Prof. M. Araceli Losey León.

UNED-English-2023/2024

GRAMMAR NOTE: THE PASSIVE VOICE

A. USES (USOS)

En general, la voz pasiva se usa para hacer más hincapié en el resultado de una acción o
en la acción en sí que en el realizador de la acción. Es más frecuente en inglés que en
español (en español solemos recurrir a la pasiva refleja para su traducción) y se suele
usar en el lenguaje formal.

B. FORM (FORMA)

Se forma con “el sujeto paciente” seguido del verbo to be en el tiempo verbal
correspondiente y el participio pasado del verbo principal. Se puede añadir el agente
que realiza la acción (“complemento agente”) precedido por la preposición “by”.

Ejemplo:

Oración activa:

George repairs the car (active)

The car is repaired by George (passive)

Tanto en el manual del curso (páginas 79-86) como en el campus virtual se muestra una
tabla con las equivalencias de activa a pasiva por cada tiempo verbal.

Nos detendremos en cómo se forman present simple tense, present continuous tense,
past simple tense y past continuous tense.

1. PRESENT SIMPLE PASSIVE

a. FORM (FORMA)

is/are+past participle of the main verb.

Example:

The naval architects build ships  Ships are built by the naval architects.

2. PRESENT CONTINUOUS PASSIVE

a. FORM (FORMA)

is/are+being+ past participle of the main verb.

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 Prof. M. Araceli Losey León. UNED-English-2023/2024

Example:

The students are cleaning the flat  The flat is being cleaned by the students.

3. PAST SIMPLE PASSIVE

a. FORM (FORMA)

was/were+past participle of the main verb.

Example:

That company imported the oranges  The oranges were imported by that company.

4. PAST CONTINUOUS PASSIVE

a. FORM (FORMA)

was/were+being+past participle of the main verb.

Example:

The engineers were checking the engines  The engines were being checked by the
engineers.

5. FUTURE SIMPLE PASSIVE

a. FORM (FORMA)

will+be+past participle of the main verb.

Example:

The architects will check the plans  The plans will be checked by the architects.

6. ‘GOING TO’ PASSIVE

a. FORM (FORMA)

is/are going+to be+ past participle of the main verb.

Example:

The librarian is going to sell the antique books.  The antique books are going to be
sold by the librarian.

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 Prof. M. Araceli Losey León. UNED-English-2023/2024

A continuación, se muestra una tabla con la formación del resto de los tiempos verbales
(información extraída de la sección “Plan de trabajo” de la plataforma del curso)

FORM ACTIVE PASSIVE

PRESENT SIMPLE We grow oranges here. Oranges are grown here.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS They are washing the dishes. The dishes are being washed.
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE They have painted our house. Our house has been painted.
PAST SIMPLE He opened the window. The window was opened.
PAST CONTINUOUS We were washing the dishes. The dishes were being washed.
PAST PERFECT SIMPLE She had done the shopping. The shopping had been done.
FUTURE SIMPLE We will make the beds. The beds will be made.
FUTURE PERFECT SIMPLE She will have cleaned her room. Her room will have been cleaned.
BE GOING TO They are going to print the article. The article is going to be printed.
MODAL VERBS He can prepare the report. The report can be prepared.
SEMI-MODAL She has to hand in the form today. The form has to be handed in today.
MODAL PERFECT She should have taken the test. The test should have been taken.

Notes
1. The following tenses do not usually have a passive form: Present Perfect Continuous, Past
Perfect Continuous, Future Continuous and Future Perfect Continuous.
2. The agent is not mentioned when it is obvious, unimportant or unknown. Her baby was born last
month. Potatoes are grown here.
3. By + agent is used when it is important to know who does the action. These stamps were
collected by my grandfather.
4. When the active sentence has both a direct and indirect object, we usually begin the
passive sentence with the indirect object (the person).
We gave Jim a CD. --- Jim was given a CD. (less common: A CD was given to Jim.)

5. Don’t forget the particle with phrasal verbs in the passive.

She turned down the offer. --- The offer was turned down.

6. Some verbs (believe, consider, expect, know, say, think, suppose) are followed by the
infinitive when used in the passive.
He is considered to be an excellent doctor.

John was expected to be ready at noon. (We can also say: John was expected to have
been ready at noon.)

7. All modal verbs follow the pattern illustrated in the table above: modal verb+be+past
participle of the main verb.

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 Prof. M. Araceli Losey León. UNED-English-2023/2024

IMPERSONAL PASSIVE:

It occurs with the following verbs that introduce the sentence: say/ believe/ think/
claim/know/consider/report/mention and preceded by “people”, “somebody”,
“someone”…

Active sentence:

People report that high levels of radiation cause a disease.

Let’s transform this impersonal active sentence into two impersonal passive forms:

1) First passive formation: It is reported that high levels of radiation cause a

disease.

Pattern: It is+introductory verb+(that)+the rest of the sentence.

2) Second passive formation: High levels of radiation are reported to cause a

disease.

Pattern: Subject of the second clause (high levels of radiation)+ BE+INTRODUCTORY

VERB (are reported)TO CAUSE (because the verb is in present tense (cause))+ object (a
disease)

Rules for the verb tense of the second clause:

Present to+infinitive

Past simple  to have+past participle

Present continuous  to be+v-ing

Past continuous to have been +v-ing