The document introduces passive voice and how it differs from active voice. Passive voice focuses on the subject receiving the action rather than performing it. Only sentences with transitive verbs can be changed to the passive voice. There are several uses of the passive voice, including when the doer is unimportant or unknown, or to emphasize a particular thing or person. The document also discusses the different passive tenses.

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Introduction to PassiveIntroduction to Passive
Active voiceActive voice
Active voice says what the “Subject” does
Subject / doer + verb + Rest
Father blames me.
You learn diligently.
They are fighting in the North.
They have taxed on business profits.

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Passive VoicePassive Voice
Passive voice says what happens to the
“subject”
Subject + be + Verb(p.p.)
I am blamed everyday.
English is spoken in Sri Lanka.
You are being called.
A new lesson has been explained.

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Important!
1.Every active voice sentence cannot be
converted into passive Voice.
2. In the process, only the structure is
changed; the meaning remains the same.
3. Only sentences with transitive verbs can
be converted into Passive Voice.

4. 4
Transitive verbsTransitive verbs
An action verb that is followed by a word that
answers “what” or “whom” .
The answer – Direct object
She made a foolish decision.
Subject :- She
Verb :- made
Object :- a foolish decision
A foolish decision was made by her.
Active voice
Transitive verb
Passive Voice
Object

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The police recovered two bombs.
Subject :- The police
Verb :- recovered
Object :- two bombs
Two bombs were recovered by the police.

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Intransitive verbsIntransitive verbs
An action verb that is followed by a word that
answers “when” “where” or “how”.
Intransitive verbs have no objects; no passive
sentences with intransitive verbs.
She smiles shyly.She smiles shyly.
Subject :- She
Verb :- smiles
Adverb :- shyly

7. Some English verbs can be both transitive
and intransitive.
He drives a heavy vehicle.
Drives what – a heavy vehicle (object) (Vt.)
He drives recklessly
drives how – recklessly (adverb)(Vit)

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Some transitive verbs can be followed by two
objects. (Direct and Indirect). Such sentences
could have two passive forms.
She gave me a key tag.She gave me a key tag.
Subject :- she
Verb :- gave
Indirect object :- me
Direct Object :- a key tag
I was given a key tag.
A key tag was given to me.

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Uses of Passive
1. When the “doer” is unimportant.
A.V. : I sell newspapers here.
P.V. : Newspapers are sold here.
2. When the “doer” is not known.
A.V. Somebody has broken the fan.
P.V. The fan has been broken.

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3.when the doer is obvious / understood
A.V. There was a robbery in Kandy last
week. The police arrested the thieves in the
same evening.
P.V. There was a robbery in Kandy last
week. The thieves were arrested in the
same evening.

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4. When we want to highlight a particular
thing. (this is parallel to Sinhala passive)
A.V King Parakramabhahu built many
reservoirs
P.V. Many reservoirs were built by King
Parakramabhahu.

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PassivizationPassivization
Active
Voice
Subject
(doer)
Verb Object
Passive
Voice
Object Be+verb(p.p.) By doer

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Passive Tenses
1. The Simple Present Passive.
2. The Present Continuous Passive
3. The Present Perfect Passive.
4. The Simple Past Passive
5. The Past Continuous Passive
6. The Past Perfect Passive
7. The Simple Future Passive
8. The Future Perfect Passive

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1. The Simple Present Passive