Кыргызский Национальный Университет им.

Жусупа Баласагына
Факультет иностранных языков
Кафедра «Перевод и переводоведение (англ.)»

Mastering Passive Voice

Grammar

Выполнила: Ниязалиева Аделина ППА 3-23.5

Проверила: Венера Жумагазиевна
 REVIEW

1. What Is Passive Voice?

2. Why It Matters
3. ACTIVE vs. PASSIVE VOICE
4. Formation of Passive Voice
5. When to Use Passive Voice
6. Common Mistakes and Pitfalls
7. The Passive Voice of different Tenses
8. The Passive Voice of other structures
9. Person in object position
 Welcome to the Presentation on
Mastering Passive Voice

● In this comprehensive presentation, we will delve deep into the

concept of passive voice.

● Gain a thorough understanding of when and how to use passive

voice effectively.

● Explore real-world examples and practical exercises to enhance

your skills.

● By the end of this presentation, you'll be equipped with the

knowledge and confidence to use passive voice proficiently in
various contexts. Let's begin!
What Is Passive Voice?
- Passive voice changes how we talk about actions. Instead
of saying who does the action, we focus on what receives
the action.
- It's like talking about what happens to something, not
who does it.
- We use passive voice to make our writing clear or to
emphasize what's important.
- Passive voice is a useful tool in writing and speaking.
 Why It Matters
- Learning passive voice helps us communicate better.
- It lets us express ideas in different ways.
- Using passive voice can make our writing more precise
and easier to understand.
- This presentation will teach you how to use passive voice
effectively.
 ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE VOICE

ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE

Active Voice Example: Passive Voice Example:

"The chef bakes a cake.“ "A cake is baked by the chef.“

Active voice focuses on the Passive voice emphasizes what

doer of the action. the action happens to.

Active: "She writes a letter.“ Passive: "A letter is written by

Active: "They build houses." her."
Passive: "Houses are built by
them."
 Formation of Passive Voice
Passive voice is like changing the way we talk about actions in a
sentence. It’s not too complicated; here’s how it works:
• Step 1: Subject
Start with the thing or person that action happens to. This stays the
same from the original sentence.
• Step 2: Appropriate Form of “To Be”
Add a special word like “is,” “are,” “was,” or “were” to show when the
action happened. It’s like telling the time of the action.
• Step 3: Past Participle Verb
Change the action word a bit. Instead of “write,” use “written.” Instead of
“cook,” use “cooked.” This shows the action that was done.
• Optional Step 4: Agent
If you want, you can say who did the action by adding “by” and their
name. But you don’t always need this part.
• Example:
Original Active Sentence: “She writes a letter.”
Passive Sentence: “A letter is written by her.”
 When to Use Passive Voice
Focusing on the Action Keeping Science Fair

• Use passive voice when you want to • Scientists like passive voice because it
Rule 1 talk more about what happened than who Rule 4 keeps things fair and objective.
did it. • Example: “The data were collected
• Example: “The cake was baked carefully.”
perfectly.”

When You Don’t Know or Don’t Care

Softening Blame Who Did It
• Sometimes, you can use passive voice • If you don’t know or don’t care who did
Rule 2 to be gentle when talking about mistakes
Rule 5
something, you can use passive voice.
or problems. • Example: “The message was received.”
• Example: “Mistakes were made.”

In Formal Writing Making Writing Interesting

• In serious writing, like reports or official • Passive voice can make writing more
Rule 3 documents, passive voice sounds more Rule 6 interesting by changing sentence
proper. structure.
• Example: “The decision has been made.” • Example: “A new discovery was made.”
 Common Mistakes and Pitfalls

Pitfalls to Avoid When Using Passive Voice

Here are some common mistakes to watch out for when using passive voice:

1. Using Passive Voice Too Much

Don't use passive voice in every sentence; it can make your writing boring.

2. Making Things Unclear

Sometimes, passive voice can hide who did the action, which can confuse your readers.

3. Forgetting the Doer

While passive voice hides the doer, you should mention them when it's important.

4. Using Weak Words

Don't use weak verbs in passive voice; they make your writing less exciting.

5. Ignoring Active Voice

Active voice is often clearer and more engaging. Don't forget to use it.
 The Passive Voice of different
Tenses
Tense Active Passive

Present Simple I do it. It is done.

Past Simple I did it. It was done.

Future Simple I will do it. It will be done.

Present Continuous I am doing it. It is being done.

Past Continuous I was doing it. It was being done.

Future Continuous I will be doing it. It will be being done.

Present Perfect I have done it. It has been done.

 The Passive Voice of
different Tenses

Tense Active Passive

Past Perfect I had done it. It had been done.

Future Perfect I will have done it. It will have been done.

Present Perfect Continuous I have been doing it. X (not common)

Past Perfect Continuous I had been doing it. X (not common)

Future Perfect Continuous I will have been doing it. X (not common)
 The Passive Voice of other
structures
In structures containing the infinitive:
do ➝ be done
Active Passive
be going to‘ I am going to do It. It is going to be done.

-Have to I have to do it. It has to be done.

-Used to I used to do it. It used to be done.

-Modals (can, may etc.) I can do it. It can be done.

In expressions containing the gerund:
doing → being done
Active Passive
-Avoid I avoid seeing him. He avoids being seen.
-Don't mind I don't mind teaching her. She doesn't mind being taught.
 Person in object position

We can also formulate passive sentences with a person in the

object position.

Somebody pushed me. → I was pushed.

They have invited us. → We have been invited.

Someone was interviewing Jane. → Jane was being interviewed.

 Person in object position

Some sentences have both an object and a person in the object

position. You can choose either one to formulate the passive
sentence.

Someone handed me a note. → I was handed a note.

→ A note was handed to me.

They have sent us a copy. → We have been sent a copy.

→ A copy has been sent to us.
 RESOURCES

1. https://youtu.be/pxbQ2U3Uuv0?si=oosB8ZI79_eT2bTB

2. https://www.ef.com/wwen/english-resources/english-grammar/passive-
voice/#:~:text=The%20passive%20voice%20is%20used,the%20subject%20of%2
0the%20sentence.

3. https://englex.ru/passive-voice/

4. https://grammarway.com/ru/passive-voice

5. https://www.grammarly.com/blog/passive-voice/
THANKS!