ecusn caamaan oso THE PASSIVE VOICE iTRoDUCTION 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, The agent is very often not mentioned. When itis mentioned itis preceded by by and placed atthe end of the clause, ‘Active: My grandfather planted this tree. Possive: This tree wos planted by my grandfather. PASSIVE VERB TENSES He delvered ie eters The eters were delivered He wil deliver the letters. ‘He is delivering the letters. The etters are being delivered. He wos delivering te letters. | The leters were help delivered [Sarre] He going to aeiner te teres He hod delivered te kites. |The eters hd been delhered aS = _ ae Pe | aaa ee Short answers To make short answers: © we use the verb to be lanvVis/are/was/were) for Present Simple, Past Si st Continuous, Past Continuous and Gaing To questions. ‘+ weuse the verb have have/has/had) for Present Perfect and Past Perfect © we use will for Future Simple questions. use The Passive is used. 1L. when the agent -the person who does the action) is unknown, unimportant or cbvious from the cree 5 DO ° it O C Tools Mobile View Share PDFtoDOC EditonPCShort answers ‘we use the verb to be fnvsfae/was/were) for Present Simpl, Post Simple, Present Connacus, Pst Continous and Going To questions ‘+ weuse the verb have fave/havad) for resent Perfect and Past Perfect questions. + ese wor Future Senple questions use The Passve is used 1. when the agent (=the person who does the actions unknown unimportant or vious fom the Tone wos shot (We dont know who shot her) is chureh was built 1815 (Unimpartant agent) He hos been arested (Obviously by the poke) 2, wmake more polite or formal statements Ths cv hasnt been cleaned. more pote) (Yau havent cleaned the cor bss pote) 3. when the atm is more important than the agent, as processes, instructions, events reports, headlines, new tems, and advertisements 0 people were kled nthe erthauake 4 wputemphasison the agent. The new Herry wl be opened bythe Queen Te say who did the action that we are talking about le. to refer othe agent, we use the preposition by and thename (> Pee’), noun (hy she cence} orpronaun (i hi) at the en othe sentence ‘Ye usualonly refer tothe agent when it gives us some important information which otherwise would be rising rom the sentence ‘Curse wos designed by 0 famous architect We don’tmantion the agent |. ifwedon'tknow wha hasdone what we are taking about Curenrinos sour lot gh (We do know who stoke) 2 sf we are not interested in who has done what we are talking about orf not important to hos boon token 0 host, What we ae Interested inte oct that he has been taken a hosptal andnot who hes token hin) 1. itis eagytounderstand wh di something without king mentioned The murderer wos rested lost night. At mot necessOry fo mention tht he has been rested by the police becouse its se evident} 4. the subject ofthe active voice sentences something ke somebody, poop, they, you, et. Someone broke te window. The window was broken AcTIVE TO PASSIVE “ochanges sentence from the active voice tothe passhe voke: 1 the objec of the active vic sentence becomes the subject ofthe passive Voie sentence ‘Agatha Chrte wrote thi book This book wos witten by Agath Christe + wechange the main verb of the active voice sentence into the passive voie. The tense remains unchange. 1+ the subject ofthe act voce sentence becomes the agent of the passive sentence. ts placed after the past participle an itis preceded by the preposivon by. ENGLISH GRAMMAR | The Passive Voice ‘Agatha Chistie wrote this book This book was weten by Agatho Chstle ae [rtestie | [vesterdoy.—] (Ciiptotoganh) was taken | oro wim Inthe passive voice, we use: ‘+ by with the agen to refer toby whom the ation boing done, The door wos apered by Nt Black. (Mr Blok» ent) ‘+ wth tm refertotheinstrument, abject of matera that was useafr something tobe done Theor was opened with a key (okey =the abject thot was wed) Te omelette as made with 99s, cheese ond peppers (e9gs, cheese and peppers = the materia tht ws wed) ‘bouete OB1EcT VERBS When we have vets that tke two objects ie, for example, give somebody somethi‘We usually only refer to the agent when It gives us some important information which otherwise would be rising tam the sentence ‘We don't mention the agent: 1. ifweden't know who has done what we are talking about. Curenrnasstour ist ght (We dea know who stole) 2, Awe are not interested in who has done what we ate Talking about oF & not important to ie hasbeen ote to postal (What we ae Interested in the foct that he hs been taken ‘eo hesptal andnot who hes token hin) 4, ite eagy toundertand wha di something without being mentioned The munserer was orested ost ight RB Mat necesary to mention that he has been rested by the police becouse its se-evider | 4, the subject ofthe active vole sentence f something Ike somebody, people, they, you, ee ‘Someone bate the window. The window wos broker ed by @ famous architect. serve To passive To change asentence fom the active voice tothe passe vole: ‘the objec ofthe ative vice sentence becomes the subject ofthe pase voice sentence. Tis book wos wnten by Aga Chri + wechange the main vetb ofthe active voice sentence into the pastve voke. The tense remains tnchange. 1+ theasubject ofthe active voce sentence becomes the agent of the passive sentence. It placed after the past partple and its preceded bythe preposiion by. ENGUSH GRAMMAR | The P2ssve Vo! ‘acto Christie wrote is book Ths book was writen by Agathe Chistle. aoe FS (isgictogash] —wastaten | [oye] ‘by with the agent to referto by whom the ation sheing done Thee wos opened by Mr Blac. (IM Blak = agent) ‘with wo reer to theinstrument, object oF materal that was used fr something tobe done The door wos opened with key. (okey =the abject that was used) The omelette was made with eggs, cheese and peppers (eggs cheese ond peppers = the ‘materiel the wos used) ovste oBsecr vERas When we have verbs that take two objects ie, for example, give somebody something, we can convert the ative sentence intoa passive one in two ways: 12 by mating the laitet(anmat] object the subjac ofthe passe vole Sentence, which ao the ‘aay that we usualy preter. By making the rect (inanimate) object the subject ofthe passive vole ik gove me findrect abject ths book rect object) aouoceapny + Au. Thomson and AV. Martine, ABracicalEngsh Grammar, Osford Univers Press, 1986 Eons, Round-Up (int Grammar Practice) Longman, 1995, + MCaringand Jers, Grammar Time Longman, 2003, ‘Jens, Grammar Time, Longman, 2008 1M. Caring, Gammar Tene 6 Longman, 2003