1. Past Passive Voice
Grammar essential #117

2. Active/ Passive Voice definition
A verb is said to be active voice when it expresses an action performed by its subject.
A verb is said to be passive voice when the action it expresses is performed upon its subject.

3. Active / Passive examples
active voice
The coach instructed the players.
The subject performs the action.
Passive voice
The players were instructed by the coach.
The subject receives the action.

4. Passive or active? The album was received unfavorably by the fans.
The student body elects its council reps.
Angelo’s courageous act averted a tragedy.
A bit part was played by the well-known actor.
Someone at the airport recognized the popular actor.
A volunteer usually leads the discussions.
That counting game is played by more than one person.
A prophet’s warnings are usually ignored at first.
WC Handy composed many famous jazz pieces.
Handy’s contributions to music are appreciated by many listeners.

5. Passive or active? The album was received unfavorably by the fans. p
The student body elects its council reps. a
Angelo’s courageous act averted a tragedy. a
A bit part was played by the well-known actor. p
Someone at the airport recognized the popular actor.a
A volunteer usually leads the discussions. a
That counting game is played by more than one person.p
A prophet’s warnings are usually ignored at first.p
WC Handy composed many famous jazz pieces.a
Handy’s contributions to music are appreciated by many listeners. p

6. Passive voice in Spanish
Passive voice is always made with the same pattern.
Ser + past participle
If you look at the examples, ser is the first part of the passive voice structure followed by a past participle in English.

7. Past passive voice The pattern is the same as present passive voice.
Ser + past participle
The only difference is instead of conjugating ser in the present tense, it is now in the preterite tense.
Ser (preterite tense) + past participle

8. Look at the passive examples.
The album was received unfavorably by the fans.
A bit part was played by the well-known actor.
That counting game is played by more than one person.
A prophet’s warnings are usually ignored at first.
Handy’s contributions to music are appreciated by many listeners.
Do you see the ser and past participles going to happen?

9. REMEMBER
Remember regular past participles are made by adding –ado or –ido to the stem.
There are the irregulars.
Abierto / visto / puesto / dicho / cubierto / escrito / vuelto / hecho / muerto / roto

10. Passive voice
Passive voice is made using ser (preterite tense) + past participle.
The book was written…
El libro fue escrito
The map was read…
El mapa fue leído.

11. Passive voice
Unlike the perfect tenses, the past participle will agree with the subject of the sentence.
La mesa fue puesta…
The table was set…

12. Passive Voice
If you want to say that the action is done “by me” you use “por mí”.
If you want to say that the action is done “by you” you use “por ti”.
If you want to say that the action is done “by us” you use “por nosotros”.

13. Practice The rule was made by the teacher.
The house was dreamed by the artist.
The alarm clock was thrown by the child.
The closet was cleaned by the manager.
The storm was photographed (sacar foto) by the person.
The bottle was broken by the referee.

14. Answers The rule was made by the teacher.
La regla fue hecha por la profesora.
The house was dreamed by the artist.
La casa fue soñada por el artista.
The alarm clock was thrown by the child.
El despertador fue tirado por el chico.