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DBS 2B

ACTIVE AND PASSIVEVOICE

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There are two special forms for verbscalled voice:

� 1. Active voice� 2. Passive voice

Active Voice, Passive Voice

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� The active voice is the "normal"

voice. This is the voice that we usemost of the time. You are probablyalready familiar with the active

voice. In the active voice, theobject receives the action of theverb:

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active

subject verb object

>

Cats eat fish.

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� The passive voice is less usual.

In the passive voice, thesubject receives the action ofthe verb:

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passive

subject verb object

<

Fishare

eatenby

cats.

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subjectauxiliary verb

(to be)

main verb (past

participle)

Wateris

drunkby

everyone.

100 people are employed by thiscompany.

I am paid in euro.

We are not paid in dollars.

Are they paid in yen?

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Use of the Passive Voice

� We use the passive when:� we want to make the activeobject more important

� we do not know the activesubject

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ACTIVE OR PASSIVE?

� I ate a piece of chocolate cake.� The librarian read the book to the

students.

� The money was stolen.� They are paid on Fridays.

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infinitive to be washed

simple

present It is washed.

past It was washed.

future It will be washed.

conditional It would be washed.

continuous

present It is being washed.

past It was being washed.

future It will be being washed.

conditional It would be being washed.

perfect simple

present It has been washed.

past It had been washed.

future It will have been washed.

conditional It would have been washed.

perfect continuous

present It has been being washed.

past It had been being washed.

future It will have been being washed.

conditional It would have been being washed.

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