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Understanding the Passive Voice

The passive voice is formed using some form of the verb "to be" along with the past participle of the main verb. It is used when the focus is on the action rather than the agent, such as in descriptions of processes. The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the active voice, but in the passive voice it would be "The Mona Lisa was painted." The passive voice uses different forms of "to be" depending on the tense, such as "is made" for the present simple instead of the active "makes."

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50 views1 page

Understanding the Passive Voice

The passive voice is formed using some form of the verb "to be" along with the past participle of the main verb. It is used when the focus is on the action rather than the agent, such as in descriptions of processes. The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the active voice, but in the passive voice it would be "The Mona Lisa was painted." The passive voice uses different forms of "to be" depending on the tense, such as "is made" for the present simple instead of the active "makes."

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Fer AZ. Ser
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© © All Rights Reserved
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THE PASSIVE FORM

•The passive voice is formed : subject + be (in the appropriate tense) + past
participle + (by agent )
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci (passive)
Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa (active)
*John was sent an e-mail / An e-mail was sent to John ( verbs with double object)

•The passive form is used:


-When we want to put emphasis on the action or on its result rather than on
its agent
My wallet was found in the street

-When the subject is generic or not clearly identified


Carnival is celebrated in February

-In descriptions of processes or experiments


Heated crude oil is pumped into the fractioning column

THE
THE PASSIVE
PASSIVE VOICE
VOICE
TENSE
TENSE ACTIVE
ACTIVE PASSIVE
PASSIVE
Present
Present simple
simple …makes
…makes …is
…ismade
made
Present
Present continuous
continuous ...is
...ismaking
making …is
…isbeing
beingmade
made
Past
Past Simple
Simple …made
…made …was
…was made
made
Past
Past Continuous
Continuous ..was
..wasmaking
making …was
…was being
be ingmade
ma de
Present
Present Perfect
Perfect …has
…has made
made …has been made
…has been made
Past
Past Perfect
Perfect …had
…had made
made …had
…hadbeenb eenmade
ma de
Future
Future …is
…is going
going to
to make
make ..is
..is going to be made
going to be ma de
Future
Future …will
…wi llmake
make …will
…wil lbebemade
made
Future
Future Perfect
Perfect …will
…wi llhave
havemade
made .will
.will h avebeen
have be enmade
made

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