1. Lesson 5 Grammar The passive voice

2. The passive voice is a very popular construction among attorneys. Examples of Passive Voice Your offer will be rejected by the IRS. You will be notified by our office. Examples of Active Voice The IRS will reject your offer. Our office will notify you. In the active voice, the subject does the action. In the passive voice, the action is done by the subject.

3. We form the passive voice in Spanish just like we do in English. Ser + Past participle + por To be + ________ed + by Los hijos son amados por los padres. Children are loved by their parents. This construction is fairly rare in Spanish, and it is used primarily in the past. In the present, we usually use the active voice.

4. To replace the passive voice in the present, we use a construction with se. Se + verb (third person form). Se habla Español aquí. Spanish is spoken here. Literally, Spanish speaks itself here. Se aceptan solicitudes en la oficina. Applications are accepted in the office. Literally, Applications accept themselves in the office.