Teacher Silvino Sieben Passive Voice Teacher Silvino Sieben
You are being replaced by a machine. Wednesday, 21 November 2018 Page 2
Form Different tenses of be (is, was, is being, have been, …) + past participle of the main verb. This article was written by a well-known journalist. Wednesday, 21 November 2018 Page 3
Form English is spoken here. The house is being painted. * PP = Past participle Passive Tense Structure Present Simple am/are/is + PP* Present Continuous am/are/is being + PP Past Simple was/were + PP Past Continuous was/were being + PP Present Perfect have/has been + PP English is spoken here. The house is being painted. I wasn’t invited, but I went. I felt I was being watched. Has Mary been told? Wednesday, 21 November 2018 Page 4
Form I knew I had been forgotten. You’ll be told soon. * PP = Past participle Passive Tense Structure Past Perfect had been + PP* Will future will be + PP Going to future am/ are / is going to be + PP Modal verbs can/ may/should / would/ must can/ must / should / would / must be + PP I knew I had been forgotten. You’ll be told soon. Who’s going to be invited? It may be destroyed this week. Wednesday, 21 November 2018 Page 5
Structure Passive: This church was built in 1275. Active: They built this church in 1275. Subject Object Wednesday, 21 November 2018 Page 6
Structure Passive: German is spoken in Germany. Active: Germans speak German. Subject Object Wednesday, 21 November 2018 Page 7
Use We use the passive voice: when the agent is unknown; My car was stolen last night. (I don’t know who stole my car) to emphasise the action rather than the agent; The factory was painted during the war. (We are interested in the factory.) when the agent is generally understood; The thief was arrested (by the police). When we don’t want to say who the agent is/was. A mistake was made. (Active voice: I made a mistake.) Wednesday, 21 November 2018 Page 8
Use The passive voice is usually used in: Newspapers (/ news); Formal notices; Scientific or technical writing. Wednesday, 21 November 2018 Page 9