Passive Voice
USE
Use passive voice when..
Passive VS Active
RULES
The performer of the action is obvious
Example: Toby was promoted last week
The performer of the action is unknown or unimportant
Example: The bridge was built in the 1700s
The result of the action is more important than who or what caused the action
The subject (The bridge) is receiving the action, the sentence has no object
The subject (Toby) is receiving the action
Who performed the action (Promoting him) is not stated because it´s obvious it was his boss
Who built the bridge is not important in this sentence or perhaps who built the bridge is not known
Example: Hundreds of people have had their homes destroyed by the storm
Passive voice focuses on the result of the action (Homes destroyed)
When we want to be more polite
Example: We haven´t been served (Passive) is more polite than
You haven´t served us (Active)
Subject and Agent
Subject: Always comes before the verb
Agent: Person or thing who performs the action
Example: Shona cleans the house
- Shona: Subject
- Cleans: Verb
- the house: Object
Who or what is performing the action in this sentence? Answer: Shona
In this sentence the SUBJECT (Shona) and the AGENT (Shona) are the SAME
ACTIVE voice is being used
The subject always comes before the verb
The house is cleaned by Shona
- The house: Subject
- Cleaned: Verb
- Shona: Agent
- Shona cleans the house
- The house is cleaned by shona
In ACTIVE voice the subject and the agent are the same (Firts sentence),
in PASSIVE voice the subject and the agent are different (Second sentence)
Active voice
Passive Voice
Subject performs the action
Subject receives the action
Shona cleans the house
The house is cleaned by Shona
The object (the house) becomes the subject, and the subject (Shona) becomes the object
Shona: subject
The house: object
In other words: The object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb
Present Indefinite:
Active voice: Does/Do
Passive voice: Is/Are/Am
Future Continuous
- Active voice: Will be
- Passive voice: Will be + Being
Past Continuous
- Active voice: was/were
- Passive voice: was/ were + being
Present Perfect Continuous
- Active voice: Has / Have been
- Passive voice: Has / Have been + Being
Past Perfect
- Active voice: had
- Passive voice: had been
Future Perfect Continuous
- Active voice: Will have been
- Passive voice: Will have been + being
Present Continuous
- Active voice: Is/Am/Are
- Passive voice: Is/Am/Are + Being
Present Perfect
- Active voice: Has / Have
- Passive voice: Has been / Have been
Past Perfect Continuous
- Active voice: had been
- Passive voice: had been + being
Future Perfect
- Active voice: Will have
- Passive voice: Will have been
Past Indefinite
- Active voice: Did
- Passive voice: Was / Were
Future Indefinite
- Active voice: Will
- Passive voice: Will be