VOICE :ACTIVE &PASSIVE

Week 5
Session2
Objectives
Voices?
 Basic
Features
action
Doer of an action
Receiver of an action
When to use • Active sentences are about what people (or things) do
• When there is no direct object
the Active • passive voice sentences require direct objects

Voice • sentences without direct objects must be active.

• Examples • “That man has painted for more than 40
years.” • “For more than 40 years, has been painted by
the man.”
• (What has been painted?)
no longer makes any sense when structured in the
passive voice, so it must remain active.
Example of
active voice
Example of
passive voice
 Every active sentence has at least two parts:
• a subject + an active verb form
We normally put the subject in front of the verb:
– The Finance Director travels to America every year.
– subject +verb

Form The active verb is transitive or intransitive. After a transitive verb we put a direct
object.
• Peter took the minutes at the last meeting.
subject + transitive verb+ direct object
After an intransitive verb we can’t put a direct object. But we can put a phrase
with an adverb or preposition.
Sales are increasing
Subject+ intransitive verb
Sales are increasing rapidly
Subject+ intransitive verb +adverb
Sales are increasing in central Europe.
Subject+ intransitive verb +Prepositional Phrase
Use of Active • We use active voice when we want to place emphasis on
the subject , like the person or the thing that is performing

Voice and action or causing an action.

For example : I read an interesting story last night.
I ate my supper.
• In above examples, the subject is known and very much
clear.
• When there is no direct object
Examples
“That man has painted for more than 40 years.”
“For more than 40 years, has been painted by the man.”
(What has been painted?)
• No longer makes any sense when structured in the passive
voice
Activity • Make 10 different sentences using active form
 Use of • We use passive voice when we want to place
emphasis on the object , like the person or the
Passive Voice thing that is receiving the action. The subject
can be unknown or of no importance.
For example : An interesting storybook was read
by me last night.
• When the receiver of the action is important
Compare these examples:
The annual school exhibition will be organized
by the science teachers this year.
The science teachers will organize the annual
school exhibition this year.
Activity
• Create 10 sentences using passive form
 Voice • The passive voice is formed by using a form of the auxiliary
verb “be” (be, am, is, are, was, were, being, been) followed by

Formation the past participle of the main verb.

Active Voice Passive Voice
He loves me. I am loved.
We took our children to the circus. The children were taken to
the circus
A thief stole my money. My money was stolen.
Notice how the “be” auxiliaries change the meaning of the verbs
from action to condition or from “doing” to “being.”
• He remembers his grandmother. (“he” is doing an action:
remembering)
• His grandmother is remembered. (“she” is in a condition:
being remembered)
Formation
• The other four tense constructions that are not used in the language are the
remaining four:
• Future Progressive,
• Present Perfect Progressive,
• Past Perfect Progressive
• Future Perfect Progressive.
What if we •
• would look and sound unnatural and awkward 
The guest will be delivering the speech tomorrow. >>> The
make passive speech will be being delivered by the guest tomorrow.
• The guest has been delivering the speech for two hours. >>> The
speech has been being delivered by the guest for two hours.
• The guest had been delivering the speech for two hours. >>> The
speech had been being delivered by the guest for two hours.
• The guest will have been delivering the speech for two hours. >>> The
speech will have been being delivered by the guest for two hours.