PASSIVE VOICE

 

 

1.

Simple present

Active

passive

We

 

 

 

 

 

 

OB on RCTI

watched

is watched

OB on RCTI

(by us)

everyday.

everyday.

2.

Simple past

Active

passive

Rita

 

A letter

wrote

was written

a letter

by Rita

yesterday.

yesterday.

3.

Simple Future

Active

passive

My family

 

 

 

 

 

 

A villa

will rent

will be rent

a villa

by my family

for holiday.

for holiday.

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)

Agent

In a passive clause, we usually use a phrase beginning with by if we want to mention the agent – the person or thing that does the action, or that causes what happens.

Examples:

My mother   makes   sandwich every morning.

Subject     verb1+s/es      O            C (adv. of time)

 

Sandwich is made  by my mother every morning.

Subject     to be+V3      Agent               C (adv. of time)

present continuous : [ S + to be + being +V3 (past participle)

present perfect: [ S + has/have + been + V3 (past participle)

present continuous

Active

Passive

A young boy is catching a butterfly.

A butterfly is being caught by a young boy.

present perfect

Active

Passive

Yano has returned the book to the library.

The book has been returned to the library by Yano.

If you want to change an active sentence which has two objects into its passive forms, there are two ways:

  1. 1. Make its indirect object into the subject of the passive sentence.

  2. 2. Make its direct object into the subject of the passive sentence.

Examples:

Active:

John  is giving  his girl-friend a bunch of flower.

indirect object      direct object

Passive:

The indirect object as the subject

John’s girl-friend     is being given         a bunch of flower.

Passive:

The direct object as the subject

A bunch of flower    is being given to John’s girl-friend.