PASSIVE VOICE

Active: S+V+O

Passive: S + Be + PP(V3ed) + by + O
(tense)
EX: My father planted this tree last year.
This tree was planted by my father
last year.
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
The Simple Present Tense
Active: S + V(s/es) + O

Passive: S + am/is/are + PP + by + O
EX: He reads books every day.
Books are read (by him) every day.
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
 The Present Continuous Tense
Active: S + am/is/are + V-ing + O

Passive: S + am/is/are + being +PP + by + O

EX: He is writing a novel at the moment.
A novel is being written (by him) at the
moment.
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
 The Present Perfect Tense
Active: S + Has/Have + V3ed + O

Passive: S + has/have + been +PP + by + O

EX: He has just finished a novel.
A novel has just been finished (by
him).
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
 The Simple Past Tense
Active: S + V2ed + O

Passive: S + was/were + PP + by + O
EX: He gave Tom a book.
A book was given to Tom (by him).
Tom was given a book (by him).
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
The Past Continuous Tense
Active: S + was/were + V-ing + O

Passive: S + was/were + being + PP + by + O

EX: He was writing a letter at 8.00 yesterday.
A letter was being written (by him).
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
 The Past Perfect Tense
Active: S + had + V3ed + O

Passive: S + had + been + PP + by + O

EX: He had finished his homework before
8.00 yesterday.
His homework had been finished (by
him) before 8.00 yesterday.
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
 The Simple Future Tense
Active: S + will/shall + V + O

Passive: S + will/shall + be + PP + by + O
EX: He will finish the homework.
The homework will be finished.
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
 The Future Continuous Tense
Active: S + will/shall + be + V-ing + O

Passive: S + will/shall + be + being + PP + by + O

EX: Tom will be cooking lunch at 10.00
tomorrow.
Lunch will be being cooked by Tom
at 10.00 tomorrow.
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
 The Future Perfect Tense
Active: S + will/shall + have + V3ed + O

Passive: S + will/shall + have + been + PP + by + O

EX: By the end of next week, he will have
written 10 letters to her.
By the end of next week, 10 letters will
have been written to her.
 MODAL VERBS (MV) IN
PASSIVE VOICE
Modal Verbs can be used in either the present
or past forms.
Active: S + MV (not) + V + O

Passive: S + MV (not) + Be + PP + by + O
EX: We can’t solve this problem.
This problem can’t be solved.
 PASSIVE VOICE WITH
CAUSATIVE FORM
Active: S + Has/Have + O1 + V (BI)+ O2
S + Get + O1 + V (to-infinitive) +
O2

Passive: S + Has/Have/Get + O2 + PP
EX: My father had Tom wash his car.
My father had his car washed by Tom
 OTHER INFINITIVE
COMBINATIONS IN PASSIVE
VOICE
Verbs of liking/loving/wanting/wishing + Object
+ infinitive form their passive with the passive
infinitive.
Active: S + V + O1 + to-infinitive + O2

Passive: S + V + O + To Be + PP
EX: He wants someone to take photographs.
He wants photographs to be taken.
Such verbs as “have/let/make/hear/see/watch/feel/
observe” are used in the following passive
structure:
Active: S + V + O + V (BI)
Passive: S + To Be + PP + to-Infinitive
EX: The gravity makes things drop down.
Things are made to drop down by the gravity.
Note: The verb following “let” does not bear “to”
in the passive sentence.
 OTHER INFINITIVE
COMBINATIONS IN PASSIVE
VOICE
With advise/beg/order/recommend/urge + Indirect
Object + Infinitive + Object, we have two ways of
making the passive voice.
<1>Active: S + V + O1 + to-infinitive + O2

Passive: S + To Be + PP + to-infinitive + O2
EX: He urged the Council to reduce the tax.
The Council was urged to reduce the tax.
 OTHER INFINITIVE
COMBINATIONS IN PASSIVE
VOICE
With advise/beg/order/recommend/urge + Indirect
Object + infinitive + Object, we have two ways of
making the passive voice.
<2>Active: S + V + O1 + to-infinitive + O2

Passive: S1 + V + that + S2 + should be + PP

EX: He urged the Council to reduce the tax.
He urged that the tax should be reduced.
 OTHER INFINITIVE
COMBINATIONS AFTER THE
PASSIVE VERB
After acknowledge/assume/believe/claim/
consider /estimate/feel/find/know/report/
say/think /understand …, we use the
infinitive construction.
Simple Infinitive: if the time in the infinitive
passive is the same as that of the main
active verb.
<1>Active: S1 + V1 + that + S2 + V2 + (O)

Passive: It + To Be + PP + that + S2 + V2 +
(O)
EX: People said that he was jealous of her.
It was said that he was jealous of her.
<2>Active: S1 + V1 + that + S2 + V2 + (O)

Passive: S+ To Be + PP + to + V+ (O)
EX: People said that he was jealous of her.
He was said to be jealous of her.
Perfect Infinitive: if the time in the infinitive
passive is earlier than that of the main active
verb.
<1>Active: S1 + V1 + that + S2 + V2 + (O)

Passive: It + To Be + PP + that + S2 + V2 +
(O)
EX: People say that he was jealous of her.
It is said that he was jealous of her.
<2>Active: S1 + V1 + that + S2 + V2 + (O)

Passive: S+ To Be + PP + to have + PP + (O)

EX: People say that he was jealous of her.
He is said to have been jealous of her.
OTHER GERUND COMBINATIONS
IN PASSIVE VOICE

With advise/insist/propose/recommend
/suggest + Gerund + Object
Active: S + V + V-ing + O

Passive: S + V + that + S + should be + PP

EX: He recommended using bullet-proof glass.
He recommended that bullet-proof glass
should be used.
OTHER GERUND COMBINATIONS
IN PASSIVE VOICE

Active: S + V + O + V-ing

Passive: S + V + Being + PP + by + O
EX: I remembered my father taking me to the
zoo.
I remember being taken to the zoo by my
father.
 Active: S + V + To-inf + O

Passive: S + V + To Be + PP + by + O
EX: She started to learn English 5 years ago.
English started to be learnt 5 years ago.
Active: S + V + V-ing + O

Passive: S + V + Being + PP + by + O
EX: She started learning English 5 years ago.
English started being learnt 5 years ago.