2. ACTIVE VOICE
'Voice' refers to the relationship between the subject and the verb in
a sentence. A sentence is said to be in the active voice if the subject
performs the action of the verb.
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3. In English, as in many other languages, the passive voice is the form of a
transitive verb whose grammatical subject receives the action of the verb.
The English passive voice is formed using a form of the auxiliary verb be
together with the past participle of the main verb.
PASSIVE VOICE
Tense
Subject
Auxiliary
Past
ParticipleSingular Plural
Present The car/cars is are designed.
Present perfect The car/cars has been have been designed.
Past The car/cars was were designed.
Past perfect The car/cars had been had been designed.
Future The car/cars will be will be designed.
Future perfect The car/cars will have been will have been designed.
Present progressive The car/cars is being are being designed.
Past progressive The car/cars was being were being designed.
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4. Use passive instead of active:
If the agent is unknown:
Denise’s computer was stolen from her office.
If the agent is not the focus:
The new library was finished about a year ago.
If the agent is obvious from the context:
I had an accident yesterday. The other car went
through a red light and hit me. My car was completely
destroyed.
To focus on the receiver:
Did you hear the news? Matt was injured slightly in
the earthquake, but Jeff was O.K.
To make general explanations, statements
and announcements, or in scientific andIES Carmen Laffón
5. Because we most often use passive verbs to describe situations
when the agent is not the primary focus, we usually do not include
the agent (by noun phrase) in passive sentences. However,
sometimes it is necessary to include the agent:
• When the agent gives us additional new
information
Many important scientific discoveries have been made by
women.
•When information about the agent is too important
to be omitted
Radioactivity was discovered by Marie Curie in 1903.
•When the agent is surprising or unexpected
This picture was painted by a monkey.
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8. Active Passive Time
Reference
They make Fords in
Cologne.
Fords are made in Cologne. Present simple
Susan is cooking dinner. Dinner is being cooked by Susan Present
continuous
James Joyce wrote
"Dubliners".
"Dubliners" was written by
James Joyces.
Past simple
They were painting the
house when I arrived.
The house was being painted
when I arrived.
Past
continuous
They have produced over
20 models in the past two
years.
Over 20 models have been
produced in the past two years.
Present perfect
They are going to build a
new factory in Portland.
A new factory is going to be built
in Portland.
Future
intention with
going to
I will finish it tomorrow. It will be finished tomorrow. Future simple
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9. The subject of a verb in the passive voice corresponds to the object of
the same verb in the active voice.
If you want to change a passive-voice sentence to active voice, find the
agent in a "by the..." phrase, or consider carefully who or what is
performing the action expressed in the verb. Make that agent the
subject of the sentence, and change the verb accordingly.
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10. Special cases: Verbs with no
passive forms and other verbs
with no active forms
Some verbs don’t have passive form because they do not take direct
objects. This category includes verbs such as:
occur, happen, take place, appear, seem, look, emerge,
vanish, disappear, appear, resemble, consist of, collide, etc.
Few changes have occurred at Stonehenge over the years.
The discovery of Nazca Lines happened in the 1930s.
NOT: A ceremonial function was had by these pictures.
NOT: Some animals are resembled by the pictures.
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11. PASSIVE WITH REPORTINGPASSIVE WITH REPORTING
VERBSVERBS
People claim that the Mona Lisa is the most famous
painting in the world
IMPERSONAL
PASSIVE
We place “It” as the Subject.
We make the normal Passive
Sentence with the first verb
and the rest of the sentence
doesn't change:
It is claimed that the
Mona Lisa is the most
famous painting in the
world.
PERSONAL PASSIVE
We use the Second Subject as the
Subject of the Passive Sentence.
We make the normal Passive
Sentence with the first verb.
When the second verb is a
Simple Present or a Simple
Future, we add an infinitive + to:
The factory is believed to
make profit soon.
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TheyThey believebelieve that the factorythat the factory will makewill make profit soonprofit soon
12. PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
They think she is writing a book
IMPERSONAL
PASSIVE
It is thought she is
writing a book.
PERSONAL PASSIVE
She is thought to be
writing a book.
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PRESENT PERFECT or FUTURE PERFECT
Everybody thinks she has written/will have written a book
It is thought she has
written/will have written a
book.
She is thought to have
written a book.
13. SIMPLE PAST or PAST PERFECT
They know that you lived/have lived in London.
IMPERSONAL
PASSIVE
It is known that you
lived/have lived in
London.
PERSONAL PASSIVE
You are known to have
lived in London.
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PAST PROGRESSIVE
People think the government was building new schools.
It is thought that the
government was building
new schools.
The government is thought
to have been building new
schools.
14. REMEMBER!
The Present Perfect continuous
The Past Perfect Continuous
The Future Continuous
The Future Perfect Continuous
DO NOT HAVE PASSIVE STRUCTURES
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