ESL/ EFL: Notes on the Passive Voice
The Passive Voice
Active sentence: A sentence generally begins with the performer of the action (subject), then the verb, then the object or person that the action is performed on. This called an active sentence.
Subject + verb + object
John cleaned the room.
The Passive Sentence: If we begin the sentence with the object or person that the action is performed on, we formulate a ‘passive’ sentence.
Object + verb + ( by subject)
The room was cleaned (by John)
****Do note your causative sentences were only ‘active’ sentences.
- Not all verbs in English take an object. Therefore, some sentences are complete without an object (see verbs followed by complements – intransitive)
(e.g. John slept well., or John lives far away.) Try to change into the passive.
When should we use the passive voice?
- We do know who the subject is, or it is not important who the subject is.
(e.g. Somebody cleaned the room (active) … The room was cleaned (passive).
- When it is obvious to the listener or reader who the subject is because it is the person who usually does it:
(e.g. The cleaner cleaned the room (active) ….. The room was cleaned (passive).
How to form the Passive Voice:
- Put the object of the verb at the beginning of your sentence.
- Conjugate (change) the verb ‘to be’ in the same tense as the active sentence
- Put the main verb in the Past Participle form
(Object) – (watch verb to be) + past participle
Active : The postman delivers the mail. – Passive: The mail is delivered.
The decorator is painting my room – Passive: My room is being painted.
NOTE: 1. If you want to mention the subject in a passive sentence use ‘by’:
My room is being painted by John.
- If the active sentence begins with ‘no- one’ or ‘nobody’, the passive sentence will be negative.
No- one turned on the light – passive, is: The light was not turned on.
- If there is a preposition between the verb and the object, the preposition will remain after the verb.
- They talked about the issue – the passive voice becomes: The issue was talked about.
Different Tenses:
TENSE ACTIVE PASSIVE
Present Simple I do it. It is done.
Past Simple I did it. It was done
Future Simple I will do it It will be done
Present Continuous I am doing it It is being done.
Past Continuous I was doing it It was being done.
Future Continuous I will be doing it. It will be being done (rare)
Present Perfect I have done it. It has been done.
Past Perfect I had done it. It had been done.
Future Perfect I will have done it. It will have been done.
Present Perfect Continuous I have been doing it. X (leave active)
Past Perfect Continuous I had been doing it. X (leave active)
Future Perfect Continuous I will have been doing it. X (leave active)
The Passive with other structures
Infinitive: do be done
ACTIVE PASSIVE
‘Be going to’ I am going to do it. It is going to be done.
Have to I have to do it. It has to be done.
Used to I used to do it. It used to be done.
Modals (can , may etc) I can do it. It can be done.
In expressions containing a gerund:
ACTIVE PASSIVE
Avoid I avoid seeing him. He avoids being seen. (meaning?)
Don’t mind I don’t mind teaching her. She doesn’t mind being taught. (meaning?)
Persons in the object position:
Somebody pushed me I was pushed
They have invited us. We have been invited.
Someone was interviewing Jane Jane was being interviewed.
