2. Passive VoicePassive Voice
What are you going to learn?
1. When to Use Passive Voice
2. Structure of Passive Verbs
3. Passive Verbs in Tenses
3. 1. When Do We Use Passive Voice?
You might use it in following cases:
•The actor is unknown
The fossils were formed in those areas (we don’t know the actor)
•The actor is irrelevant
The new apartment is built near the mall (we are not interested in who is
the actor)
•You want to be vague about who is responsible
Mistake was made in the process.
4. • You are talking about a general truth
The guidelines are made to be obeyed
• You want to emphasize the person or thing acted on
The technology was first developed in the end of
1990.
• You are writing in a scientific genre
The sodium hydroxide was dissolved in the water.
5. 2. Structure of Passive Verbs
ACTIVE ----------------------- PASSIVE
e.g. eats ----------------------- is eaten
i.e. verb ----------------------- be + p.p.
Note: “be” is changed according to
the tense of the sentence
the number (singular/plural) of the subject of the
sentence.
6. 3. Passive Verbs in Tenses
3.1 Present Tenses
Tenses Active Passive
Present - Simple -eats -is eaten
- Continuous -is eating -is being eaten
- Perfect -has eaten -has been eaten
7. 3.2 Past Tenses
Tenses Active Passive
Past - Simple -ate -was eaten
- Continuous -was eating -was being eaten
- Perfect -had eaten -had been
eaten
9. Practice
Now, rewrite the sentences below by using
passive voice.
1. The janitor cleans our classroom every
day.
2. Japan exported millions of cars last year.
3. Mr. Chan will feed his dog on canned food.
10. ANSWERS
1. Our classroom is cleaned (by the
janitor) every day.
2. Millions of cars were exported from
Japan last year.
3. Mr. Chan’s dog will be fed on canned
food.
