The passive voice

To be+ past participle

 Meaning of the passive voice
When we say that something is in the passive
voice, we are saying that we are interested NOT
in the person or thing that does something BUT
in the object of a certain action, in what is done.

I bought some apples (here the protagonist is I)

Some apples were bought (here we are interested in the
apples
only)
 Structure of verbs is the passive voice

To say that something is in the passive voice

always implies the verb to be + past participle.

Examples:
Hamlet was written by Shakespeare
Kings are always killed in Game of Thrones
This book is being sold quite well.
Always the verb to be + participle
To be + past participle
Will be sold
Has been killed
Must be repaired
Was bought
Is said
How to turn the active into the passive
voice
Shakeaspeare wrote Hamlet

Hamlet was written by Shakespeare

 Steps to follow
1º take the object to the first position
2º transform the verb: (write the verb to be
copying the form of the verb in the active voice
and add the past participle)
Wrote Was written
Has bought has been bought
Will buy will be bought
 An English taste
There are some passives that are only possible
in English.
I bought a present to Mary
A present was bought to Mary
Mary was bought a present
Jane told the truth to Richard
The truth was told to Richard
Richard was told the truth
 Using Se in translations
Many English passive sentences can be
translated into a “se” sentence in Spanish.

Terry Prachett is said to have written more than 20 books.

Se dice que Terry Prachett ha escrito mas de 20 libros.

English is spoken.
Se habla inglés.