Passive Voice

Passive Voice

A. Definition
Passive voice is a form of sentence where the subject of the sentence
receives action, not taking action. Unlike active voice that focuses on doer of
action, this form is more focused on the party or object that receives the results
of the action (receiver of action).
Conversely in active construction, the subject relates directly to the verb
by acting as the perpetrator of the action. The active sentence may be changed to
passive, especially active sentences that use transitive verb (direct object needs to
be followed).

B. Patterns
Tense Active voice Passive voice

Subject + infinitive + object S + to be + past participle

Simple Present + by object
Tense E.g. The grocer sells fresh E.g. Fresh vegetables are
vegetables. sold by the grocer.
S + to be (is, am, are) +

Subject + to be (is, am, are)
being + past participle +
being + present participle +
Present by object
object
Continuous E.g. Many assignments
E.g. My boss is giving many
Tense are being given by my
assignments.
boss.
S + have/has been + past

Subject + has/have + past
participle + by object
Present Perfect participle + object
E.g. He has been taken
Tense E.g. I have taken him out.
out by me.
S + was/were + past
Subject + past participle +
Simple Past object
E.g. A large house was
Tense E.g. He built a large house.
built by him.
S + was/were + being +
S + was/were + being + past
past participle +by object
Past Continuous participle + object
E.g. Dinner was being
Tense E.g She was cooking dinner.
cooked by her.
S + had been + past

Subject + had + past participle +
Past Perfect object
E.g. The letter had been
Tense E.g. She had posted the letter.
posted by her.
S + will + be + past
Subject + will + infinitive +
Simple Future object
E.g. A present will be
Tense E.g. I will give you a present.
given to you by me.
Subject + would + infinitive + S + would + be + past

object participle + by object
Future Perfect E.g. The doctor shall have E.g. Ten patients will
Tense examined ten patients by 10 have been examined by
O’clock. 10 O’clock by the doctor.
Passive voice for Present/Future Modals
“CAN, MAY, MIGHT, SHOULD, MUST, OUGHT TO”
Auxiliary verb in passive voice: be
Passive voice: CAN BE

Active voice: CAN
A violin can be played by her.
She can play a violin.
A violin cannot be played by her.
She cannot play a violin.
Can a violin be played by her?
Can she play a violin?
Passive voice: MAY BE

Active voice: MAY
The computer may be bought by me.
I may buy the computer.
The computer may not be bought by
I may not buy the computer.
me.
May I buy the computer?
May the computer be bought by me?
Active voice: MIGHT Passive voice: MIGHT BE
Guests might play chess. Chess might be played by guests.
Guests might not play chess. Chess might not be played guests.
Passive voice: SHOULD BE
All lessons should be studied by
Active voice: SHOULD
students.
Students should study all lessons.
All lessons should not be studied by
Students should not study all lessons.
students.
Should students study all lessons?
Should all lessons be studied by
students?
Active voice: MUST Passive voice: MUST BE
You must learn the test-taking Test-taking strategies must be learnt
strategies. by you.
You must not learn the test-taking Test-taking strategies must not be
strategies. learned by you.
Passive voice: OUGHT TO BE
Active voice: OUGHT TO
The examination ought to be taken by
They ought to take the examination.
them.
Passive voice for Past Modals
“MAY HAVE, MIGHT HAVE, SHOULD HAVE, MUST HAVE, OUGHT TO
HAVE”
The places of subject and object in sentence are inter-changed in passive voice.
3rd form of verb (past participle) will be used only (as main verb) in passive
voice.
To change sentences having past modal into passive voice, auxiliary verb
“been” is added after modal in sentence.
Passive voice for Present/Future Modals

“MAY HAVE, MIGHT HAVE, SHOULD HAVE, MUST HAVE, OUGHT
HAVE TO”
Auxiliary verb in passive voice: been
Active voice: MAY HAVE Passive voice: MAY HAVE BEEN

You may have availed the The opportunity may have been
opportunity.
You may not have availed the availed by you.
opportunity. The opportunity may not have been
availed by you.
Passive voice: MIGHT HAVE BEEN

Active voice: MIGHT HAVE
Meal might have been eaten by him.
He might have eaten meal.
Meal might not have been eaten by
He might not have eaten meal.
him.
Passive voice: SHOULD HAVE
BEEN
Active voice: SHOULD HAVE
The book should have been studied by
You should have studied the book.
you.
You should not have studied the book.
The book should have not been
studied by you.
Passive voice: MUST HAVE BEEN
Active voice: MUST HAVE
Job must have been started by you.
He must have started job.
Job must not have been started by
He must not have started job.
you.
Passive voice: OUGHT TO HAVE
Active voice: OUGHT TO HAVE
BEEN
You ought to have helped him.
He ought to have been helped by you
C. Kinds of Passive Voice

Passive voice sentences with two Objects: Rewriting an active sentence with
two objects in passive voice means that one of the two objects becomes the
subject, the other one remains an object. Which object to transform into a
subject depends on what you want to put the focus on.
Active/Passive Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2
Active: Nancy offered a flower to me.
Passive: A flower was offered to me by Nancy.
Passive: I was offered a flower by Nancy.

Impersonal Passive:
 They say that the planet is in danger.
 It is said that the planet is in danger.
This type of passive is called impersonal because we use the impersonal form "it
is..." This is only possible with verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know ...)
Examples:
 It is said that...
 It is thought that...
 It is believed that...
 It is known that...
It is also common that we start the passive form of these sentences with the
subject of the that-clause:
Examples:
 They say that the planet is in danger.= The planet is said to be in danger.
 They think that women live longer than men. = Women are thought to live
longer.
D. Exercises
Active to Passive
1. Her friend gave her a book.
A book was given to her (by her friend.)
2. They believe that he writes good poems.
It's believed that he writes good poems.
3. They will not play soccer.
Soccer will not be played.
4. My friend gave me a pen.
I was given a pen (by my friend.)
5. The guard watched the prisoner.
The prisoner was watched by the guard.
Passive to Active
6. Poems are written by the boy .
The boy writes poems.
7. The blue car was driven by the girl.
The girl drove the blue car.
8. Enough money has been collected.
They have collected enough money.
9. A new restaurant will be opened.
They will open a new restaurant.
10.Pictures can be drawn by the little boy.
The little boy can draw pictures.
Passive Voice
Name : Jonathan Abnerio Arkananta (13)

Passive Voice

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Passive Voice

Subject + infinitive + object S + to be + past participle

S + to be (is, am, are) +

S + have/has been + past

S + had been + past

Subject + would + infinitive + S + would + be + past

Passive voice for Present/Future Modals

“CAN, MAY, MIGHT, SHOULD, MUST, OUGHT TO”

Auxiliary verb in passive voice: be

Passive voice: CAN BE

Passive voice: MAY BE

Passive voice for Present/Future Modals

Auxiliary verb in passive voice: been

Active voice: MAY HAVE Passive voice: MAY HAVE BEEN

Passive voice: MIGHT HAVE BEEN

C. Kinds of Passive Voice

Active/Passive Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2

Active: Nancy offered a flower to me.

Passive: A flower was offered to me by Nancy.

Passive: I was offered a flower by Nancy.

Name : Jonathan Abnerio Arkananta (13)

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