Active VS Passive Voice

What is passive? Simply, passive and active are when you switch the subject and the object of a sentence. “I cook pasta every Friday for the family.” – active voice “I” is the subject and “pasta” is the object. “The pasta is being made (by me) every Friday for the family.” “Pasta” becomes the subject and the cooker is the object but is implied. If you want to put the active object in a passive sentence, always use “by” to introduce it. To make a passive sentence, make the following formula… [to be + OPTIONAL auxiliary verb + past participle] = was being shown; are built

Examples The Great Wall was built by the Chinese. The tourists are being shown around by the guides. Competitions were held there. Subject Be (Auxiliary Verb) Past Participle Agent The Great Wall was built by the Chinese. Subject Be (Auxiliary Verb) Past Participle Agent The tourists are being shown around… Subject Be (Auxiliary Verb) Past Participle Agent Competitions were held (there). ___________

Questions in passive Questions in passive are just like regular questions with the verb and the subject mixed. Active: The Chinese built the Great Wall? Passive: The Great Wall was built by the Chinese? Was the Great Wall built by the Chinese? Has it been visited by many people? Be or Have Subject (Auxiliary Verb) Past Participle Agent Was the Great Wall built by the Chinese? Be or Have Subject (Auxiliary Verb) Past Participle Agent Has it been visited by many people?

Wh- Questions in passive Asking when, where, what, why, how, who questions in passive are commonly used. Active: How many people visited it? Passive: How many people has it been visited by? When was the Great Wall built? How many people has it been visited by? Wh- Word Auxiliary Verb Subject (Other Verb) Past Participle When was the Great Wall built? Wh- Word Auxiliary Verb Subject (Other Verb) Past Participle How many people has it been Visited by?

Intransitive verbs Some verbs do not have objects. Usually, they have to do with time or motion. Appear, arrive, become, come, exercise, happen, occur, rain, stay… The plane arrived on time. “on time” is not an object “The plane was arrived on time.” = this is incorrect Some words can be both transitive and intransitive: Stative Verbs do not have a passive form: cost, fit, have, resemble, suit, weight Verb Transitive Verb Intransitive Verb Leave She left her keys at work. She left early. Move I can’t move that box. Don’t move. Drive I can drive a truck. I’m tired. Would you drive? Play We play soccer everyday. The children play nicely together. Work Can you work this machine? This computer won’t work.

Conjugations in passive Remember the formula? [to be + OPTIONAL auxiliary verb + past participle] = was being shown; are built Using this formula will allow for you to make a verb of different tenses into passive form. I am making a cake. = A cake is being made (by me.) I was making a cake. = A cake was being made (by me.)

Reasons why to use Passive When we want to change the focus of the sentence: The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci. (We are more interested in the painting than the artist in this sentence) When who or what causes the action is unknown or unimportant or obvious or ‘people in general’: He was arrested (obvious agent, the police). My bike has been stolen (unknown agent). The road is being repaired (unimportant agent). The form can be obtained from the post office (people in general). In factual or scientific writing: The chemical is placed in a test tube and the data entered into the computer.

Reasons why to use Passive In formal writing instead of using someone/ people/ they (these can be used in speaking or informal writing): The brochure will be finished next month. In order to put the new information at the end of the sentence to improve style: Three books are used regularly in the class. The books were written by Dr. Bell. (‘Dr. Bell wrote the books’ sound clumsy) When the subject is very long: I was surprised by how well the students did in the test. (More natural than: ‘how well the students did in the test surprised me’)

Practice Make the following passive: Bill Gates started Microsoft. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. France held the world’s first modern Olympic Games. Snowstorms have cut off many towns in the north. The Coast Guard found two teenage boys in a small boat far off shore yesterday. Has Deer Farming Supplies stored all of the grain from the harvest last year?