Passive voice (present & past forms) lesson SIMPLIFIED! Enjoy!

1. Passive Voice

3. Examples (Present Passive):
1. He studies his lessons everyday. (Active)
His lessons are studied by him everyday. (Passive)
2. She eats fast food every Saturday. (Active)
Fast food is eaten by her every Saturday. (Passive)
Examples (Past Passive):
1. He studied his lessons last night. (Active)
His lessons were studied by him everyday. (Passive)
2. She ate fast food last Saturday. (Active)
Fast food was eaten by her last Saturday. (Passive)

4. How to change an active to
passive sentence:
Read and understand the sentence
Identify the subject and the Verb
Get the direct object:
-- ask who or what question to the
verb
Then make the direct object the
subject in the passive sentence.

5. Examples:
 Peru exports cotton.
 Miss Carmen teaches Math.
 Japan makes electrical goods.
 John meets his friend at the airport.
 We make important decisions in life.

6. Answers:
 Cotton is exported by Peru.
 Math is taught by Miss Carmen.
 Electrical goods are made by Japan.
 His friend is met by John at the
airport.
 Important decisions in life are made
by us.

7. Exercises I
Change the following sentences to the
passive voice.
1. We heard the cries of wolves in the
distance.
Cries of wolves were heard in the
distance

8. 2. They paint their house blue.
Their house is painted blue by them
3. Lightning struck the house.
The house was striken by lightning
4. Mary flies her kite every Sunday.
The kite is flown every Sunday by her.

9. 5. They ask us to come early.
We are asked to come early
6. The whole class wrote the play.
The play was written by the whole class
7. We plant hundreds of trees every year.
Hundreds of trees are planted every
year.

10. 8. The police arrested fifteen people.
Fifteen people were arrested by
the police.
9. They found little Jimmy safe and well.
Little Jimmy was found safe and well.
10. We sell lots of tickets on the day of the match.
Lots of tickets are sold on the day of
the match .

11. Exercises II
Use the cue words to make sentences
in the passive voice.
1. The castle/visit/every year
The castle is visited every year.

12. 2. Susan’s books / enjoy / many people.
Susan’s books are enjoyed by many
people.
3. Pollution /cause / heavy traffic last year
Pollution was caused by heavy traffic
last year
4. My new bike / steal / yesterday
My new bike was stolen yesterday.

13. 5. The window/ break / by John an hour ago.
The window was broken by John an hour
ago.
6. Lots of people / bite / by our dog.
Lots of people are bitten by our dog.
7. The painting / buy / by a millionaire .
The painting is bought by a millionaire.

14. 8. The mail / bring / early.
The mail was brought early.
9. Flowers / send / to her.
Flowers are sent to her.
10. The new road / fix / this week.
The new road is fixed this week.