Passive Voice

Use of Passive Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action. Example: My bike was stolen. In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know, however, who did it. Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows: Example: A mistake was made. In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake.). Form of Passive Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular verbs) Example: A letter was written. When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following: the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle) the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped) Examples of Passive Level 2 Tense Subject Verb Object Simple Present Active: Rita writes a letter. Passive: A letter is written by Rita. Simple Past Active: Rita wrote a letter. Passive: A letter was written by Rita. Present Perfect Active: Rita has written a letter. Passive: A letter has been written by Rita. Future I Active: Rita will write a letter. Passive: A letter will be written by Rita. Hilfsverben Active: Rita can write a letter. Passive: A letter can be written by Rita. Examples of Passive Level 4 Tense Subject Verb Object Present Progressive Active: Rita is writing a letter. Passive: A letter is being written by Rita. Past Progressive Active: Rita was writing a letter. Passive: A letter was being written by Rita. Past Perfect Active: Rita had written a letter. Passive: A letter had been written by Rita. Future II Active: Rita will have written a letter. Passive: A letter will have been written by Rita. Conditional I Active: Rita would write a letter. Passive: A letter would be written by Rita. Conditional II Active: Rita would have written a letter. Passive: A letter would have been written by Rita. Passive Sentences with Two Objects Level 3 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. Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2 Active: Rita wrote a letter to me. Passive: A letter was written to me by Rita. Passive: I was written a letter by Rita. . As you can see in the examples, adding by Rita does not sound very elegant. That’s why it is usually dropped. Personal and Impersonal Passive Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb that needs an object (transitive verb) can form a personal passive. Example: They build houses. – Houses are built. Verbs without an object (intransitive verb) normally cannot form a personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the subject of the passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive verb in passive voice, you need an impersonal construction – therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive. Example: he says – it is said Impersonal Passive is not as common in English as in some other languages (e.g. German, Latin). In English, Impersonal Passive is only possible with verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know). Example: They say that women live longer than men. – It is said that women live longer than men. Although Impersonal Passive is possible here, Personal Passive is more common. Example: They say that women live longer than men. – Women are said to live longer than men. The subject of the subordinate clause (women) goes to the beginning of the sentence; the verb of perception is put into passive voice. The rest of the sentence is added using an infinitive construction with 'to' (certain auxiliary verbs and that are dropped). Sometimes the term Personal Passive is used in English lessons if the indirect object of an active sentence is to become the subject of the passive sentence. Excercises Exercises on Passive (Form) Exercise on Passive with Simple Present Level 2 Exercise on Passive with Simple Past Level 2 Exercise on Passive with Present Perfect Level 2 Exercise on Passive with Future I Level 2 Exercises on Passive (Active → Passive) Exercise on Passive with Simple Present Level 2 Exercise on Passive with Simple Past Level 2 Exercise on Passive with Present Perfect Level 2 Exercise on Passive with Future I Level 2 Exercise on Passive with Auxiliary Verbs Level 2 Mixed Exercise on Passive with Passive Level 2 Sentences with 2 Objects (Indirect Object, Personal Passive) Level 3 (neu) Sentences with 2 Objects (Direct Object) Level 3 (neu) Personal Passive (verbs of perception) Level 3 (neu) Exercise on Passive with Present Progressive Level 4 Exercise on Passive with Past Progressive Level 4 Exercise on Passive with Past Perfect Level 4 Exercise on Passive with Future II Level 4 Exercise on Passive with Conditional I Level 4 Exercise on Passive with Conditional II Level 4 Exercises on Passive (Active or Passive) Exercise on Simple Present Level 2 Exercise on Simple Past Level 2 Exercise on Present Perfect Level 2 Exercise on Future I with will Level 2 Exercise – The Statue of Liberty Level 3 (neu) Exercise – Portal Dolmen Level 3 (neu) Summary – The Fellowship of the Ring, part 2, part 3 Level 3 Grammar in Texts Show Passive Voice in „The Canterville Ghost“ Level 2 Grammar Exercise on „Washington, DC“ Level 2 Show Passive Voice in „History of Snowboarding“ Level 4 Tests on Passiv Tenses Active and Passive Level 3 Active and Passive Voice – Simple Past Tense Active sentences in the simple past tense have the following structure: Subject + past tense form of the verb + object Passive sentences in the simple past tense have the following structure: Object of the active sentence + was/were + past participle form of the verb + by + subject of the active sentence Changing an assertive sentence into the passive Active: He wrote a letter. Passive: A letter was written by him. Active: They knew it. Passive: It was known to them. Active: She sang a song. Passive: A song was sung by her. Active: He loved his friends very much. Passive: His friends were loved very much by him. Changing a negative sentence into the passive Active: She did not know anything about it. Passive: Nothing about it was known to her. Active: Nobody could discourage him from pursuing his path. Passive: He could not be discouraged from pursuing his path by anybody. Active: You did not listen to me. Passive: I was not listened to by you. Active: She did not write a story. Passive: A story was not written by her. Changing an interrogative sentence into the passive Passive forms of these sentences begin with did. If the active sentence begins with a question word, the passive sentence will also begin with a question word. If the active sentence begins with who or whose, the passive sentence will begin with by whom or by whose. If the active sentence begins with whom, the passive sentence will begin with who. Active: Did he break the window? Passive: Was the window broken by him? Active: Where could you find such fine art? Passive: Where could such fine art be found? Active: Why did you abuse your servant? Passive: Why was your servant abused by you? Active: Did anyone steal your purse? Passive: Was your purse stolen by anyone? Active: Did anyone hurt your feelings? Passive: Were your feelings hurt by anyone? Active: Did Alice invite you? Passive: Were you invited by Alice? Active: Who killed the snake? Passive: By whom was the snake killed? Active: Why did he punish you? Passive: Why were you punished by him? Active: Whom did you laugh at? Passive: Who was laughed at by you?