How to use the passive voice

1. Active & Passive Voice
5th
grade

2. English uses both active and passive sentences.
•Here are some examples of each:
•Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet.
•Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare.
•The Incas built Machu Picchu.
•Machu Picchu was built by the Incas.

3. More Examples . . .
• Sam paints that beautiful home.
•That beautiful home is painted by Sam.
•The secretary answers the telephone.
•The telephone is answered by the secretary.
•Dogs chase cats.
•Cats are chased by dogs.

4. PASSIVE VOICE
(Present tense simple)
ACTIVE
My mother cleans my
room
PASSIVE
My room is cleaned by my
mother
Form:
to be
+
3 rd form
(am, is, are )
+
( gone,

5. PASSIVE VOICE
(Past tense simple)
ACTIVE
My mother cleaned my
room
PASSIVE
My room was cleaned by
my mother
Form:
To be
+
3 rd form
(was, were )
+
( gone,

6. ACTIVE OR PASSIVE?
1. Joe cleaned his room.
2. The problem was
solved.
1.1. ACTIVEACTIVE
2.2. PASSIVEPASSIVE
3. Is your hair often cut?
4. Who is in that room?
3.3. PASSIVEPASSIVE
4.4. ACTIVEACTIVE

7. PASSIVE VOICE
(Present Perfect tense simple)
ACTIVE
My mother has cleaned
my room
PASSIVE
My room has been cleaned
by my mother
Form:
to be
+
3 rd form
(has been, have been) +
(gone, cleaned...)

8. PASSIVE VOICE
(Past Perfect tense simple)
ACTIVE
My mother had cleaned
my room
PASSIVE
My room had been cleaned
by my mother
Form:
to be
+
3 rd form
(had been)
+
(gone, cleaned...)

9. PASSIVE VOICE
(Future tense)
ACTIVE
Mary will ride my bike
Joe will wash my cars
PASSIVE
My bike will be ridden by
Mary
My cars will be washed by
Joe
Form:
will
+
be
+
3 rd form
will
+
be
+
(gone, cleaned...)

10. PASSIVE VOICE
( Progressive tenses)
ACTIVE
Mary is riding my bike
Joe was washing my
cars
PASSIVE
My bike is being ridden by
Mary
My cars were being
washed by Joe
Form:
to be
+
being
+
3 rd form
(am, is, are, was, were )
+
being
+
(gone, cleaned...)

11. THE PASSIVE INFINITIVE
ACTIVE
They should clean
their rooms
They had to pay the
fine
PASSIVE
Their rooms should be
cleaned by them
The fine had to be
paid by them
Form: Modal verb
+
be
+
3 rd form

12. THE PAST INFINITIVE
PASSIVE
ACTIVE
My mother should
have cleaned my
room
PASSIVE
My room should have
been cleaned by my
mother
Form: MODAL VERB
+
have been
+
3 rd form

13. how / people / ketchup / create
answer – from tomatoes
simple present tense
• Active Question:
How do people create ketchup?
• Active Answer:
People create ketchup from tomatoes.
• Passive Question:
How is ketchup created (by people)?
• Passive Answer:
Ketchup is created (by people) from
tomatoes.

14. how / chefs / mayonnaise / make
answer – from oil and eggs
simple present tense
• Active Question:
How do chefs make mayonnaise?
• Active Answer:
Chefs make mayonnaise from oil and eggs.
• Passive Question:
How is mayonnaise made (by chefs)?
• Passive Answer:
Mayonnaise is made (by chefs) from oil and
eggs.

15. where / farmers / grapes / grow
answer - in Ica
simple present tense
• Active Question:
Where do farmers grow grapes?
• Active Answer:
Farmers grow grapes in Ica.
• Passive Question:
Where are grapes grown (by farmers)?
• Passive Answer:
Grapes are grown (by farmers) in Ica.

16. where / people / opals / find
answer - in Tequila, Mexico
simple present tense
• Active Question:
Where do people find opals?
• Active Answer:
People find opals in Tequila, Mexico.
• Passive Question:
Where are opals found (by people)?
• Passive Answer:
Opals are found (by people) in Tequila, Mexico.

17. where / farmers / potatoes / plant
answer - in Huancayo
simple present tense
• Active Question:
Where do farmers plant potatoes?
• Active Answer:
Farmers plant potatoes in Huancayo.
• Passive Question:
Where are potatoes planted (by farmers)?
• Passive Answer:
Potatoes are planted (by farmers) in
Huancayo.

18. where / people / Suri / eat
answer - in Pucallpa
simple present tense
• Active Question:
Where do people eat Suri?
• Active Answer:
People eat Suri in Pucallpa.
• Passive Question:
Where is Suri eaten (by people)?
• Passive Answer:
Suri is eaten (by people) in Pucallpa.

19. why / people / aspirin / take
answer – for headaches
simple present tense
• Active Question:
Why do people take aspirin ?
• Active Answer:
People take aspirin for headaches.
• Passive Question:
Why is aspirin taken (by people)?
• Passive Answer:
Aspirin is taken (by people) for headaches.

20. when / Americans / heart-shaped candy / give
answer – on Valentine’s Day
simple present tense
• Active Question:
When do Americans give heart-shaped candy?
• Active Answer:
Americans give heart-shaped candy on
Valentine’s Day.
• Passive Question:
When is heart-shaped candy given (by
Americans)?
• Passive Answer:
Heart-shaped candy is given (by Americans)
on Valentine’s Day.

21. Now, practice with the past tense!
• Remember:
– The auxiliary verb for the active voice
changes from do/does to did.
– The auxiliary verb for the passive voice
changes from is/are to was/were.

22. When / they / world’s largest diamond / discover
answer - in 1905
simple past tense
• Active Question:
When did they discover the world’s largest
diamond?
• Active Answer:
They discovered the world’s largest diamond in
1905.
• Passive Question:
When was the world’s largest diamond
discovered?
• Passive Answer
The world’s largest diamond was discovered in
1905.

23. Where / someone / world’s largest diamond / find
answer - in South Africa
simple past tense
• Active Question:
Where did someone find the world’s largest
diamond?
• Active Answer:
Someone found the world’s largest diamond in
South Africa.
• Passive Question:
Where was the world’s largest diamond found (by
someone) ?
• Passive Answer
The world’s largest diamond was found (by someone)
in South Africa.

24. When / someone / create / CDs
answer – in 1982
simple past tense
• Active Question:
When did someone create CDs?
• Active Answer:
Someone created CDs in 1982.
• Passive Question:
When were CDs created (by someone) ?
• Passive Answer
CDs were created (by someone) in 1982?

25. How / Percy Spencer / discover / microwave
cooking
answer – accidentally
simple past tense
• Active Question:
How did Percy Spencer discover microwave
cooking?
• Active Answer:
Percy Spencer accidentally discovered microwave
cooking.
• Passive Question:
How was microwave cooking discovered (by Percy
Spencer)?
• Passive Answer
Microwave cooking was accidentally discovered
(by Percy Spencer).

26. When / Percy Spencer / discover / microwave
cooking
answer – in 1945
simple past tense
• Active Question:
When did Percy Spencer discover microwave
cooking?
• Active Answer:
Percy Spencer discovered microwave cooking in
1945.
• Passive Question:
When was microwave cooking discovered (by Percy
Spencer)?
• Passive Answer
Microwave cooking was discovered (by Percy
Spencer) in 1945.

27. What / Thomas Edison / invent
answer – the telephone & phonograph
simple past tense
• Active Question:
What did Thomas Edison invent?
• Active Answer:
Thomas Edison invented the light bulb and
phonograph.
• Passive Question:
What was invented by Thomas Edison?
• Passive Answer
The light bulb and phonograph were invented by
Thomas Edison.

28. What do the dates and the names tell us about?
• 1876/Alexander Graham
Bell
• 1908/James M.Spangler
• 1926/John Logie Baird
• 1829/Nicephore Niepce
• 1981/Bill Gates
• 1895/the Lumiere
brothers
• 1903/Wilbur and Orville
Wright
• 1997/Ian Wilmat
• 1885/Karl Benz
• 1957/Sergei Korolev
• 1928/Alexander Fleming
• 1928/Richard Drew
• 1905/ Leo Biro
• 1896/E.A.Yakovlev and
P.A.Frez
• an American engineer invented a
telephone.
• from the USA built the first vacuum
cleaner.
• from Scotland invented television.
• from France pioneered photography.
• from the USA created Microsoft-DOS
• patented their cinematography
• from the USA built the first airplane
• Scottish scientist developed the idea of
cloning.
• in Germany produced the world’s first
petrol-driven motor car.
• from Russia designed the first artificial
satellite.
• discovered penicillin.
• perfected the Scottish tape.
• a Hungarian artist invented the first
ballpoint pen.
• from Russia designed the first Russia’s
automobile

29. TALK ABOUT AN INVENTION: “Then and now”
The …………………. Was invented ………………………… ( inventor)
It was ocurred ……. (date ) ……….. ( place).
It was used for …………... ( uses of the first)
It was made of ………………………. ( material of the first )
……………………………………. ( uses of the second) –Present passive
……………………………………. ( material of the second)- present passive