PASSIVE
VOICE
F O U R * T Y P E S O F PA S S I V E

WHEN SHOULD WE USE THE
PASSIVE?
1. When we want to change the focus of the sentence:
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci. (We are more interested in the painting than the artist in
this sentence)
2. When who or what causes the action is unknown or unimportant or obvious or ‘people in general’:
1. He was arrested (obvious agent, the police).
2. My bike has been stolen (unknown agent).
3. The road is being repaired (unimportant agent).
4. The form can be obtained from the post office (people in general).
3. In factual or scientific writing:
The chemical is placed in a test tube and the data entered into the computer.
4. In formal writing instead of using someone/people/they (these can be used in speaking or informal
writing):
The brochure will be finished next month.
5. In order to put the new information at the end of the sentence to improve style:
Three books are used regularly in the class. The books were written by Dr. Bell. (‘Dr. Bell wrote the books’ sound clumsy)
6. When the subject is very long:
1. I was surprised by how well the students did in the test. (More natural than: ‘how well the students did in
the test surprised me’)
ON NEWSPAPERS!!

4 TYPES OF PASSIVE
Regular 2 objects
Impersonal Causative

4 TYPES OF PASSIVE
Regular 2 objects
Impersonal Causative

4 TYPES OF PASSIVE
Regular
I wrote the letters
The letters writtenby me
S V(simple past) Object
Passive subject
to be
(conjugated
as the original)
Agent
agreement
participle
(of the
original verb)
were
It could
be
omitted

*INTRANSITIVE VERBS:
Intransitive verbs (which don’t
take an object) don’t have a
passive form: die, sleep, arrive,
go…
*SPECIAL VERB:
The verb TO BE BORN is ALWAYS
passive: I was born in 1975

WHEN CAN WE OMIT BY + AGENT?
*Some sentences need an agent because it gives important
information:
The film was directed by Alfonso Cuarón.
(Agent = subject of the active sentence, person doing the action).
When the agent is a personal pronoun:
• My hair was cut by him
When the agent is someone or people:
•A packet was delivered to me by someone.

4 TYPES OF PASSIVE
Regular 2 objects
Impersonal Causative

2 objects
4 TYPES OF PASSIVE
I had bought him a present
Object
Object
Verb
(Past perfect)
S
A present had been bought to him
Regular (DO)
Indirect Object
He had been bought a present
OBJECT
PRONOUN
SUBJECT
PRONOUN

4 TYPES OF PASSIVE
Regular 2 objects
Impersonal Causative

4 TYPES OF PASSIVE
Impersonal
People/They think/believe/say/assume/claim/suppose…
that she is a nice person.
It is thought/believed/said/assumed/claimed/supposed….
that she is a nice person.
*She is thought/believed/said/assumed/claimed/supposed….
to be a nice person.
* Personal passive
Verb to be + participle

4 TYPES OF PASSIVE
Impersonal
People/They think/believe/say/assume/claim/suppose…
that she steals money.
It is thought/believed/said/assumed/claimed/supposed….
that she steals money.
*She is thought/believed/said/assumed/claimed/supposed….
to steal money.
* Personal passive
Verb to be + participle

4 TYPES OF PASSIVE
Regular 2 objects
Impersonal Causative

4 TYPES OF PASSIVE
Causative
Actions that we don’t do ourselves or that a professional usually does for
us.
- She is having her car repaired. (Who repairs the car? A mechanic)
= Have/Get something done
Verb HAVE or GET
instead of BE
Participle of
the main verb

PASSIVE
VOICE
F I V E T Y P E S O F PA S S I V E ! ! !

NOW, DO PAGES
102-103