Passive Voice

To emphasize the object receiving the action◦ Jim was selected for a free gift.

To emphasize the action instead of the actor◦Our car was repaired by our friend.

When the agent (doer) is unknown◦Her purse was stolen last night.

When the agent (doer) is unimportant◦Housing prices were raised again last month.

To be tactful by not naming the agent◦The remote was misplaced again!

Passive Voice

Be + Past Participle (V-ed / III-rd form)

Be Simple Continuous Perfectam/is/are am/is/are being have/has beenwas/were was/were being had been will be will have been

Passive VoiceStructure

In Continuous tenses being + Past Participle

More homes are being built this year. In Perfect tenses

have / has been + Past participle

Gifts have been given out already.

With modalsmodal + be + past participle – (by)

My sister should be told about the party.

Additional rules:

Simple tenses (be + Ved / V3)

Active

VI write it

V-ed (V2)I wrote it

will VI will write it

Passive

am/is/are + V-ed / V3

It is written

was/were + V-ed / V3

It was written

will be + V-ed / V3It will be written

Passive Voice Simple

Active Passive

I walk the dogs everyday.

Millions of people watched the series.

People will write many letters to the President.

The dogs are walked every day.

The series was watched by millions of people.

Many letters will be written to the President.

They produce toys. We sometimes buy books. They wrote the letters. We built the house ourselves. He will buy the book. I will make the breakfast. Somebody threw a shoe at him.

Continuous tenses (be + being + V-ed / V3)

Active

am/is/ are V-ingI am writing a letter

was/were V-ingI was writing a letter

will be V-ingI will be writing a letter

Passive

am/is/are + V-ed / V3A letter is being written by me

was/were + being + V-ed / V3A letter was being written by me

will be +V-ed / V3A letter will be written by me

Passive Voice Continuous

Active Passive

I am walking the dogs.

Millions of people were watching the series.

People will be writing many letters to the President.

The dogs are being walked.

The series was being watched by millions of people.

Many letters will be written to the President.

John and Mandy are cleaning the kitchen. The children are watching TV now. They are swapping pictures.  He is writing a letter now. Somebody is riding  his bike. I was reading a detective story. We were saving money for a new computer.  They were making muffins.  Someone was feeding the ducks. At nine I will be watching the news.

Perfect tenses (have+been+ Ved / V3)

Active

have/ has + V-ed / V3I have written a letter

had V-ed / V3I had written a letter

will have V-ed / V3I will have written a letter

Passive

have + been + V-ed / V3A letter has been written

had + been + V-ed / V3A letter had been written

will be + V-ed / V3A letter will have been written

Passive Voice Perfect

Active Passive

I have walked the dogs already.

Millions of people had watched the Series.

People will have written many letters to the President.

The dogs have been walked already.

The series had been watched by millions of people.

Many letters will have been written to the President.

I have already prepared supper. She hasn’t done her homework yet. I have seen that movie before. She had not met her friend. We had bought all the Christmas presents.  We had bought a house. We will have met Julie. I will have finished this book. She'll have cooked dinner.

1. Peter was called by the headmaster.2. Lots of CDs can be downloaded from the Internet. 3. We were advised not to drink fizzy drinks.4. Why haven’t we been told about your engagement?5. Portuguese is spoken in Brazil.6. The candies were taken by the boy.7. Nobody will help you with the housework.8. Essays can be sent to the teacher by email.9. Useless objects must be thrown away.10. The meeting had been cancelled when we arrived.

Rewrite these passive sentences into active ones:

1) Grandfather is telling the children a story.2) People make jam from fruit.3) They will open the new sports centre soon.4) Andrew hasn't cut the grass yet.5) Her mother woke Alice up at seven o'clock.6) The boys walk the dog every day.7) Sue asked the waiter to bring some water.8) Her parents may not believe her excuse.9) An expert has valued the painting.

Convert the sentences from active into passive voice

10) The hotel provides hot water 24 hours a day.11) A boy delivers our newspaper every morning.12) Several important art critics attended the meeting.13) A designer in Paris will make her wedding dress. 14) He likes when people give him presents.15) The company has published an interesting book.16) They invited us to a concert last Sunday.17) People gather mushrooms in autumn.

1. My father has been give the sack.2. It’s expect Peter to pass his exams.3. Nothing has been done to solve the problem by anybody.4. Will the project be tackled as soon as possible? 5. She was thought to award the Oscar.6. Susan is made help at home on Saturdays.7. Was Tom allow to go to the concert?8. The party had be organized by the Mayor.9. A meeting is hold by them every year.10. Candidates are believed to been honest.

Say if the sentences are Right or Wrong. Correct the wrong ones.

Sara Ford kidnapped / yesterday. Threatening calls made / before. Sarah seen / last / park. Same day / letter sent. Sarah released / as soon as / kidnappers given $300,000. Police informed / immediately. All areas searched / since yesterday. Nothing found / so far.