Passive Voice

Overview
ACTIVE PASSIVE
I saw the Academy Awards ceremony The Academy Awards was seen by
last night millions

Do you know the winners’ names? Are the winners’ names known?

The Academy give awards to the best The awards are given to the best
actors and movies actors and movies.
 Overview
The passive voice is formed by using a form of be+past participle (V3).
It is sometimes followed with a by phrase.
e.g. Hamlet was written by Shakespeare
The active voice focuses on the person who performs the action. The
passive voice focuses on the receiver of the action.
e.g. My brother is watching Stars Wars. (Active)
Stars Wars is being watched. (Passive)
When the verb is in the active voice, the subject performs the action.
When the verb is in the passive voice, the subject receives the action.
e.g. The man ate the fish. (active)
The fish was eaten (by the man). (passive)
 Overview
Passive voice can be used with different tenses
and with modals. The tense of the tense is shown
by the auxiliary. Use the past participle (V3) with
every tense.
The auxiliary verb “do, does, did” are never used in
passive voice.
An adverb can be placed between the auxiliary
verb and the main verb
e.g. The ceremony is usually held in March.
 Overview
Some verbs are not used in passive voice.
Happengo fall
live sleep become
come look die
seem work recover
be remain

These are called intransitive verbs.

 Overview

The verbs Change and Move are used in active when the action
happens by itself in a natural way.
e.g. My brother changes as he got older.
He moved to Colorado.
In passive, those verbs are used if someone causes the action to
happen.
e.g.Laws are changed as a result of the shooting.
The dead leaves were moved by the janitor.
Forms of Passive Voice
 Basic Form of Passive Voice

S + aux + V3 + (by+O)
1. The novel is being read by Charles.
s aux v3
2. I am usually invited to come to her party.
s aux v3
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 Basic Form of Passive Voice

Auxiliary verb +
Tense Example
V3
▪ Wine is made from grapes.
Present simple am, is, are + made
Many cars are made in Japan.
▪ The document is being sent right now.
Present am, is, are + being +
I am being sent to work in the London
progressive sent
office.
▪ John was invited to speak at the
conference.
Past simple was, were + invited
We were invited to Daniel and Mary’s
wedding.
▪ The dog was being washed when I got
Past was, were + being + 9 home.
 Basic Form of Passive Voice

Tense
Simple present
Active Voice
She drives a car.
“ Passive Voice
A car is driven by her.
Present Continuous She is driving a car. A car is being driven by her
Present Perfect She has driven a car A car has been driven by her.
Simple past She drove a car. A car was driven by her.
Past Continuous She was driving a car. A car was being driven by her.
Past Perfect She had driven a car. A car had been driven by her.
Modal She will drive a car. A car will be driven by her.
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 Basic Form of Passive Voice

Tense
Auxiliary verb +
“ Example
V3
▪ That start-up has been sold for $5 million.
has, have + been +
Present perfect ▪ The rights to his book have been sold for
sold
$250,000.
▪ The new manager had been hired before
John left the company.
Past perfect had + been + hired
▪ All the employees had hired before the
store opened.
▪ Criminals must be stopped before they
Modal Modal + be + stopped
11 commit crimes.
Passive with ‘GET ’
• In conversation, we sometimes use get instead of
be with the passive. We usually omit the
performer after get.
• Get is frequently used with: killed, injured,
wounded, paid, hired, fired, laid off.

e.g. Reagan was shot by John Hinckley.

- Reagan got shot on the day of the Oscars.
I was laid off by my company.
- I got laid of because production
12 was slow
Exercises
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Any questions?

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