This document provides examples and instructions for forming sentences in the passive voice in English. It explains that the passive voice is formed by making the direct object of an active sentence the subject, using a form of "to be" as the main verb, and adding the past participle of the original verb. Forming sentences in the passive voice allows the focus to be on the object of the action rather than the subject performing the action. Optional phrases with "by" can identify the subject of the corresponding active voice sentence.

1. REVIEW THE PASSIVE VOICE

2. EXAMPLES:
THIS COURSE MAY BE TAKEN PASS/NO PASS IF YOU WISH.
(STUDENTS MAY TAKE THE COURSE, I KNOW THAT.)
MY CAR WINDOW WAS BROKEN LAST NIGHT. (I DON’T
KNOW WHO BROKE IT.)
THE COFFEE WAS SERVED. (THE WAITER SERVED IT – I
KNOW THAT.)
I WAS BORN IN MONGOLIA. (OLD TRANSITIVE VERB
BEAR/BORE/BORN) (MY MOTHER BORE ME – I KNOW
THAT.)
THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN BY STEPHEN KING. (THE BOOK IS
THE IMPORTANT THING TO ME.)

3. EXAMPLES:
I AM CONFUSED RIGHT NOW. (SOMETHING CONFUSES ME –
MAYBE I DON’T KNOW WHAT.)
THE FOOD WILL BE SERVED SOON. (MAYBE I KNOW WHO
WILL SERVE IT, MAYBE EVERYBODY KNOWS, MAYBE IT
DOESN’T MATTER.)
THE MOVIE IS GOING TO BE PLAYED ON TV. (THE TV
STATION WILL PLAY IT.)
THE GAME WILL BE FINISHED AT 6 P.M. (THE TEAM WILL
FINISH IT.)
THE PRICE HAS BEEN INCREASED. (THE SELLER OR THE
STORE HAS INCREASED IT.)

4. A TRANSITIVE VERB HAS AN OBJECT—
THE WAITER SERVED THE COFFEE.
STEPHEN KING WROTE THIS BOOK.
AN INTRANSITIVE VERB HAS NO OBJECT—
SHE LAUGHED.
WE SAT DOWN.

5. SOME VERBS ARE ALWAYS TRANSITIVE:
MAKE, HAVE, DO
SOME VERBS ARE ALWAYS INTRANSITIVE:
LAUGH, SIT, GO
SOME VERBS CAN BE EITHER TRANSITIVE OR
INTRANSITIVE:
LOVE, STUDY, DRIVE, EAT

6. ONLY A TRANSITIVE VERB CAN BE
PASSIVE!

7. IN ENGLISH, EVERY VERB HAS A TENSE: PRESENT,
PAST, PAST PROGRESSIVE, PRESENT PERFECT …
ALSO, EVERY VERB AS A VOICE. THERE MANY TENSES
BUT ONLY TWO VOICES: ACTIVE AND PASSIVE.
MOST OF THE TIME, WE USE THE ACTIVE VOICE.
SOME VERBS CAN ONLY BE ACTIVE VOICE
(INTRANSITIVE VERBS WITH NO OBJECT).
SOMETIMES WE USE THE PASSIVE VOICE.

8. THIS IS HOW TO FORM THE PASSIVE VOICE:

9. THIS IS HOW TO FORM THE PASSIVE VOICE:
THINK ABOUT A SENTENCE WITH A
TRANSITIVE VERB:
THE WAITER SERVED THE COFFEE. (ACTIVE
VOICE)

10. THIS IS HOW TO FORM THE PASSIVE VOICE:
THINK ABOUT A SENTENCE WITH A
TRANSITIVE VERB:
THE WAITER SERVED THE COFFEE. (ACTIVE
VOICE)
(1)
THE OBJECT BECOMES THE SUBJECT.
THE COFFEE …

11. THIS IS HOW TO FORM THE PASSIVE VOICE:
THINK ABOUT A SENTENCE WITH A TRANSITIVE
VERB:
THE WAITER SERVED THE COFFEE. (ACTIVE VOICE)
(2)
USE THE VERB TO BE IN THE SAME VERB TENSE AS
THE MAIN VERB IN THE ACTIVE VOICE SENTENCE:
THE COFFEE WAS …

12. THIS IS HOW TO FORM THE PASSIVE VOICE:
THINK ABOUT A SENTENCE WITH A
TRANSITIVE VERB:
(3)
THE WAITER SERVED THE COFFEE. (ACTIVE
VOICE)
ADD THE PAST PARTICIPLE OF THE MAIN
VERB:
THE COFFEE WAS SERVED ...

13. THIS IS HOW TO FORM THE PASSIVE VOICE:
THINK ABOUT A SENTENCE WITH A TRANSITIVE
VERB:
(4)
IF I WANT, I CAN ADD:
THE COFFEE WAS SERVED (BY THE WAITER).
BUT I’M USING PASSIVE BECAUSE THE COFFEE IS
IMPORTANT, NOT THE WAITER, SO MAYBE I DON’T
MENTION THE WAITER.