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English Grammar Online: Passive Voice

The document discusses the passive voice in English grammar. It explains that the passive voice is used when the focus is on the action rather than the subject performing the action. It provides examples of active and passive sentences. It also discusses the formation of the passive voice using different tenses. Finally, it lists exercises to practice forming passive sentences in different tenses and contexts.

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Rasika Roshan Gunarathne
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© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
198 views

English Grammar Online: Passive Voice

The document discusses the passive voice in English grammar. It explains that the passive voice is used when the focus is on the action rather than the subject performing the action. It provides examples of active and passive sentences. It also discusses the formation of the passive voice using different tenses. Finally, it lists exercises to practice forming passive sentences in different tenses and contexts.

Uploaded by

Rasika Roshan Gunarathne
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

4/9/2016

LearnEnglishPassiveVoice

EnglishGrammarOnline
thefunwaytolearnEnglish!

CramUp
Grammar
(/en/cramup/grammar)

Dictionary

aufDeutsch

(/en/dictionary)

(https://www.ego4u.de/de/cram-up/grammar/passive)

(/)CramUpGrammar(/en/cram-up/grammar)Passive
Voice

PassiveVoice

Writing(/en/cramup/writing)
Vocabulary
(/en/cramup/vocabulary)
Tests(/en/cramup/tests)
StudyTips
(/en/cramup/learning)
DailyEnglish
(/en/cram-up/dailyenglish)

ReadOn
Countries
(/en/readon/countries)
Animals/Sports

UseofPassive
Passivevoiceisusedwhenthefocusisontheaction.It
isnotimportantornotknown,however,whoorwhat
isperformingtheaction.
Example:Mybikewasstolen.

Intheexampleabove,thefocusisonthefactthatmy
bikewasstolen.Idonotknow,however,whodidit.
Sometimesastatementinpassiveismorepolitethan
activevoice,asthefollowingexampleshows:
Example:Amistakewasmade.

Inthiscase,Ifocusonthefactthatamistakewas
made,butIdonotblameanyone(e.g.Youhavemade
amistake.).

(/en/readon/animals)
Literature
(/en/readon/literature)

Business
Communication
(/en/business-

FormofPassive
Subject+finiteformofto be+PastParticiple(3rd
columnofirregularverbs(/en/cramup/grammar/irregular-verbs))

english/communication) Example:Aletterwaswritten.
Grammar
(/en/businessenglish/grammar)
Business-Info
(/en/businessenglish/infos)

Whenrewritingactivesentencesinpassivevoice,note
thefollowing:
theobjectoftheactivesentencebecomesthesubject
ofthepassivesentence
thefiniteformoftheverbischanged(to be+past
participle)

https://www.ego4u.com/en/cramup/grammar/passive

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ChillOut
Games&Riddles
(/en/chill-

LearnEnglishPassiveVoice

thesubjectoftheactivesentencebecomestheobject
ofthepassivesentence(orisdropped)

ExamplesofPassive

out/games)
E-Cards(/en/chillout/ecards)
ChatwithEgon
(/en/chillout/chat/egon-bot)

Tense
Simple

Active:

Perfect

Active:
Passive:

FutureI

Active:

on/calendar?2016)

Hilfsverben

Active:

CulturalStudies

Tense

in/cultural-studies)
in/lessons)

wrote

Aletter

waswritten

Rita

haswritten

Aletter

hasbeenwritten

Aletter

willwrite
willbewritten

Aletter

canwrite
canbewritten

ExamplesofPassive

(/en/teach Lessons(/en/teach-

iswritten

Rita

Passive:

TeachIn

Aletter

Rita

Passive:

(/en/take-

writes

Rita

Passive:

Newsletter

Verb

Rita

Passive:

SimplePast

Present

(/en/newsletter)

Active:

Present

TakeOn

Calendar2016

Subject

Present

Subject
Active:

Progressive

Passive:

Past

Rita
Aletter

Active:

Progressive

Passive:

PastPerfect

FutureII

Aletter

ConditionalI

ConditionalII

wasbeingwritten
hadwritten
hadbeenwritten

Rita

willhavewritten

Aletter

willhavebeenwritten

Rita
Aletter

Active:
Passive:

waswriting

Aletter

Active:
Passive:

isbeingwritten

Rita

Active:
Passive:

iswriting

Rita

Active:
Passive:

Verb

Rita

wouldwrite
wouldbewritten
wouldhavewritten

Aletter wouldhavebeenwritten

PassiveSentenceswithTwoObjects
Rewritinganactivesentencewithtwoobjectsin
passivevoicemeansthatoneofthetwoobjects
becomesthesubject,theotheroneremainsanobject.
Whichobjecttotransformintoasubjectdependson
whatyouwanttoputthefocuson.

Subject

Active:

Rita

Verb

Object1

Object2

wrote

aletter

tome.

Passive:

Aletter

waswritten

tome

byRita.

Passive:

waswritten

aletter

byRita.

https://www.ego4u.com/en/cramup/grammar/passive

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LearnEnglishPassiveVoice

.
Asyoucanseeintheexamples,addingby Ritadoes
notsoundveryelegant.Thatswhyitisusually
dropped.

PersonalandImpersonalPassive
Personal Passivesimplymeansthattheobjectofthe
activesentencebecomesthesubjectofthepassive
sentence.Soeveryverbthatneedsanobject
(transitiveverb)canformapersonalpassive.
Example:Theybuildhouses.Housesarebuilt.

Verbswithoutanobject(intransitiveverb)normally
cannotformapersonalpassivesentence(asthereis
noobjectthatcanbecomethesubjectofthepassive
sentence).Ifyouwanttouseanintransitiveverbin
passivevoice,youneedanimpersonalconstruction
thereforethispassiveiscalledImpersonal Passive.
Example:hesaysitissaid

Impersonal PassiveisnotascommoninEnglishasin
someotherlanguages(e.g.German,Latin).InEnglish,
Impersonal Passiveisonlypossiblewithverbsof
perception(e.g.say,think,know).
Example:Theysaythatwomenlivelongerthanmen.Itis
saidthatwomenlivelongerthanmen.

AlthoughImpersonal Passiveispossiblehere,Personal
Passiveismorecommon.
Example:Theysaythatwomenlivelongerthanmen.
Womenaresaidtolivelongerthanmen.

Thesubjectofthesubordinateclause(women)goesto
thebeginningofthesentence;theverbofperception
isputintopassivevoice.Therestofthesentenceis
addedusinganinfinitiveconstructionwith'to'(certain
auxiliaryverbsandthataredropped).
SometimesthetermPersonal PassiveisusedinEnglish
lessonsiftheindirectobjectofanactivesentenceisto
becomethesubjectofthepassivesentence.

Exercises
ExercisesonPassive(Form)
* ExerciseonPassivewithSimplePresent(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises)
* ExerciseonPassivewithSimplePast(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?02)
* ExerciseonPassivewithPresentPerfect(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?03)
* ExerciseonPassivewithFutureI(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?04)

ExercisesonPassive(ActivePassive)
* ExerciseonPassivewithSimplePresent(/en/cramhttps://www.ego4u.com/en/cramup/grammar/passive

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up/grammar/passive/exercises?simple-present)
* ExerciseonPassivewithSimplePast(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?simple-past)
* ExerciseonPassivewithPresentPerfect(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?present-perfect)
* ExerciseonPassivewithFutureI(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?future-1)
* ExerciseonPassivewithAuxiliaryVerbs(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?05)
* MixedExerciseonPassivewithPassive(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?06)
* Sentenceswith2Objects(IndirectObject,Personal
Passive)(/en/cram-up/grammar/passive/exercises?07)
(neu)
* Sentenceswith2Objects(DirectObject)(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?08)
(neu)
* PersonalPassive(verbsofperception)(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?09)
(neu)
* ExerciseonPassivewithPresentProgressive(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?present-progressive)
* ExerciseonPassivewithPastProgressive(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?past-progressive)
* ExerciseonPassivewithPastPerfect(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?past-perfect)
* ExerciseonPassivewithFutureII(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?future-2)
* ExerciseonPassivewithConditionalI(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?conditional-1)
* ExerciseonPassivewithConditionalII(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?conditional-2)

ExercisesonPassive(ActiveorPassive)
* ExerciseonSimplePresent(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?simple-present-2)
* ExerciseonSimplePast(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?simple-past-2)
* ExerciseonPresentPerfect(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?present-perfect-2)
* ExerciseonFutureIwithwill(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?future-will-2)
* ExerciseTheStatueofLiberty(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?text01)

(neu)

* ExercisePortalDolmen(/en/cramup/grammar/passive/exercises?text02)

(neu)

* SummaryTheFellowshipoftheRing(/en/cramup/writing/summary/exercises),part2(/en/cramup/writing/summary/exercises?ex02),part3(/en/cramup/writing/summary/exercises?ex03)

GrammarinTexts
* ShowPassiveVoiceinTheCantervilleGhost(/en/readon/literature/canterville-ghost?
https://www.ego4u.com/en/cramup/grammar/passive

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LearnEnglishPassiveVoice

param=part1&mark=passive)
* GrammarExerciseonWashington,DC(/en/readon/countries/usa/tour/washington#exercises)
* ShowPassiveVoiceinHistoryofSnowboarding
(/en/read-on/animals/snowboarding?
param=&mark=simpapassiv)

TestsonPassiv
* TensesActiveandPassive(/en/cram-up/tests/hadrianswall)

Contact(/en/team-up/imprint)Aboutus(/en/team-up/about)

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