PASSIVE VOICE

The position of the elements of clause structure in a statement usually follows this sequence: Subject + verb+ object+ complements (circumstances): A man stole my watch on the beach yesterday. The man is the subject, the agent who does the action of the verb. Stole is the verb, the action. My watch is the object which receives the action of the verb. On the beach and yesterday are the circumstances (place, time, way, etc…)

What if we want to highlight the object, or to avoid the subjects because it’s not important? We use the PASSIVE VOICE. My watch was stolen on the each yesterday. Or I was stolen my watch on the beach yesterday. When was your watch stolen? My watch would be the subject, but it’s not the agent. In the passive voice it is the Passive Subject. The passive voice lets you talk about the action from the point of view of the person or thing affected by the action of the verb (the object in the active voice). If you want to mention the agent of the action (the subject in the active voice), you’ll introduce it with the preposition BY at the end of the sentence.

Compare these two entries in an encyclopaedia: Alexander Graham Bell: A British inventor who went to live in Canada and then the USA. Bell invented the telephone. Telephone: an apparatus with which people can talk to each other over long distances. The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. Both sentences have the same meaning, but they are about different things. The subject is the starting point of the sentence, the topic we are talking about. We say Bell invented the telephone because we are talking about Bell, when the subject is the person or thing doing the action (the agent) we use an active verb. We say the telephone was invented by Bell because we are talking about the telephone (passive subject), and the agent is, again, Graham Bell.

USE OF THE PASSIVE VOICE The passive voice is used in English when it’s more convenient or interesting to stress the thing done that the doer of it. The passive voice gives you the option of not mentioning the agent ( the doer, or the subject in the active voice) of the action. Reasons for not mentioning the action: Because you don’t know the agent: he has been murdered. Because the agent is not important: I have been told about your summer plans. Because the agent is obvious: she found out that she wasn’t being paid the same as him. When people in general are the agent: I’m called Juan. When describing processes or scientific experiments to focus on what happens and not who makes it happen:. We see it specially in textbooks and reports. We use it to describe activities in industry, science and technology, and also for official rules:“The principle of bottling is very simple; food is put in jars and the content is heated to a temperature in which bacteria and viruses are destroyed”. Bananas are exported to Europe. Payment can be made at any post office.

SPECIAL PASSIVE STRUCTURES I was given... Active: Daniel gave Martha some flowers. Passive: Martha was given some flowers. Active: Daniel gave some flowers to Martha. Passive: Some flowers were given to Martha. Another examples: My wife is paid more than I am. Ken was sent tickets for the concert. Andrew has been awarded a prize for his job.

It is said that... Active: People say that Mike is in love with Rachel. Passive: It's said that Mike is in love with Rachel. Active: Someone told me you're a liar. Passive: I've been told that you're a liar. Other expressions: It's thought that the school is planning a farewell party for you. It has been agreed that exams should be set in different days. Talking about the cruise is supposed to be very interesting.

HAVE SOMETHING DONE Compare these situations: Claire decorated the roomClaire had the room decorated The second sentence means that she arranged for a decorator to do it for her as a professional service. Other examples: Andrew and Noah have their flat painted. (Someone painted it for them). My parents have my motorbike mended. (They paid to get my bike mended in a garage). I have had my hair cut before the cruise. (Someone cut my hair, not me!) I must have my room tidied up this week. (I have to pay for it). I'll have the broken window mended. (Someone will mend that window for me).

GET SOMETHING DONE Sometimes, in informal English GET is sometimes used instead of BE to form the passive: Our car got repaired last week. Lots of postmen get bitten by dogs. The windows don't get cleaned very often. How did the painting get damaged? Expressions with get+ passive: get dressed / get washed (wash oneself) / get married / get lost. without a map we'll soon get lost.

INFINITIVE CONSTRUCTIONS AFTER PASSIVE VERBS After believe, consider, feel, find, know, say, think, understand… Sentences of the type: people believe, think… that he is… there are two possible passive forms: It’s thought / known that he is… He’s thought / considered to be… “It was said he was jealous of her” or “he was said to be jealous of her” “It is known that he was a fraud” “It has been said that they did that” “He was believed to be gay” “She was found to be a great pretender” “He’s considered to be the fastest man in the world” “It’s thought it is the worst crisis of the modern world”

B. SUPPOSE In the passive voice has the meaning of duty: “You are supposed to have finished” means: you should have finished. “You are supposed to know how to drive” “Students are supposed to be on time in class after the break” “Teachers are supposed to assess their students”