Passive Voice Grammar Guide mgr Anna Waligórska – Kotfas PWSZ Konin

Introduction  Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known who or what is performing the action. My bike was stolen. (= the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know, however, who did it.)

Use: Agent not important We often use the passive:  when the agent (the person or thing which causes an action) is not known: She was murdered. (= We don’t know who did it.)

Use: Agent not important We often use the passive:  when the agent is obvious from the context or from general knowledge: She has been sacked. (= obviously by her employer)

Use: Agent not important We often use the passive:  when the agent is not important or relevant: Wars have been fought throughout history. (= Who fought them is not important here.)

Use: Agent not mentioned We often use the passive:  when we wish to avoid mentioning the agent (for example, when we don’t want to directly blame any specific person, or we want to avoid personal responsibility): I see the washing-up hasn’t been done. Oh dear, look, the vase has been broken. Don’t blame me. Nothing can be done about it.

Use: Agent not mentioned  By omitting the agent we can describe general feelings, opinions or beliefs rather than those of a particular person or group: São Paulo is said to be the fastest-growing city in South America. Rio de Janeiro has been described as the most beautiful city in the Americas.

Use: Focus on issues The passive is often used in formal English to:  focus on the issues rather than on the people involved (this is very common in academic and scientific English): The research was carried out over a period of six months.

Use: Focus on issues The passive is often used in formal English to:  describe rules and procedures: Answers must be written in ink. Candidates will be interviewed in alphabetical order.

Use: Focus on issues The passive is often used in formal English to:  describe commercial, industrial and scientific processes: Minutes are taken and then submitted to the chair for approval. Components are electronically tagged and transported to the production line.

Use: Focus on issues The passive is often used in formal English to:  describe historical, economic and social processes: Tribal lands were sold over a period of fifty years. The currency has been devalued twice since the war.

Verb Form  Passive is formed with: TO BE + Past Participle (v-ed / 3f) the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence the form of the verb is changed (to be + Past Participle) the form of the verb is changed (to be + Past Participle) the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped) the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped)

Present Simple Passive Subject VerbObject  Active: Rita writes a letter.  Passive: A letter is written by Rita. to be + 3f

Present Simple Passive Practice Change active into passive:  A: He opens the door. P:  A: They don't help you. P:  A: Does the police officer catch the thief? P:

Present Simple Passive Practice Change active into passive:  A: He opens the door. P: The door is opened (by him).  A: They don't help you. P: You aren’t helped (by them).  A: Does the police officer catch the thief? P: Is the thief caught ( by the police officer )?

Past Simple Passive Subject VerbObject  Active: Rita wrote a letter.  Passive: A letter was written by Rita. to be + 3f to be + 3f

Past Simple Passive Practice Change active into passive:  A: Somebody hit me. P:  A: They didn't make their beds. P:  A: Did he send the letter? P:

Past Simple Passive Practice Change active into passive:  A: Somebody hit me. P: I was hit.  A: They didn't make their beds. P: Their beds weren’t made.  A: Did he send the letter? P: Was the letter sent?

Future Simple Passive Subject VerbObject  Active: Rita will write a letter.  Passive: A letter will be written by Rita. will + v to be + 3f

Future Simple Passive Practice Change active into passive:  A: Jane will buy a new computer. P:  A: They won't show the new film. P:  A: Will the plumber repair the shower? P:

Future Simple Passive Practice Change active into passive:  A: Jane will buy a new computer. P: A new computer will be bought.  A: They won't show the new film. P: The new film won’t be shown.  A: Will the plumber repair the shower? P: Will the shower be repaired?

Present Continuous Passive Subject VerbObject  Active: Rita is writing a letter.  Passive: A letter is being written by Rita. to be + v-ing to be + 3f to be + 3f being being

Present Continuous Passive Practice Change active into passive:  A: Sheila is drinking a cup of tea. P:  A: I am not writing a poem. P:  A: Is she watering the flowers? P:

Present Continuous Passive Practice Change active into passive:  A: Sheila is drinking a cup of tea. P: A cup of tea is being drunk.  A: I am not writing a poem. P: A poem isn’t being written.  A: Is she watering the flowers? P: Are the flowers being watered?

Present Perfect Passive Subject VerbObject  Active: Rita has writtena letter.  Passive: A letter has been written by Rita. have + 3f to be + 3f to be + 3f been been

Present Perfect Passive Practice Change active into passive:  A: Kerrie has paid the bill. P:  A: They haven’t read the book. P:  A: Has she phoned them? P:

Present Perfect Passive Practice Change active into passive:  A: Kerrie has paid the bill. P: The bill has been paid.  A: They haven’t read the book. P: The book hasn’t been read.  A: Has she phoned them? P: Have they been phoned?

Sentences with two objects  Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means that one of the two objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an object.  Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you want to put the focus on.

Sentences with two objects Subject Verb Object 1Object 2  A: Rita wrote a letterto me.  P: A letter was written to meby Rita. I was written a letter to by Rita.

Sentences with two objects Practice Change active into passive:  A: Our neighbour gives me (1) a lift (2). P:P:  A: She told him (1) a lie (2). P:P:  A: They will offer her (1) a seat (2). P:P:

Sentences with two objects Practice Change active into passive:  A: Our neighbour gives me (1) a lift (2). P: I am given a lift. P: A lift is given to me.  A: She told him (1) a lie (2). P: He was told a lie. P: A lie was told to him.  A: They will offer her (1) a seat (2). P: She will be offered a seat. P: A seat will be offered to her.

Sentences with two objects Practice Change active into passive:  A: I am sending them (1) a letter (2). P: P:  A: The waiter has brought us (1) the coffee (2). P: P:

Sentences with two objects Practice Change active into passive:  A: I am sending them (1) a letter (2). P: They are being sent a letter. P: A letter is being sent to them.  A: The waiter has brought us (1) the coffee (2). P: We have been brought the coffee. P: The coffee has been brought to us.

Bibliography 1. Bourke K.: Verbs and Tenses: Intermediate. Test it, Fix it. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Leech G., Cruickshank B., Ivanic R.: An A-Z of English Grammar & Usage. Harlow: Longman, Murphy R.: English Grammar in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Swan M.: Practical English Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Thomas A. J., Martinet A. V.: A practical English Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Vince M.: Intermediate Language Practice (New Edition). Oxford: Macmillan Education 2010.