Voix passive et voix active

Active and passive voice:

Active: the subject does the action
S+V+O
Ex: The romans developed irrigation
S V O

Irrigation was developed by the romans

Passive: we add the auxiliary “to be” in the same tense of the verb in the active voice (developed in
the past simple = was “to be” in the past simple) plus the past participle of the verb in the active voice
(developed), if there is no object in the active voice, it is impossible to turn it to the passive voice.
Other examples:
1) They fight the enemy. “Active” The verb “fight” is in the present
The enemy is fought “Passive”

 “is” (to be) in the present + the past participle of the verb “fought”, because the verb “fight” of
the active voice is in the present then we turned it to the past participle “fought”
2) Children were leaving by the back door “active”

 The subject “children” does the action but there is no object so we can’t turn it to the passive
voice
3) My little brother is learning languages. “Active” The verb “fight” is in the present continuous
Languages are being learned by my little brother “Passive”

 “are being” (to be) in the present continuous + the past participle of the verb “learned”, because
the verb “is learning” of the active voice is in the present continuous then we turned it to the past
participle “learned”
To Keep, voix active et passive

Voix Voix
Temps Phrase active Équivalent passif
active passive
The butter is kept in the
Présent simple keep is kept I keep the butter in the fridge.
fridge.
Présent is being
John is keeping my house
is keeping My house is being kept tidy.
progressif kept tidy.
Mary kept her schedule Mary's schedule was kept
Passé simple kept was kept
meticulously. meticulously.
was was being The theater was keeping a A seat was being kept for
Passé progressif
keeping kept seat for you. you.
have been I have kept all your old All your old letters have
Présent parfait have kept
kept letters. been kept.
had been He had kept up his training His training regimen had
Passé parfait had kept
kept regimen for a month. been kept up for a month.
will be
Futur simple will keep Mark will keep the ficus. The ficus will be kept.
kept
Conditionnel would would be If you told me, I would keep If you told me, your secret
Présent keep kept your secret. would be kept.
would I would have kept your Your bicycle would have
Conditionnel would
have been bicycle here if you had left it been kept here if you had
Passé have kept
kept with me. left it with me.
Présent Infinitif to keep to be kept She wants to keep the book. The book wants to be kept.
to have to have Judy was happy to have kept The puppy was happy to
Parfait Infinitif
kept been kept the puppy. have been kept.
Participe présent I have a feeling that you may I have a feeling that a secret
keeping being kept
& gérondif be keeping a secret. may be being kept.
Having kept the bird in a
The bird, having been kept
having having cage for so long, Jade wasn't
Participe parfait in a cage for so long, might
kept been kept sure it could survive in the
not survive in the wild.
wild.