The Passive Voice

La voz pasiva
• USO: La voz pasiva se usa cuando el hablante
prefiere dar más énfasis a la acción y a quién
la padece que al sujeto que la realizó.
Ej: Everybody loves Mary (ACTIVA)

Mary is loved by everybody (PASIVA)

• El agente activo everybody pasa a último

plano en la pasiva, precedido de by.
• ESTRUCTURA: El verbo pasivo se forma en
inglés con el auxiliar BE + PARTICIPIO.
Existe en todos los tiempos. Y también se puede
combinar con un auxiliar modal.

Ej: (Act.) We will bring a dictionary.

(Pas.) A dictionary will be brought.
(Act.)You must do it.
(Pas.) It must be done.

VOZ ACTIVA
- They hear rumours.
- They heard rumours.
- They are hearing rumours.
- They have heard rumours.
- They will hear rumours.
- They can hear rumours.
VOZ PASIVA
(BE + PARTICIPIO)
 Rumours are heard.
 Rumours were heard.
 Rumours are being heard.
 Rumours have been heard.
 Rumours will be heard.
 Rumours can be heard.
Put the sentences in the Passive:
1. Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet.

2. They have repaired my motorbike.

3. My boss is using my computer.

4. Where did you send the email?

Put the sentences in the Passive:
1. Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet.
Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare.
2. They have repaired my motorbike.
My motorbike has been repaired by them.
3. My boss is using my computer.
My computer is being used by my boss.
4. Where did you send the email?
Where was the email sent by you ?
• BY + agente suele omitirse casi siempre por distintas razones:
1. Porque el agente es desconocido:
Ej: After the accident they were taken to hospital.
(no se sabe quién lo llevó)
 Voz activa: someone took them to hospital.
2. Porque se sobreentiende:
Ej: The murderer was arrested last night.
(se entiende que la policía)
 Voz activa: the police arrested the murderer last night
3. Porque no es importante mencionarlo:
Ej: The fax has already been sent.
(no interesa quién, lo importante es que está enviado)
 Voz activa: We / they have already sent the fax.
- CASOS PARTICULARES:
A) Los verbos con Complemento Directo y Complemento
Indirecto
- Esta transformación pasiva no ocurre en español.
Cuando un verbo lleva CD y CI, cualquiera de los dos
complementos puede ser el sujeto de la oración pasiva.
Verbos como GIVE, OFFER, BUY, SELL, SHOW, TEACH, TELL,
SEND, BRING, PAY, etc.
A book was given to him
Ej: They gave him a book
He was given a book
 
** Es más frecuente en inglés empezar la oración pasiva con un
sujeto de persona (CI).
Más ejemplos:
- They have offered Tom a new job.
1) A new job has been offered to Tom.
2) Tom has been offered a new job.

- They are sending me the packet today.

1) The packet is being sent to me today.
2) I am being sent the packet today.
B) Cuando una combinación de VERBO +
PREPOSICIÓN/PARTÍCULA + OBJETO se coloca
en voz pasiva, la preposición o partícula
permanece inmediatamente detrás del verbo.

Ej: The car drove over the cat.

The cat was driven over.
Ej: They laugh at him.
He is laughed at.
Ej: We must write to him.
He must be written to.
C) Cuando el verbo de la voz activa rige un verbo
en infinitivo sin to, cuando se transforma a
voz pasiva, éste se transforma normalmente
en infinitivo con to.
Ej: We saw them go out
They were seen to go out
Ej: He made me sing
I was made to sing.
** Sin embargo, el verbo LET se mantiene sin to.
Ej: They let us go  We were let go
Complete the sentences in the passive. Omit the agent when
possible.
1. They shouldn’t have told him about the accident.
 He .......................................................
2. As far as I know, they haven’t sold the house to Peter yet. (2)
As far as I know, the house ...............................................
As far as I know, ...............................................
3. Karen borrowed the atlas from Anita.
The atlas ……………………………………….
4. They won’t cut down the trees by the river.
 …………………………………..
5. Someone is playing games on my computer.
 ……………………………………………..
6. Fog often causes road accidents.
 ………………………………………………….. .
7. Why has the officer arrested that man?
 ……………………………………
Complete the sentences in the passive. Omit the agent when
possible.
1. They shouldn’t have told him about the accident.
 He shouldn’t have been told about the accident.
2. As far as I know, they haven’t sold the house to Peter yet. (2)
As far as I know, the house hasn’t been sold to Peter yet.
As far as I know, Peter hasn’t been sold the house yet.
3. Karen borrowed the atlas from Anita.
The atlas was borrowed from Anita by Karen.
4. They won’t cut down the trees by the river.
 The trees by the river won’t be cut down.
5. Someone is playing games on my computer.
 Games are being played on my computer.
6. Fog often causes road accidents.
 Road accidents are often caused by fog.
7. Why has the officer arrested that man?
 Why has that man been arrested?
Put into the passive voice:
1. They speak Chinese in Singapore.
2. Electricity drives this car.
3. The directors are still considering your application.
4. Has anybody asked Peter?
5. A drunken motorist knocked her down.
6. They didn’t send me the book. (2)
7. The secretary had told me a lot of lies. (2)
8. They are welcoming new guests in the hotel.
 Put into the passive voice:
1. They speak Chinese in Singapore.
Chinese is spoken in Singapore.
2. Electricity drives this car.
This car is driven by electricity.
3. The directors are still considering your application.
Your application is still being considered by the directors.
4. Has anybody asked Peter?
Has Peter been asked?
Put into the passive voice:
5. A drunken motorist knocked her down.
She was knocked down by a drunken motorist.
6. They didn’t send me the book. (2)
1. The book was not sent to me.
2. I wasn’t sent the book.
7.1.The secretary
A lot had
of lies had toldtold
been metoame
lotby
ofthe
lies.secretary.
(2)
2. I had been told a lot of lies by the secretary.
8. They are welcoming new guests in the hotel.
New guests are being welcomed in the hotel.