In this lesson on **Passive Voice**, we explore the definition and structure of passive voice, along with how it functions in different tenses. We'll cover the usage of passive voice, including its application with modals and when there are two objects in a sentence. You will also learn how to change active voice sentences to passive, and understand the situations when using passive voice is preferred. Additionally, we’ll highlight common mistakes to avoid while using passive voice and provide practice exercises to reinforce these concepts.
Passive voice is a grammatical construction in which the object of an active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. The focus is on the action being performed rather than the doer of the action. It is typically formed using the verb 'to be' in the appropriate tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Cambridge Dictionary: The passive voice is a form of a verb in which the subject undergoes the action rather than performing it.
Oxford Learner’s Dictionary: A way of structuring a sentence so that the person or thing that experiences an action is the subject rather than the person or thing that performs the action.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary: A grammatical construction in which the subject of a sentence is acted upon by the verb rather than performing the action itself.
The passive voice is used when the focus is on the action or the object of the sentence rather than the subject. The structure of the passive voice consists of the following components:
Structure of Passive Voice:
**Subject + form of "to be" + past participle of the main verb + (by + agent)**
1. **Present Simple:**
2. **Present Continuous:**
3. **Present Perfect:**
4. **Past Simple:**
5. **Past Continuous:**
6. **Past Perfect:**
7. **Future Simple:**
8. **Future Perfect:**
In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence often becomes the object of the action, and the agent (doer) can be included or omitted based on the context. If the agent is not important or unknown, it can be left out.
Example:
Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action or the object of the action rather than on the subject. The verb in the sentence changes according to the tense, and the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is omitted). Here’s a breakdown of how passive voice works in different tenses:
1. Present Simple Tense
2. Present Continuous Tense
3. Present Perfect Tense
4. Past Simple Tense
5. Past Continuous Tense
6. Past Perfect Tense
7. Future Simple Tense
8. Future Continuous Tense
9. Future Perfect Tense
Key Rules:
**Passive voice** is used when the focus is on the action or the recipient of the action rather than on the subject performing the action. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject in the passive sentence.
Subject + form of "be" + past participle + (by + agent)
1. Focus on the object: The passive voice emphasizes the action and the object of the sentence rather than who is performing the action.
2. Verb form: In passive voice, the verb changes to a form of "be" (is, are, was, were, etc.) followed by the past participle of the main verb. The tense of the passive verb corresponds to the tense of the active verb.
3. When the agent is unknown or unimportant: Often, the "by" agent is omitted if it's not important or if it's unknown.
4. Formality or Impersonal Tone: Passive voice is often used in formal writing or when the speaker wants to sound impersonal, such as in scientific writing, reports, or news articles.
Passive voice with modals refers to sentences where the subject receives the action, and a modal verb (such as *can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must*) is used to express ability, permission, possibility, obligation, etc. In passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject, and the verb is modified to include the appropriate form of the modal verb.
Subject + Modal + Be + Past Participle
In these examples, the focus is shifted to the object (the thing being acted upon) in the sentence, and the modal verb remains in its appropriate form.
When a sentence has two objects (direct and indirect objects), the passive voice can be formed by transforming both objects into the subject and object of the sentence. You typically choose to make the direct object the subject of the passive sentence, but the indirect object can also become the subject in some cases.
Example 1: Passive Voice with Direct Object as Subject
In this example, the direct object "a gift" becomes the subject of the passive sentence. The indirect object "him" follows the verb with a "to" preposition.
Example 2: Passive Voice with Indirect Object as Subject
Here, the indirect object "him" becomes the subject of the passive sentence, while the direct object "a gift" follows the verb.
Changing an active voice sentence to a passive voice sentence involves the following steps:
### Active Voice Example:
### Passive Voice Conversion:
### Passive Voice Sentence:
### More Examples:
The passive voice is used when the focus is on the **action** or the **recipient of the action** rather than the **doer**. Here are the key situations when to use the passive voice:
1. When the doer is unknown or irrelevant: If you don’t know who performed the action or if it’s not important, you can use the passive voice.
2. When the action itself is more important than the doer: In some cases, the action is the main focus, and the person performing it is not as important.
3. When the doer is obvious or implied: If it’s clear who the doer is, there’s no need to mention them in the sentence.
4. In formal or scientific writing: Passive voice is often used in academic, scientific, or formal contexts to focus on the research, results, or actions, rather than the researchers.
5. To create variety in sentence structure: Using the passive voice occasionally can add variety and make your writing sound more sophisticated.
When using the passive voice in English, there are a few common mistakes to avoid:
1. Incorrect Use of the Auxiliary Verb "Be": The auxiliary verb "be" needs to agree in tense with the main verb. A common mistake is to use the wrong form of "be".
2. Omitting the Agent (When It's Important): Sometimes, writers omit the agent (the doer of the action) in passive voice sentences, which can lead to ambiguity. While the agent can be omitted when it's unimportant or obvious, it's best to include it if it adds clarity.
3. Using Active Voice When Passive Is Needed: Switching from active to passive can change the focus of a sentence. Using active voice where passive is needed can sometimes obscure the object of the action.
4. Using the Passive Voice with Intransitive Verbs: Intransitive verbs don’t have an object, so they can’t be used in the passive voice.
5. Overuse of the Passive Voice: Using passive voice too frequently can make writing sound less direct or more complicated. It's important to balance the use of passive and active voice.
6. Incorrect Word Order: In passive constructions, the subject of the active sentence becomes the object in the passive voice. If you confuse this, it creates incorrect sentences.
Here are some practice exercises to help you understand and use passive voice.
Exercise 1: Change from Active to Passive
Exercise 2: Change from Active to Passive.
Exercise 3: Identify if the sentence is active or passive.