The passive voice

1. THE PASSIVE
VOICE

2. USE OF THE PASSIVE VOICE
Cuando desconocemos quién ha realizado la
acción.
Cuando queremos dar más importancia a lo
que ha ocurrido, que a quién ha realizado la
acción.
Cuando no interesa o no queremos decir quién
lo hizo.

3. FORM OF THE PASSIVE VERB
SUJETO+VERBO "TO BE"(EN MISMO TIEMPO DEL
VERBO EN ACTIVA)+PARTICIPIO PASADO

4. PRESENT SIMPLE
● AFIRMATIVA
AM
SUJETO + IS + P.P + COMPL. "A book is written by Tom"
ARE
● NEGATIVA
AM NOT
SUJETO + ISN'T + P.P. + COMPL. "A book isn't written by Tom"
AREN'T
● INTERROGATIVA
AM
IS + SUJETO + P.P. + COMPL. "Is a book written by Tom?"
ARE

5. PAST SIMPLE
● AFIRMATIVA
SUJETO + WAS / WERE + P.P + COMPL.
"The television was thrown by Peter"
● NEGATIVA
SUJETO + WASN'T / WEREN'T + P.P + COMPL.
"The television wasn't thrown by Peter"
● INTERROGATIVA
WAS / WERE + SUJETO + P.P + COMPL.
"Was the television thrown by Peter?"

6. PRESENT PERFECT
● AFIRMATIVA
SUJETO + HAVE / HAS + BEEN + P.P. + COMPL.
"The package has been delivered"
● NEGATIVA
SUJETO + HAVEN'T / HASN'T + BEEN + P.P. + COMPL.
"The package hasn't been delivered yet"
● INTERROGATIVA
HAVE / HAS + SUJETO + BEEN + P.P. + COMPL.
"Has the package been delivered yet?"

7. PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
● AFIRMATIVA
SUJETO + HAD + BEEN + P.P. + COMPL.
"When he arrived at the hotel, his room had been cleaned"
● NEGATIVA
SUJETO + HADN'T + BEEN + P.P. + COMPL.
"When he arrived at the hotel, his room hadn't been cleaned"
● INTERROGATIVA
HAD + SUJETO + BEEN + P.P. + COMPL.
"When he arrived at the hotel, had his room been cleaned?"

8. FUTURE WITH WILL
● AFIRMATIVA
SUJETO + WILL + BE + P.P. + COMPL.
"The book will be published the next week"
● NEGATIVA
SUJETO + WILL + NOT + BE + P.P. + COMPL.
"The book will not be published the next week"
● INTERROGATIVA
WILL + SUJETO + BE + P.P. + COMPL.
"Will the book be published the next week?"

9. FUTURE (GOING TO)
● AFIRMATIVA
AM
SUJETO + IS + GOING TO BE + P.P. + COMPL.
ARE
A worker is going to be chosen by the boss.
● NEGATIVA
AM NOT
SUJETO + ISN'T + GOING TO BE + P.P. + COMPL.
AREN'T
A worker isn't going to be chosen by the boss.
● INTERROGATIVA
AM
IS + SUJETO + GOING TO BE + P.P. + COMPL.
ARE
Is a worker going to be chosen by the boss?

10. MODAL VERB
SUJETO + MODAL VERB + BE + P.P.
● MUST
"The road must be closed tomorrow"
● CAN
"The iron pipe cannot be taken when it is very hot"
● SHOULD
Should this car be sold for 10.000 euros?

11. ACTIVE TO PASSIVE
TRANSFORMATION

12. En el paso de la oración activa a pasiva lo que
cambia es el sujeto, el objeto directo y el
verbo, lo demás permanece igual:
-SUJETO El sujeto de la activa pasa a ser el
complemento agente de la pasiva. Si se le
hace mención debe ir precedido por "by".
-OBJETO DIRECTO El objeto directo de la
activa se convierte en el sujeto de la pasiva.
-VERBO El verbo de la activa se cambia en
la pasiva por "to be"(en su mismo tiempo)+
participio pasado del verbo de la activa.

13. EJEMPLOS

14. ● Mary buys the fruit at the market every
week.
The fruit is bought at the market every week by
Mary.
● I didn't visit my grandmother at the hospital.
My grandmother wasn't visited at the hospital
by me.
● The gardener has brought the necessary
tools today.
The necessary tools has been brought today by
the gardener.

15. ● The laboratory will make the vaccine next
year.
The vaccine will be made next year by the
laboratory.
● The thief must return the stolen money.
The stolen money must be returned by the
thief.