PASSIVE VOICE SENTENCE PATTERN: PASSIVE SUBJECT + TO BE + PAST PARTICIPLE + BY OBJESCT OFFENDER

USAGE: We use the passive voice when we want to focus on the person or thing affected by an action. Remember that only verbs that take an object can be changed into passive.

TENSES PATTERNS ACTIVE PASSIVE STUDY THE PATTERNS BELOW TENSES PATTERNS ACTIVE PASSIVE Simple Present Is/am/are + past participle The news surprises me. I am surprised by the news. Past Tense Was/were +past participle She wrote a letter. A letter was written by her. Present Continuous Is/am/are + being + past participle They are learning history. History is being learnt by the. Past Continuous Was/were+ being +past participle Bob was mailing a letter. A letter was being mailed by Bob. Perfect/Past perfect Tense Has/have/had+ been+ past participle She has completed the duties The duties have been completed by her Future Tense Will (modals) + be + past participle We will hold this competition. This competition will be held by us.

THE RULES Place the object of an active sentence in the beginning of the passive voice ( an object of an active sentence becomes the subject of passive voice ). If there isn’t any auxiliary verb ( to be ), add To Be which is appropriate with the subject in that passive voice, and its tense. Place the main verb of the active sentence after the auxiliary verb ( to be ) in past participle form. Place the preposition by after the main verb in the passive voice before the subject. Sometimes we can omit the preposition by that is followed by the subject of passive voice if the activity is done by everyone, someone, somebody, the people, etc.

See the patterns in sentences TENSES ACTIVE PASSIVE Simple Present Simple Past Simple Future Present Continuous Past Continuous Future Continuous Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect MODALS He writes a letter. He wrote a letter. He will write a letter. He is writing a letter. He was writing a letter. He will be writing a letter. He has written a letter. He had written a letter. He will have written a letter. He must write a letter. A letter is written. A letter was written. A letter will be written. A letter is being written. A letter was being written. A letter will be being written. A letter has been written. A letter had been written. A letter will have been written. A letter must be written.

OTHER EXAMPLES Orange juice is drunk by Peter. Their house was painted by the villagers. The business has been run by the young executives for about 17 years. That building will be renewed by our government. The dinner is being served by the chef.

The following chart includes sentences changed from the active to the passive in the principal tenses. ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE He makes a call on a cellular phone. A call is made on a cellular phone ( by him ). The mechanic repaired the internet line. The internet line was repaired by the mechanic. Nokia has launched a new type. A new type of Nokia has been launched. J.K. Rowling will write the next series of Harry Potter. The next series of Harry Potter will be written by J.K. Rowling.

EXERCISES A. CHANGE THESE SENTENCES INTO PASSIVE VOICE We can find fish in rivers. They are feeding fish in the pond. They will divide the garden into two parts : one for sunflowers and the other for cactuses. The tiger has killed two rabbits for its meal. The government created a national park outside the reservation forest.

B. CHANGE THESE SENTENCES INTO ACTIVE FORM The golden fish and anemone are being put in the aquarium by him. The beauty of Mount Bromo was admired by foreigners. The soil will be dug by the farmer to plant mango trees. Food and shelter have been provided by the forest for the wild animals. The ruins from buildings are used for permanent artificial reefs.