PASSIVE VOICE

i c e
Vo
ti ve
Ac
Subject Verb Object

Thousands of tourists visit the Parthenon

every year.
 i c e
Vo
iv e
ss
Pa
Subject Passive Verb

The Parthenon is visited

Agent by thousands of tourists every year.
 ACTIVE VOICE
In active sentences, the thing doing the
action is the subject of the sentence
and the thing receiving the action is the
object. Most sentences are active.
We use the active form of a verb to
say what a subject does.
thing doing action + VERB + thing receiving action
The professor teaches the students.
(subject) (active verb) (object)
(doing action)   (receiving action)
 PASSIVE VOICE
In the passive form, the thing receiving
the action is the subject of the sentence
and the thing doing the action is optionally
included at the end of the sentence.
We use the passive form to say what
happens to the subject.
thing + BE + past participle + by + thing doing
receiving of verb action
action
The students are taught by the professor.
(subject) (passive verb) (agent)
(receiving   (doing action)
action)
USE OF PASSIVE FORM
We use the passive form of a verb when it is
not important who does the action, or when we
don't know who does it.
The letter was delivered at 9 a.m. (The identity
of the person who delivered the letter is
unknown or unimportant.)
The thief was arrested yesterday. (It is obvious
that he was arrested by the police)
 
If we want to say who does the action, we use
'by':
The letter was delivered by the postman.     
   
If we want to say the material or the instrument
somebody used to do the action, we use ‘with’:
He was stabbed with a knife.
The cake was made with oranges.
 Only transitive verbs (those that take objects) can be
transformed into passive constructions. Furthermore,
active sentences containing certain verbs cannot be
transformed into passive structures. To have is the most
important of these verbs. We can say "He has a new
car," but we cannot say "A new car is had by him."
Here is a brief list of such verbs:

resemble look like equal agree with

mean contain hold have
lack suit fit become
 The passive form of verbs is formed of
BE + the past participle.
THE VERB ‘TO BE’
 
Present Simple am/is/are
Present Continuous am/is/are being
Past Simple was/were
Past Continuous was/were being
Future Simple will be
Future Perfect Simple will have been
Present Perfect Simple have/has been
Past Perfect Simple had been
Am / Is / Are Going to am / is / are going to be
Present Infinitive be
Perfect Infinitive have been
Present Gerund being
Changing from Active to Passive
The Egyptians built the Pyramids.
                                      

The Pyramids were built by the Egyptians.

                                      
IMPORTANT NOTES I:

Never forget the prepositions which follow some verbs!

Laura put up the curtains. The curtains were put up by Laura.

While forming passive questions beginning with Who, Whom or

Which, remember to write ‘by’ at the end!
Who offered her the job? Who was she offered the job by?

The verb let is turned into be allowed to in the passive voice.

She let me put on her new coat. I was allowed to put on her new
coat.
IMPORTANT NOTES II:
When the verbs ‘hear, make, help, see’ are followed by
gerund in the active voice, we use gerund in the
passive voice, as well.
We heard him playing the guitar. He was heard playing
the guitar.
 
When the verbs ‘hear, make, help, see’ are followed by
bare infinitive in the active voice, we use full
infinitive in the passive voice, as well.
They saw him cross the street. He was seen to cross the
street.
VERBS WITH TWO OBJECTS:
When a verb is followed by two objects, then we have
two ways of writing the passive voice.

Tom gave Susan some flowers.

1 2

1: Susan was given some flowers by Tom. (More usual)

 
2: Some flowers were given to Susan by Tom.
PERSONAL - IMPERSONAL STRUCTURE
 
When we have the verbs believe, expect, feel, hope, know, report,
say, think etc. there are two ways to write the passive voice:
Active Voice:
(1) People expect he will recover soon.
(2) People thought the suspect had lied to the police.

Personal Structure
thing receiving + BE + past participle of +  
action verb To- infinitive +  
(1) He is expected to recover soon.
(1) The suspect was thought to have lied to the
police.
 was built
Stonehenge …. (build) in prehistoric times.
was constructed
It … …. (construct) as a place of worship.
have been stolen
Many of its stones … (steal) over the years.
is visited
It …. (visit) by a lot of tourists every year.
 Ms Archer’s ruby ring was
……….stolen
(steal)
from her house last night.

are made
Rolls Royce cars ……………. (make)
in England.
 Joan don’t let me drive her car.

I am not allowed to drive Joan’s car.

 The landlord offered
the Ambassador
a bottle of the finest
champagne.
The Ambassador was offered a bottle of
the finest champagne by the landlord.
The finest champagne was offered to
the Ambassador by the landlord.
 People expect scientists
to find a cure for AIDS.
It is expected that scientists
will find a cure for AIDS.

Scientsists are expected to find a cure

for AIDS.