or passive voice in the correct tense.
1. The rooms ___________________________________(clean) every day in our hotel.
2. I was not able to enter my house because someone
__________________________________________(previously/lock) from the inside.
3. _______________________________________(the flowers/water) every two days?
4. The jewellery _____________________________(steal) from the shop between midnight and
five o’clock yesterday.
5. When I got to the restaurant, everyone ________________________(still/have) dinner.
6. Your skin ____________________________________(should/protect) from the sun.
7. ____________________________(they/serve) breakfast between 7 and 9 o’clock every
morning.
8. Irregular verbs ____________________________(have to/ learn) by heart.
9. _________________________________(millions of people/watch) the programme last night.
10.Who _______________________________________(America/ discover) by?

Exercise 2
Write these sentences in the passive voice. Add the agent only when it is
necessary.
1. Someone must stop him now.
2. They can’t find her.
3. The firefighters rescued the teenagers form the burning bus.
4. Someone has left the keys in a safe place.
5. Did a young student write this story?
6. The boss isn’t going to fire us.
7. Will they put all these things into boxes?
8. A French chef was preparing the meal in the restaurant.
9. No one understood this.
10.Who is fixing the device?

Exercise 3
Write these sentences in the active voice. Provide a suitable subject when
the agent is not given.
1. These recycling bins are not emptied every day.
2. Who has this treaty been signed by?
3. My dog has been bitten by a snake.
4. The workers will be paid by the new boss.
5. The photocopier is not being used right now.
6. The house was being searched for by the policemen.
7. The ancient temple has been discovered by British archaeologists.
8. She might be invited to the party.
9. Is this cereal preferred by children?
10.This story can’t be published by newspapers.

Passive with verbs followed by two objects

Watch this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x4D-Jv7qMk

When we have verbs that take two objects, for example, give somebody something, we can
convert the active sentence into a passive one in two ways:

Active: They showed us their new flat.

us is the indirect object and becomes we when it is the subject of the passive voice.
their new flat is the direct object.

a. by making the indirect object the subject of the passive voice, which is the way that English
speakers prefer.
We were shown their new flat.

b. by making the direct object the subject of the passive.

Their new flat was shown to us. (Remember that we must use the preposition to before the
indirect object in this passive sentence)

Some of the verbs that take two objects are give, lend, tell, send, offer, promise, show, tell,
ask, pay, award, teach, bring,etc.

Practice
Exercise 4
Write two passive sentences.
1. John gave Helen a beautiful ring.
2. They have taught us many new things.
3. This company usually offers customers free samples.
4. They are going to pay him a lot of money.
5. Liam is telling the truth to her.
Causative
Use
We use the causative form:
a. When we want to emphasize that we are not doing something ourselves. Usually, the
person who does the action is someone who does this job professionally. Compare the
following sentences:

Simon repaired his bike. (This sentence is active and means that Simon repaired it himself.)
Simon had his bike repaired. (This is causative and means that he got someone to repair,
probably he took the bike to a professional that repairs bicycles.)

b. To talk about something that happened to someone against his will.

She had her bag stolen yesterday.

Watch this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQt2jl2BCrg

Form
→We form the causative according to this construction:

have  object  past participle of the main verb

Jane is having her hair coloured.

→The verb have is conjugated in the corresponding tense:

Present simple She has her hair cut every two months.
Present continuous She is having her hair cut at the moment.
Past simple She had her hair cut yesterday.
Past continuous She was having her hair cut when I rang.
Present perfect She has just had her hair cut.
Past perfect She had had her hair cut before she went on holiday.
will She will have her hair cut as soon as she has time.
be going to She’s going to have her hair cut tomorrow.
Modal verbs She should have her hair cut tomorrow.

When we want to refer to the person who does the action, we add the agent using the
preposition by
Jane is having her hair coloured by her favourite stylist.

The negative and interrogative are formed using the corresponding auxiliary verb
Does Jack have his flat cleaned?
Did Mark have his car services?
Are you having your room redecorated?

In colloquial language, we can use get instead of have but remember that we can’t use get
when the sentence refers to a situation which is negative for the subject.
Sam had his nose broken in a fight. 
Sam got his nose broken in a fight. (wrong)
Practice
Exercise 5
Complete the sentences with the correct form of have/get.
1. I ___________the oil in my car changed every 15,000 km.
2. Fergus ___________the bathroom tiles replaced last week.
3. We ___________our new air conditioning system installed right now.
4. Jack __________two of his novels published since 2015.
5. We ____________our dog examined by our vet before we went on holiday.

Exercise 6
Rewrite these sentences using the words given.
1. They have changed the oil in Frank’s car. (Frank)
2. The dentist checks my teeth every six months. (checked)
3. A famous painter will paint Patrick’s portrait. (painted)
4. Someone broke our kitchen window last night. (had)
5. Someone must shorten your skirt. (get)

Answer key
Exercise 1
1. Are cleaned
2. Had previously locked
3. Are the flowers watered
4. Was stolen
5. Was still having
6. Should be protected
7. Do they serve
8. Have to be learnt
9. Did millions of people watch
10.Was America discovered

Exercise 2
1. He must be stopped now
2. She can’t be found.
3. The teenagers were rescued from the burning bus by the firefighters.
4. The keys have been left in a safe place.
5. Was this story written by a young student?
6. We are not going to be fired.
7. Will all these things be put into boxes?
8. The meal was being prepared by a French chef.
9. This was not understood.
10. Who is the device being fixed by?

Exercise 3
1.They do not empty these recycling bins every day.
2. Who has signed this treaty?
3. A snake has bitten my dog.
4. The new boss will pay the workers.
5. They are not using the photocopier right now.
6. The policemen are searching for the house.
7. British archaeologists have discovered the ancient temple.
8. Someone might invite her to the party.
9. Do children prefer this cereal?
10. Newspapers can’t publish this story.

Exercise 4
1. Helen was given a beautiful ring by John.
A beautiful ring was given to Helen by John.
2. We have been taught many new things.
Many new things have been taught to us.
3. Customers are usually offered free samples by this company.
Free samples are usually offered to customers by this company.
4. He is going to be paid a lot of money.
A lot of money is going to be paid to him.
5. She is being told the truth by Liam
The truth is being told to her by Liam.

Exercise 5
1. have/get
2. had/got
3. are having/are getting
4.has had/has got
5. had had/ had got

Exercise 6
1. Frank has had the oil in his car changed.
2. I have my teeth checked every six months.
3.Patrick will have his portrait painted by a famous painter.
4. We had our kitchen window broken last night.
5. You must have your skirt shortened.