Passive Active Voice

University of Sciences and Technology of Oran Mohamed Boudiaf

Faculty of Physics
Department of Basic Education in Physics
Common curriculum in Sciences and Technology (ST)
Course of English 2

Active and Passive voice

Active and passive sentences usually have the same meaning but the focus is different. In the active
voice the subject performs the action expressed and the focus is on the agent that does the action.
Adam cleaned the kitchen.

SUBJECT ACTION OBJECT
In the passive voice the subject receives the action expressed in the verb. The object of the active
sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. We use a passive verb to say what happens to
the subject. The focus of the sentence is on the subject that receives the action.
The passive verb is formed by the verb to be (are, were, have been, being…) + the past participle
of the verb (for more information see the table in the chapter “Formation of the passive form”).
The kitchen was cleaned by Adam

SUBJECT ACTION OBJECT
The person who makes the action is introduced by the preposition by in the passive sentence. But in
some cases the subject of the passive sentence is omitted, this happens when who or what causes the
action is unknown or unimportant. Look at the examples:
Active Passive
Mary bought a book. A book was bought by Mary.
A thief stole my car. My car was stolen (by a thief).
I read the message. The message is read (by me).
Someone has opened the window. The window has been opened.
They are building a house. A house is being built.
They are building three houses. Three houses are being built.
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Look at the position of the different parts of the sentence:
ACTIVE: Alan wrote a letter to me.

PASSIVE: A letter was written to me by Alan.
ACTIVE: My colleague has just told me the news.

PASSIVE: I have just been told the news by my colleague.
ACTIVE: Someone showed him how to use the mobile phone.

PASSIVE: He was shown how to use the mobile phone.
No one and nobody
ACTIVE: Nobody understands her.

PASSIVE: She is never understood.
She has never been understood.
ACTIVE: No one ever says a word.
PASSIVE: A word is never said.
Formation of the passive form
Active Passive
present simple am/are/is + past participle The
homework is done (by her).
She does the homework.
past simple was/were + past participle The

He did the homework. homework was done (by him).
present continuous She is am/are/is + being + past participle The

doing the homework. homework is being done (by her).
past continuous was/were + being + past participle The

homework was being done (by him).
He was doing the homework.
present perfect have/has + been + past participle The

homework has been done (by her).
She has done the homework.
past perfect had + been + past participle

He had done the homework. The homework had been done (by him).
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Future (will) will + been + past participle The
homework will be done (by her).
She will do the homework.
Future (going to) am/are/is going to + be + past participle The

He is going to do the homework. homework is going to be done (by him).
Infinitive to be + past participle

She wants to do the homework. She wants the homework to be done (by her).
Modal modal + be + past participle The

homework can be done (by him).
He can do the homework.
Gerund being + past participle The

They are building the house. house is being built.
Present Conditional get +past participle

When I have time, I do the filing. When I have time, the filing gets done.
Intransitive and stative verbs

Intransitive verbs are verbs that have a subject but don’t have an object. Ex: run,
fall, die, sleep, arrive
Stative verbs are verbs that show a state, quality or description of the subject. These verbs are related
to a state (a situation which doesn’t change) and not to an action.
Eg: be, feel, see, have, like, belong, need, love, like, think, believe, want, understand…
Intransitive and stative verbs cannot be used in the passive forms.
Ex: I love swimming. (NOT Swimming is loved by me)

We have a cat. (NOT A cat is had by us)
Use of passive form
The active form is used more often than the passive because it is clearer to understand who does the
action and because you use fewer words to convey the same message. You should use the passive
form:
• when the agent performing the action is not known. For example:
All flights were cancelled due to terrible weather conditions.
• when you want to focus more on the object rather than the subject. For example:
The president was killed in 1998.
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Passive Active Voice

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University of Sciences and Technology of Oran Mohamed Boudiaf

Active and Passive voice

Adam cleaned the kitchen.

The kitchen was cleaned by Adam

ACTIVE: Alan wrote a letter to me.

ACTIVE: My colleague has just told me the news.

ACTIVE: Someone showed him how to use the mobile phone.

No one and nobody

ACTIVE: Nobody understands her.

Formation of the passive form

past simple was/were + past participle The

present continuous She is am/are/is + being + past participle The

past continuous was/were + being + past participle The

present perfect have/has + been + past participle The

past perfect had + been + past participle

Future (going to) am/are/is going to + be + past participle The

Infinitive to be + past participle

Modal modal + be + past participle The

Gerund being + past participle The

Present Conditional get +past participle

Intransitive and stative verbs

Intransitive and stative verbs cannot be used in the passive forms.

Ex: I love swimming. (NOT Swimming is loved by me)

Use of passive form

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