Passive Voice

A sentence can be either in the active or passive voice. In an “active” sentence, the subject performs
the action. In a “passive” sentence, the subject receives the action.

S + be + past participle + (by agent)

S (Subject)
be (auxiliary verb (am, is, are, was, were, has been, have been, will be, etc )
past participle (Verb 3)
(by agent)

Example
- Active voice : Hurricanes destroy a great deal of property each year.
Subject present complement
- Passive voice : A great deal of property is destroyed by hurricanes each year.
Subject be past participle

 Active voice : Ronaldo kicked the ball.

S past complement
 Passive voice : The ball was kicked by Ronaldo.
S be past participle

Tense yang digunakan dalam Passive Voice

1. Simple Present Tense (S + am/is/are + V3)
 Active voice : somebody calls the president every day
 Passive voice : The president is called every day

2. Present Continuous Tense (S + am/is/are + being + V3)

 Active voice : Zahra is feeding fishes.
 Passive voice : Fishes are feeding by Zahra.

3. Present Perfect Tense (S + have/has + been + V3)

 Active voice : the other members have repealed the Amendment
 Passive voice : The Amendment has been repealed by other members

4. Simple Past Tense (S + was/were + V3)

 Active voice : Budi opened the door
 Passive voice : The door was opened by Budi.

5. Past Continuous Tense (S + was/were + being + V3)

 Active voice : Zahra was feeding fishes yesterday.
 Passive voice : Fishes were feeding by Zahra yesterday.

6. Past Perfect Tense (S + had + been + V3)

 Active voice : Ajeng had cleaned bedroom before she went jogging yesterday.
 Passive voice : Bedroom had been cleaned by Ajeng before she went jogging
yesterday.

7. Simple Future Tense (S + will/shall + be + V3)

 Active voice : The students will watch the cartoon tomorrow.
 Passive voice : The cartoon will be watched by the students tomorrow.

8. Future Continuous Tense (S + will/shall + be + being + V3)

 Active voice : The students will be studying English at 8 a.m. tomorrow.
 Passive voice : English will be being studied by the students at 8 a.m. tomorrow
9. Future Perfect Tense (S + will/shall + have+ been + V3)
 Active voice : My sister will have produced 3 novels by next year.
 Passive voice : 3 novels will have been produced by my sister by next year.

Change the sentence into Passive Voice!

1. Buffaloes are eating grass in the field
______________________________________________________
2. Old fisherman usually catches fish using nets
______________________________________________________
3. The SAR Team has evacuated victims of the volcano eruption to safer places
__________________________________________________________________
4. The students must obey school regulation without any exception
________________________________________________________
5. Cats use claws to grab food an protect them from their enemies
______________________________________________________
6. You made a poster about saving endangered animals
_________________________________________
_______
Change the sentence into Passive Voice!
7. The contents of the letter or package can be insured by the post office.
_______________________________________________________________
8. A letter information is urgently needed by the employee.
__________________________________________________
9. The room boy must be called by the guests if they need something
___________________________________________________________
10. A travellers’ cheque is being cashed by David Foster now.
__________________________________________________
11. The Crown Hotel brochure has been designed by professional art designer.
__________________________________________________________________
12. Receptionist must be contacted by the guests if they have such service complaint.
________________________________________________________________________

Choose the best option! 5. The floor .... since yesterday

1. Jupiter’s four moons ... through a A. Has not swept
telescope by Galileo B. Not being swept
A. Were first viewed C. Has not been swept
B. First viewed D. Not be sweeping
C. Had been first viewed 6. The thief ... by the police at his
D. First being viewed victim’s house last night
2. “how old is the mosque?” A. Is caught
“Well, it .... in 1870 B. Had been caught
A. Built C. Caught
B. Was built D. Was caught
C. Had built 7. The proposal ... discussed when I
D. Had been built called the office this morning.
3. The author had died before his A. Was being
book ... B. Been
A. Has been published C. Being
B. Was published D. Have been
C. Had been published 8. Nothing ... since we left
D. Would be published A. Has been changed
4. A wooden bridge .... here next month B. Is changed
A. Is going to build C. Will be changed
B. Will be building D. Was changed
C. Is built 9. I saw him stealing money.
D. Will be built A. I saw him to be stolen
B. He was seen stealing money
 C. The money was stolen and I saw
him
D. I was seen to steal money
10. Father cut the trees
The passive form is ...
A. The trees are to be cut
B. The trees are cut
C. The trees were cut
D. The trees had been cut
11. “Why so those people panic?”
“Their semi-permanent houses ....
A. Demolish
B. Are demolished
C. To be demolished
D. Are being demolished
12. The regulation in our dormitory does
not allow dinner .... before sunset in
the fasting month
A. To serve
B. To be served
C. Is served
D. To be serving
13. The teacher would like the exercise ....
by everybody before tomorrow.
A. To be finished
B. Finished
C. Finishing
D. Already finished
14. “The boys have been told the good
news” means ....
A. The good news was told to the
boys
B. Somebody has told the boys the
good news
C. The good news has been told by
the boys
D. The boys have told the good news