PASSIVE VOICE

FUNCTIONS OF THE PASSIVE VOICE

The passive voice is used to show interest in the person or object that experiences an action rather
than the person or object that performs the action. In other words, the most important thing or
person becomes the subject of the sentence.

EXAMPLES
 The passive voice is used frequently. (= we are interested in the passive voice, not in who
uses it.)
 The house was built in 1654. (= we are interested in the house, not in who built it.)
 The road is being repaired. (= we are interested in the road, not in the people who are
doing the repairs.)

Sometimes we use the passive voice because we don't know or do not want to express who
performed the action.

EXAMPLES
 I noticed that a window had been left open.
 Every year thousands of people are killed on our roads.
 All the cookies have been eaten.
 My car has been stolen!

The passive voice is often used in formal texts. Switching to the active voice will make your writing
clearer and easier to read.

Passive Active

A great deal of meaning is conveyed by a few well-chosen words. A few well-chosen words convey 

Our planet is wrapped in a mass of gases. A mass of gases wrap around our

Waste materials are disposed of in a variety of ways. The city disposes of waste materia

If we want to say who or what performs the action while using the passive voice, we use the
preposition by. When we know who performed the action and are interested in him, it is always
better to switch to the active voice instead.
Passive Active

"A Hard Day's Night" was written by the Beatles. The Beatles wrote "A Hard Day

The movie ET was directed by Spielberg. Spielberg directed the movie ET

This house was built by my father. My father built this house.

Read more about the passive voice and active equivalents for all English verb tenses.

FORMING THE PASSIVE VOICE

The passive voice in English is composed of two elements:
the appropriate form of the verb 'to be' + past participle

Affirmative Negative Interrogative Nega

The house was built in 1899. The house wasn't built in 1899. Was the house built in 1899? Was

These houses were built in These houses weren't built in Were these houses built in Were
1899. 1899. 1899? 1899

TO CLEAN, PASSIVE VOICE

Subject + to be (conjugated) + past participle + rest of se

Simple present

The house is cleaned every day.

Present continuous

The house is being cleaned at the mom

Subject + to be (conjugated) + past participle + rest of se

Simple past

The house was cleaned yesterday.

Past continuous

The house was being cleaned last week.

Present perfect

The house has been cleaned since you le

Past perfect

The house had been cleaned before they

Future

The house will be cleaned next week.

Future continuous

The house will be being cleaned tomorrow.

Present conditional

The house would be cleaned if they had

Subject + to be (conjugated) + past participle + rest of se

Past conditional

The house would have been cleaned if it had bee

Inifinitive

The house must be cleaned before we a

PASSIVE VOICE WITH INFINITIVES

The infinitive passive voice is used after modal verbs and other most verbs normally followed by an
infinitive.

EXAMPLES
 You have to be tested on your English grammar.
 John might be promoted next year.
 She wants to be invited to the party.
 I expect to be surprised on my birthday.
 You may be disappointed.

PASSIVE VOICE WITH GERUNDS

Gerunds are used after prepositions and verbs normally followed by a gerund.

EXAMPLES
 I remember being taught to drive.
 The children are excited about being taken to the zoo.
 The children are excited to be taken to the zoo.
 Most film stars hate being interviewed.
 Most film stars hate to be interviewed.
 Poodles like to be pampered.
 Poodles like being pampered.

USING "TO BE BORN"

"To be born" is an passive form and is most commonly used in the past tense. However, in some
cases, the present or future tense is appropriate.

EXAMPLES
 I was born in 1976.
 Where were you born?
 Around 100 babies are born in this hospital every week.
 We don't know on exactly which day the baby will be born.

Sometimes the passive is formed using the verb to get or to have instead of the verb to be. A
separate page deals with these alternative ways to form the passive voice.

PRESENT PERFECT
FORMACIÓN DEL "PRESENT PERFECT"
El "present perfect" de cualquier verbo está compuesto por dos elementos: la forma apropiada del
verbo auxiliar to have  (en presente) y el "past participle" del verbo principal. La forma del "past
participle" de un verbo regular es raíz+ed, e.g. played, arrived, looked. En cuanto a los verbos
irregulares, consulta la Tabla de verbos irregulares de la sección 'Verbos'.

Afirmativa

Sujeto to have past participle

She has visited.

Negativa

Sujeto to have + not past participle

She has not (hasn't) visited.

Interrogativa

to have sujeto past participle

Has she visited?

Interrogativa negativa

to have + not sujeto past participle

Hasn't she visited?

TO WALK, "PRESENT PERFECT"

Afirmativa Negativa Interrogativa

I have walked I haven't walked Have I walked?

You have walked You haven't walked. Have you walked?

He, she, it has walked He, she, hasn't walked Has he, she, it walk

We have walked We haven't walked Have we walked?

You have walked You haven't walked Have you walked?

They have walked They haven't walked Have they walked?

FUNCIONES DEL "PRESENT PERFECT"

El "present perfect" se emplea para señalar un vínculo entre el presente y el pasado. El tiempo en
que transcurre la acción es anterior al presente pero inespecífico y, a menudo, recae un mayor
interés sobre el resultado que sobre la propia acción.

¡CUIDADO! Puede que, en tu idioma, exista un tiempo verbal con una estructura similar pero es
probable que su significado NO sea el mismo.

EL "PRESENT PERFECT" SE UTILIZA PARA DESCRIBIR

 Una acción o situación iniciada en el pasado y que continúa en el presente. I have lived in

Bristol since 1984 (= todavía vivo allí.)
 Una acción realizada durante un periodo de tiempo aún no concluido. Shehas beento the
cinema twice this week  (= la semana todavía no ha terminado.)
 Una acción repetida en un periodo temporal inespecífico situado entre el pasado y el
presente. We have visited Portugal several times.
 Una acción que ha concluido en un pasado muy reciente, lo que se indica
mediante 'just'. I have just finished my work.
 Una acción para la cual no es importante el momento preciso en que aconteció. He has
read 'War and Peace'.  (= lo relevante es el resultado de la acción)

Nota: Cuando queremos dar o pedir información sobre cuándo, dónde o quién, empleamos el
"simple past". Consulta cómo elegir entre el "simple past" y el "present perfect".

ACCIONES INICIADAS EN EL PASADO Y QUE CONTINÚAN EN EL PRESENTE

 They haven't lived here for years.

 She has worked in the bank for five years.
 We have had the same car for ten years.
 Have you played the piano since you were a child?

CUANDO SE HACE REFERENCIA A UN PERIODO TEMPORAL INACABADO

 I have worked hard this week.

 It has rained a lot this year.
 We haven't seen her today.

ACCIONES REITERADAS EN UN PERIODO INESPECÍFICO, ENTRE EL

PASADO Y EL PRESENTE.

 They have seen that film six times

 It has happened several times already.
 She has visited them frequently.
 We have eaten at that restaurant many times.

ACCIONES CONCLUIDAS EN UN PASADO MUY RECIENTE (+JUST)

 Have you just finished work?

 I have just eaten.
 We have just seen her.
 Has he just left?
CUANDO LA DIMENSIÓN TEMPORAL NO ES RELEVANTE O CONOCIDA

 Someone has eaten  my soup!

 Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
 She's studied Japanese, Russian, and English.

Consulta cómo utilizar el "present perfect" con los términos "ever", "never", "already", y "yet" y
cómo utilizar el "present perfect" con los términos "for" y "since".

PRIMER CONDICIONAL
PRIMER
CONDICIONAL
                                                      1. INTRODUCCIÓN
Mapa del sitio

                                                    El primer condicional en inglés se utiliza para form

que es seguro o muy probable que ocurran, por ejemplo: “Si no estudias, no aproba

La estructura general que siguen las oraciones condicionales en inglés es: If + prese
embargo, existen un gran número devariaciones que se construyen de manera difere
y un ejemplo de cada una de ellas.

    2. EXPLICACIÓN Y USO DEL PRIMER CONDICIONAL

Explicación:
Se forma con if + simple present + simple future. Se emplea cuando una situación e

Uso y ejemplos:

If it rains today, I'll stay at home.

Si llueve hoy, me quedaré en casa.
If he is busy now, I will come back tomorrow.
Si está ocupado ahora, regresaré mañana.

If I have time, I'll visit my parents this afternoon. 

Si tengo tiempo, visitaré a mis padres esta tarde.

3. VARIANTES DEL PRIMER CONDICIONAL EN INGLÉS (CON EJEMP

 

 If + present simple, + will + infinitive

If you study, You will pass your exam. (Si estudias, aprobarás tu examen).
*NOTA: Es muy importante poner la coma entre las dos oraciones.
 

 Unless + present simple + won’t + infinitve

Unless you hurry up, We’ll be late. (Si no te das prisa, llegaremos tarde).
*NOTA: Se puede sustituir will por la contracción ‘ll después del sujeto.

 
 Future + if + present simple
You will be able to go out if you clean your room. (Podrás salir si limpias tu habita
She won’t out get into university unless she gets good grades. (Ella no ingresará en
buenas notas).
*NOTA: En este tipo de construcción no hay que utilizar la coma.

 IMPERATIVE: Present + if + present

Come and see us next week if you have time. (Ven y nos veremos la semana que vi
*NOTA: Se pude construir al revés: If you have time, come and see us next week.

As soon as + present simple + future

As soon as you get your exam result, call me. (En cuanto sepas los resultados, llám
*NOTA: Se puede construir la frase al revés: Call me as soon as you get your exam

 Future + when / until / before + present simple

We’ll have dinner when you get home. (Cenaremos cuando llegues a casa).
I won’t have dinner until I finish my homework. (No cenaré hasta que termine mis
I’ll have lunch before I leave. (Comeré antes de irme).
*NOTA: Se puede invertir el orden de las oraciones: When you get home, We’ll ha
homework, I won’t have dinner; Before I leave, I’ll have lunch.

CONCLUSIÓN:
La primer condicional consiste en  hablar de una condición y su consecuencia en un
otro ejemplo más claro y clasificando en tiempos verbales que utiliza la primer con

if  it is sunny,                                                        we will go ca

si hace sol,                                                                    nos iremos
                    ORACIÓN 1:     PRESENT SIMPLE                        +                     OR
SIMPLE 

La primer condicional utiliza: 1. Presente Simple

                                                              2. Presente Continuo
                                                              3. Presente del verbo To Be
y se complementa  con un verbo en Futuro Simple.