The Passive Voice

You use the passive construction to give more stress

or importance to the person or thing that ‘gets’
something,
and less stress to the one that ‘gives’.

ACTIVE: They sent us a brochure.

PASSIVE: We were sent a brochure.

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 The Passive

Passive verb forms are made with the

different tenses of to be, followed by a past
participle.
ACTIVE: They speak English here.

PASSIVE: English is spoken here.

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 The Passive
The tenses, and the rules for their use, are the same as
for active verb forms.

present tense: am / are / is + participle

past tense: was / were + participle
present perfect: have been / has been + participle
past perfect: had been + participle
will future: will be + participle

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 The Passive
The passive of an active tense is formed by putting the verb to be into the
same tense as the active verb and adding the past participle of the active
verb. The subject of the active verb becomes the agent of the passive verb
and the active object becomes the passive subject:

H.G. Wells wrote “The War of the Worlds”.

Subject Active Verb Object

“The War of the Worlds” was written by H.G.Wells.

Passive Subject Passive Verb Agent

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 The Passive
Just try these now:

Somebody calls the fire brigade.

The fire brigade is called.
Somebody called the fire brigade.
The fire brigade was called.
Somebody has called the fire brigade.
The fire brigade has been called.

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 The Passive

Just try some more:

Somebody had called the fire brigade.

The fire brigade had been called.
Somebody will call the fire brigade.
The fire brigade will be called.

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 The Passive
After ‘can’, ‘must’, ‘should’, ‘will’ and so on, you
have to use passive forms of the infinitive.
can be + Past participle
must be + Past participle
should be + Past participle

Kangaroos can be seen nearly everywhere in

Australia.

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 The Passive

Now you again:

Koalas …. .. … with eucalyptus leaves.
(must, to feed)

Koalas must be fed with eucalyptus leaves.

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 The Passive

Yes, you again:

Kangaroo meat … .. ….. in restaurants all
over Australia.
(can, to eat)

Kangaroo meat can be eaten in restaurants

all over Australia.

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 The Passive
Oh yes, you again:
Australia …… .. ……. by everybody, because life there
is very different from the life we know.
(should, to visit)

Australia should be visited by everybody, because life

there is very different from the life we know.

Thank you!
Made for Maria-Montessori Comprehensive School, Meerbusch

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 The Passive
Yes, now here it is:
The famous by-agent.

The by-agent is only expressed when it

is important to say who or what
something is done by.
In most passive sentences, there is no
by-agent.
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 The Passive
Decide if the ‘by-agent’ should be used in the
following passive sentences:

I was shocked by her outfit? .

Yes, here it is important to say what was shocking.

I am always being asked for money by people? .

No, not really necessary.

Made for Maria-Montessori

Comprehensive School by:

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