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Passive Voice
Passive Voice
The active voice is used to, when the agent (doer) is to be made prominent. The verb in such sentences show
that the person denoted by the subject does something. The active voice is so called because the person
denoted by subject acts.
Mother cooks rice.
Mr. Perera teaches maths.
In the above sentences the subject performs an action. The word order remains as,
Subject + Verb + Object
(Mother + cooks + rice)
The passive voice is used when the person or thing acted upon is to be made prominent. When the verb is
arranged in the passive voice, it shows that something is done to the person or thing by the subject.
Rice is cooked by mother.
Mathematics is taught by Mr. Perera.
In the passive voice word order remains as,
Object + Verb + Subject
(Rice + is cooked + by mother
In English we can across two types of passive voices
1.
Agental Passive
2.
Non -Agental Passive
In agental passive we have the agent who performed the action.
Ex:
In non-agental passive we denote that an action has been performed by the person who performed the action
is not known.
Ex:
Exercise
01.
Underline the verbs in the following sentences and state whether they are in the active or in the
passive voice.
i
The Cat killed the Mouse.
[
]
ii
The chief was caught.
[
]
iii
The boy was bitter by the dog.
[
]
iv
Sarath made a kite.
[
]
v
The dog chased the cat.
[
]
vi
He drank all the milk.
[
]
vii
The letter has been posted.
[
]
viii
The exhibition will be opened y the Prime Minister.
[
]
ix
I see a dark cloud.
[
]
x
He speaks English fluently.
[
]
xi
He is loved by all.
[
]
xii
The money has lost.
[
]
xiii
Mr. Perera teaches mathematics.
[
]
xiv
The secretary is the typing the letter.
[
]
xv
Some of the cargo had been damaged.
[
]
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The passive voice is formed with the suitable tense of the verb be followed by the past participle.
Simple Present Tense (Passive)
am
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
2.
3.
4.
5.
is
are
am
is
are
Past Participle
2.
3.
4.
5.
Special Note:
There is no passive form for the Present Perfect continuous Tense.
Lalithe Nanayakkara To arrange Home Visiting Classes call Tel: 09122 39 723 Mobile: 0777 16 33 88
2.
3.
4.
5.
Past Participle
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
had been +
Past Participle
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Special Note
There is no passive form for the Past Perfect Continuous Tense.
Simple Future into Passive
Shall
be
Past Participle
Will
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Past Participle
have been
1.
2.
3.
The examination Department will have announced the result by next week.
The result will have been announced by the Examination Department by next week.
4.
The farmers will have ploughed the fields with in the next two months.
The fields will have been ploughed by the farmers with in the next two months.
5.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
The Passive Voice is formed with the suitable tense of the verb be followed by the past participle.
Active
Passive
Simple Present
take
takes
Present Continuous
am taking
is taken
are taking
am being taken
is being taken
are being taken
Present Perfect
has taken
have taken
Simple Past
took
was taken
were taken
Past Continuous
was taking
were taking
Past Perfect
had taken
Simple Future
will take
should take
will be taken
should be taken
Can/May/Must
can take
must take
can be taken
must be taken
Exercise
Put the words in bracket in the correct Passive Form. Choose the right tense.
The correct passive form choose the right tense.
1.
The bell
Lalithe Nanayakkara To arrange Home Visiting Classes call Tel: 09122 39 723 Mobile: 0777 16 33 88
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Exercise
Fill in the blanks in the following sentences using the appropriate passive form.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
The prizes
This book
Please wait a little. You letter
Prices of many articles
Julius Casear
All vehicles entering the city
English
My car
The awards
Sigiriya
Travellers cheques
and travel agencies.
Although the accounts.
The result of the examination .
Oliver Twist
This book is out of stock. It
Space ships
Most of the worlds coffee
Coffee
Several Sinhala plays
The boy
Atomic power
Our English classes
The president
Reports and minutes
A photographic exhibition