Passive voice

We use the passive voice when you want to de-emphasise

a subject and emphasise the object. For example, in the sci-
ences and technology, it is common for writers to use the
passive voice to place themselves in the background and
emphasise the procedures and results. Example:

Active voice: The researcher heated the compound and ob-

served the colour change.
Passive voice: The compound was heated, and the colour
change was observed. (what matters most is the process
and the observation, not who did the steps)
 
You may also want to use the passive voice to deliberately
obscure the subject. Example:
Active voice: The president’s advisors made some critical
mistakes.
Passive voice: Some critical mistakes were made. (the
speaker may want to avoid implicating the president’s advi-
sors)

Forming the passive voice

The passive voice in English is composed of two elements:

the appropriate form of the verb 'to be' +

past participle

Kamal reads the book.

The book is read by Kamal.
 Affirmative Negative Interrogative Negative in-
terrogative

The house The house Was the Wasn't the

was built in wasn't built in house built in house built in
1899. 1899. 1899? 1899?

These These houses Were these Weren't these

houses were weren't built in houses built houses built in
built in 1899. 1899. in 1899? 1899?

To clean, passive voice

Subject + to be (conjugated) + past participle

Simple present

The house is cleaned

Present continuous

The house is being cleaned

Simple past

The house was cleaned

Past continuous

The house was being cleaned

Present perfect

The house has been cleaned

 Past perfect

The house had been cleaned

Future

The house will be cleaned

Modals

The house must be cleaned

SENTENCES THAT CAN NOT   BE  CHANGED

INTO  PASSIVE  VOICE

TRANSITIVE   AND INTRANSITIVE VERB

A verb can be either transitive or intransitive. A transitive verb
needs an object (in sentence) to give complete meaning while in-
transitive verb does need an object (in sentence) to give complete
meaning.  
For example,

Transitive verb.
      He sent a letter.
  (Send is a transitive verb and it needs an object i.e. letter to ex-
press full meaning.)

Intransitive Verb.
       He laughs. 
      (Laugh is an intransitive verb and it does not need object for ex-
pressing full meaning.) 
    e.g. Sleep, go, reach, sit, die, are examples of intransitive verbs.

Intransitive verb cannot be changed into passive voiceThe sen-

tences having intransitive verbs (belonging to any tense) cannot be
changed into passive voice. The reason is that there is not any ob-
ject in such sentences and without object of sentence passive voice
is not possible. 

A sentence can be changed into passive voice if it has subject and

object. Sometimes subject may not be written in passive voice but it
does not mean that it has no subject. Such sentences have subject
but the subject is so common or familiar or known that if even it is
not written in passive voice, it gives full meaning.
For example
Cloth is sold in yards.   

The following tenses can also not be changed into passive voice.
1.  Present perfect continuous tense
2.  Past perfect continuous tense
3.  Future continuous tense
4.  Future perfect continuous tense

Transform the following sentences into passive sentences.

1. The whole state elects the governor.

2. Children from all countries love that game.

3. The critics reviewed the new Broadway play.

4. The pirates hid the treasure quickly.

5. Terri examined the bugs on the tree.

FILL IN THE GAPS WITH THE CORRECT VERB FORM

First, used bottles (put) in the plastic recycling bin. Next, the
used bottles (collect) and (take) to the factory which will recycle
the bottles. Following transportation, the bottles (heat) and
(melt). Then they (form) in to new bottles. After cooling, the recy-
cled plastic bottles (distribute) to companies in order that they
can (refill) and sold to the public.
Cement (make) from a number of ingredients. The primary ingredi-
ent of cement is limestone. Limestone (form) millions of years ago
from dead sea creatures. It (extract) from the ground. After extrac-
tion it (take) to a factory. After it arrives, it (crush) Then, it (heat) to a
high temperature with various other ingredients. Following this, cold
air (cool) the limestone mixture down into cement.