Transcript The Passive Voice

The Passive
Voice
Use
When we don’t know who or what is responsible for the
action
e.g. My car was stolen two weeks ago.
 When people in general are the agents and we report what
they think, say or believe.
e.g. It is said that the house on the hill is haunted.
 When we want to distance ourselves from our actions
e.g. Mother to child: If you don’t get good grades, you will be
grounded.

Tenses

Present simple
e.g. This dress is made in Spain.

Present simple continuous
e.g. The children are being punished right now.

Form: to be + past
participle of the verb
(+ by + agent)
Past simple
e.g. The vase was broken yesterday.

Present perfect
e.g. The construction of the bridge has been
finished.

Past perfect
e.g. The walls had been painted by 8 o’clock.

Future simple
e.g. You will be shown in immediately.

Modal verbs
e.g. On your right, a Roman statue can be seen.
Verbs with two objects
With verbs that often have two objects either can become the
subject of a passive sentence.
IO
DO
e.g. I gave Lucy a nice present.
Lucy was given a nice present (by me).
A nice present was given to Lucy.
Verbs with two objects: give, offer, owe, tell, send, teach, etc.
Impersonal it


It refers to the opinion of people in general.
It is used with: think, say, believe, know.
e.g. Back then, it was thought that the world was flat.
It is now known that the world is round.