Passive Voice

What is passive voice?

Passive voice (παθητική φωνή) χρησιμοποιείται για να δώσουμε έμφαση σε αυτό που γίνεται. Στα ελληνικά τα
ρήματα της παθητικής φωνής μεταφράζονται ως καθαρίζεται, πλένεται, χρειάζεται, βλέπεται κλπ.

The car is washed by John everyday. The walls were painted by my brother.
Το αυτοκίνητο πλένεται από τον Τζον κάθε μέρα. (Οι τοίχοι βάφτηκαν από τον αδερφό μου.)
 Σχηματισμός παθητικής
υποκείμενο ρήμα αντικείμενο

Active voice : Joanna waters the flowers everyday. (Present Simple)

Passive voice : The flowers are watered by Joanna everyday.

Υποκείμενο + be + past participle (3η στήλη ή –ed) + by + αντικείμενο

 Από ενεργητική σε παθητική φωνή
The kids play video games everyday.

υποκείμενο ρήμα αντικείμενο

ΒΗΜΑ 1 Εντοπίζουμε το αντικείμενο και το

βάζουμε στην αρχή της πρότασης. Video games …

ΒΗΜΑ 2 Κοιτάμε σε τι χρόνο είναι το ρήμα. play (είναι Present

Simple)
Ακολουθούμε το σχήμα παθητικής be  am/is/are (Past Simple)
ΒΗΜΑ 3 played (παίρνει -ed)
(Be + -ed ή 3η στήλη)

ΒΗΜΑ 4 Εντοπίζουμε το υποκείμενο και

το ενώνουμε με το by (από) Video games are played by the kids.

ΒΗΜΑ 5 Πρόσθετουμε ό,τι έχει απομείνει πριν το Video games are played by the kids
by + Tom (ή στο τέλος της πρότασης
everyday.
αν είναι χρονική έκφραση)
 Από ενεργητική σε παθητική φωνή
Tom organized a birthday party for the kids .

υποκείμενο ρήμα αντικείμενο

ΒΗΜΑ 1 Εντοπίζουμε το αντικείμενο και το

βάζουμε στην αρχή της πρότασης. A birthday party …

ΒΗΜΑ 2 Κοιτάμε σε τι χρόνο είναι το ρήμα. organized (είναι Past Simple)

Ακολουθούμε το σχήμα παθητικής Be  was/were (Past Simple)

ΒΗΜΑ 3 Organized (έχει ήδη -ed)
(Be + -ed ή 3η στήλη)

ΒΗΜΑ 4 Εντοπίζουμε το υποκείμενο και

το ενώνουμε με το by (από) A birthday party was organized by Tom.

ΒΗΜΑ 5 Πρόσθετουμε ό,τι έχει απομείνει A birthday party was organized for the
πριν το by + Tom. kids by Tom.
 Passive voice in tenses
Tense Active voice
Present Simple Tina uses the car.
Present Continuous Tina is using the car.
Past Simple Tina used the car.
Past Continuous Tina was using the car.
Present Perfect Simple Tina has used the car.
Past Perfect Simple Tina had used the car.
Future Simple Tina will use the car.
Be going to Tina is going to use the car.
Modal verbs Tina can/may use the car.
Semi-modals Tina has to use the car.
Modal Perfect Tina must have used the car.
Passive voice
The car is used by Tina.
The car is being used by Tina.
The car was used by Tina.
The car was being used by Tina.
The car has been used by Tina.
The car had been used by Tina.
The car will be used by Tina.
The car is going to be used by Tina.
The car can/may be used by Tina.
The car has to be used by Tina.
The car must have been used by Tina.
 Passive Voice
Bread was sold in the supermarket. The game has been played by John.

Bread wasn’t sold in the supermarket. The game hasn’t been played by John.

Was bread sold in the supermarket? Has the game been played by John?

Yes, it was. / No, it wasn’t. Yes, it has. / No, it hasn’t.

1. Turn the sentences into Passive Voice.

a. Tania is painting her house at the moment.

Tania’s house is being painted at the moment by her.
_________________________________________________________________________
b. Burglars have broken into several houses.
Several houses have been broken into by burglars.
_________________________________________________________________________
c. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in1876.
The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876.
_________________________________________________________________________
d. The mayor is building a new sports centre in our area.
A new sports centre is being built in our area by the
_________________________________________________________________________
mayor.
e. The thieves have stolen the jewelry from the neighbor’s house last night.
The jewelry has been stolen from the neighbor’s house by the thieves last night.
_________________________________________________________________________
f. The English teachers will write a new grammar book for the kids.
A new grammar book will be written for the kids by the English teachers.
_________________________________________________________________________
 Important points
 Στην παθητική μπορεί να παραλείπεται το άτομο που κάνει την πράξη.
A photo was taken in the garden every year (by Sarah).
My passport was stolen at the airport (by the thieves).
The work had been done quickly (by John).

 Κάποια ρήματα όπως believe, consider, know, say, expect, suppose και think ακολουθούνται από
απαρέμφατο:
Fred is expected to win the race.
Jake is known to be the best football player in town.
In ancient Grece, Zeus was believed to cause lightning.