Passive Voice Usage and Formation in English
Learn how to use and form passive voice in English, emphasizing the action and object of a sentence. Discover when to use the passive voice, how to construct it using auxiliary verbs, and examples in present and past tenses.
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Presentation Transcript
The passive voice is used when we want to emphasize the action (the verb) and the object of a sentence rather than subject. This means that the subject is either less important than the action itself or that we don t know who or what the subject is.My laptop was stolen. (The object now the subject = My laptop / action= was stolen) Passive: Napa Valley is known for its excellent wines. Active: [Many people] know Napa Valley for its excellent wines. Passive: Twenty civilians were killed in the bomb explosion. Active: Someone killed twenty civilians in the bomb explosion.
USING THE AUXILIARY VERB BE The passive voice is formed by using a form of the auxiliary verb be (be, am, is, are, was, were, being, been) followed by the past participle of the main verb. Active Passive He loves me. I am loved. We took our children to the circus. The children were taken to the circus. A thief stole my money. My money was stolen. Notice how the be auxiliaries change the meaning of the verbs from action to condition or from doing to being. He remembers his grandmother. ( he is doing an action: remembering) His grandmother is remembered. ( she is in a condition: being remembered) In this way, the past participle functions very much like an adjective; it describes the subject. The woman is pretty. She is a pretty woman The woman is married. She is a married woman.
Present Time Simple Present Use the simple present tense to make a generalization, to present a state of being, or to indicate a habitual or repeated action. Active Passive base form or -s/-es form am/is/are + past participle Professor Brown teaches at Hunter. All humans are equal. Sonia is taught by Professor Brown. All humans are created equal. Maria eats in the cafeteria. The cafeteria is cleaned
Simple Past Use the simple past to indicate a general or habitual action occurring in the past or at a specific time in the past. Active Passive base + -ed or irregular form was/were + -ed/-en Our family bought all our clothes at Sears when I was young. The clothes were bought by my mother On my fifteenth birthday, my uncle gave me one hundred dollars The money was given to me to buy new clothes. When I was in high school, my friends and I drove to the mall on weekends. We were always driven to the mall by my friend's older brother. In informal conversation, speakers of English often express habitual behavior in the past using the modal would. Active would + base Passive would + be + -ed/-en
We would usually eat burgers in the food court. Most of the French fries would be eaten before we got to the table.
Test 1: Change the sentences from active to passive voice. 1. They deliver the newspapers every morning. 2. The chef is preparing the meal. 3. The company will release the new product next month. 4. The teacher gave the students their assignments.
5. The workers have built a new bridge. 6. People speak English in many countries. 7. They were painting the house when I arrived. 8. Someone has stolen my bike. 9. The scientists discovered a new planet. 10. They are going to open a new store in the mall.
Test 2: Identify whether the following sentences are in active or passive voice. 1. The book was written by J.K. Rowling. 2. They cleaned the classroom after school. 3. The project has been completed by the team. 4. The concert will be held tomorrow. 5. The manager approved the new policy.
6. The report was submitted on time. 7. He broke the window. 8. A new shopping mall is being built in the city center. 9. The letter was sent yesterday. 10. They will organize the event next week.
Test 3: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the passive voice. 1. The car __ (repair) by the mechanic last week. 2. This painting __ (create) by Picasso in 1905. 3. A new hospital __ (build) in our town right now. 4. The windows __ (clean) tomorrow. 5. The letter __ (already/send) by the time I arrived.
6. The movie __ (direct) by a famous filmmaker. 7. The food __ (deliver) to your house in 30 minutes. 8. His passport __ (steal) while he was traveling. 9. These books __ (not/use) very often. 10. The event __ (cancel) because of the weather. ---
Test 4: Change the following passive sentences into active voice. 1. The cake was eaten by the children. 2. The meeting has been canceled by the manager. 3. The novel was written by a famous author. 4. The phone was fixed by the technician. 5. The letter will be sent by Sarah.
Test 5: Choose the correct passive form. 1. The building (is built / was built) in 1980. 3. My laptop (has stolen / has been stolen) at the airport. 4. A new bridge (is being constructed / is constructing) across the river. 5. The cake (was eaten / is eaten) by the kids this morning.
