The passive voice uses forms of the verb "to be" plus the past participle of the main verb. It is used when the recipient of the action is more important than the doer, the doer is unknown or unimportant, or the doer is too obvious to mention. To form the passive, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence, the main verb is replaced by "to be", and the original subject becomes an optional agent complement introduced by "by".
2. PASSIVE USES
-The receiver of the action is more important than the doer.
-The doer or the performer of the action is unknown or unimportant.
-The doer or the performer of the action is too obvious to be
mentioning.
-To conceal the performer of an action or the identity of a person
responsible for a mistake
-To emphasize the doer or performer on an action.
3. PASSIVE FORMS
PRESENT SIMPLE IS/ARE FOUND
PAST SIMPLE WAS/WERE FOUND
PRESENT PERFECT HAVE/HAS BEEN FOUND
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE HAD BEEN FOUND
FUTURE WITH WILL WILL BE FOUND
FUTURE GOING TO IS/ARE GOING TO FOUND
MODAL VERBS CAN/SHOULD/MUST + BE FOUND
SUBJETC + TO BE + PAST PARTICIPLE + REST OF THE SENTENCE
FOUND
4. ACTIVE → PASSIVE
·The object of the active sentences becomes the subject
of passive.
·The main verb is replaced by the auxiliary verb (to be)
·The subject of the main clause becomes the passive
agent complement.
5. ACTIVE → PASSIVE
PRESENT SIMPLE SEE IS/ARE SEEN
PAST SIMPLE SAW WAS/WERE SEEN
PRESENT PERFECT HAVE/HAS SEEN HAVE/HAS BEEN SEEN
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE HAD SEEN HAD BEEN SEEN
FUTURE WITH WILL WILL SEEN WILL BE SEEN
FUTURE GOING TO IS/ARE GOING TO SEEN IS/ARE GOING TO BE SEEN
MODAL VERBS WOULD/COULD BE SEEN WOULD BE BEING SEEN
ACTIVE PASSIVE
6. EXAMPLES
He sent a Christmas postcard to Uganda.
A Christmas postcard was sent to Uganda by him.
Police have caught to the thief of supermarket
The thief of supermarket has been caught by the police.
Mum going to buy a new big red Italian car.
A new big red Italian car is going to be bought by mum.
That priest had ignored the homeless who sleeps in the street.
The homeless who sleeps in the street had been ignored by this priest.
7. EXAMPLES
He sent a Christmas postcard to Uganda.
A Christmas postcard was sent to Uganda by him.
Police have caught to the thief of supermarket
The thief of supermarket has been caught by the police.
Mum going to buy a new big red Italian car.
A new big red Italian car is going to be bought by mum.
That priest had ignored the homeless who sleeps in the street.
The homeless who sleeps in the street had been ignored by this priest.