PASSIVE VOICE I

HOW DO WE NORMALLY
CHANGE VERBS FROM ACTIVE
TO PASSIVE VOICE?
We normally need the auxiliary verb to be,
which we conjugate in the same tense as the
main verb in the active sentence, followed by the
main verb in past participle.
Eg:
The woman bought a new car.
S
V
O
WAS/WERE BOUGHT
A new car was bought.

ACTIVE VOICE

PASSIVE VOICE

I DO IT

IT IS DONE

I DID IT

IT WAS DONE

I WILL DO IT

IT WILL BE DONE

I HAVE DONE IT

IT HAS BEEN DONE

I HAD DONE IT

IT HAD BEEN DONE

ACTIVE VOICE

PASSIVE VOICE

I AM DOING IT

IT IS BEING DONE

I WAS DOING IT

IT WAS BEING DONE

WITH MODAL VERBS:

ACTIVE VOICE

PASSIVE VOICE

THEY CAN REPAIR THE MACHINE.

THE MACHINE CAN BE REPAIRED.

I COULD SEE A CLOUD OF SMOKE.

A CLOUD OF SMOKE COULD BE SEEN.

FARMERS MUST WATER TOMATO

PLANTS REGULARLY.

TOMATO PLANTS MUST BE WATERED

REGULARLY.

THEY MAY ASK YOU TO SHOW YOUR

PASSPORT.

YOU MAY BE ASKED TO SHOW YOUR

PASSPORT.

I WAS AFRAID THAT SOMEONE MIGHT

RECOGNIZE ME.

I WAS AFRAID THAT I MIGHT BE

RECOGNIZED.

WE HAVE TO BUILD COMPUTERS

INTO THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

COMPUTERS HAVE TO BE BUILT INTO

THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM.

IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE SHOULD

PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.

IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE

ENVIRONMENT SHOULD BE
PROTECTED.

THEY OUGHT TO LISTEN TO THE

WARNINGS.

THE WARNINGS OUGHT TO BE

LISTENED.

WE SOMETIMES OMIT THE AGENT

(by-phrase) IN A PASSIVE
SENTENCE.
When we dont know the subject of the action (agent)
That house was burnt down.
When we are more interested in the action itself than in the

agent.
Penicillin was discovered in 1928. (by Alexander Fleming)
When it is easy to figure out who the agent is.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature (by the

Nobel Prize Committee. )