PDF - Passive Voice 1

Saturday’s group
Data and information were collected by: Grigahcine Amani
Title Lesson: passive voice
when is the passive voice used:

Definition: the passive voice is used to indicate that the grammatical subject of the verb is the
recipients (not the source) of the action denoted by the verb.in simple words, the passive voice is
used in English when it is more convenient or interesting to stress the thing done than the doer of
it, or when the doer is unknown.
what does a “voice “grammatically mean?

In grammar, “Voice” means the form of verb by which the relation of the subject to the action
implied is indicated. In other words, voice is the form of the verb which indicates whether the
subject does the work or something has been done to it.
when do we use the active voice: we use the active voice when our subject is the one performing
the action described by the verb, and you want to draw attention to it as an essential component
of the sentence.
info:
active sentence: when the subject of a sentence is the doer or actor, the verb is in the Active
Voice. It is so because the subject is active.
passive sentence: When the subject of a sentence is acted upon, the verb is in Active Voice. It is
so because the subject is passive.
Example:
active voice in the present simple: I do the work
passive voice: the work is done by me
how to build the structure of a passive voice sentence: general rules of voice
change:
1- The object of the verb in the Active Voice becomes the subject of the verb in the passive
voice.
2- The subject of the verb in the Active voice becomes the object in the passive voice.
(generally preceded by the preposition „by‟)
3- The main verb is changed into the Past Participle form and it is preceded by the correct form
of the verb „to be‟ in passive voice
info: There are some transitive verbs with two objects. In such cases either of the objects
can be changed into the subject and the other is retained as an object. The object is called
retained Object.
o what is a retained object: some transitive verbs take two objects in the active voice. in the
passive, one of them becomes the subject, however the other is retained as object and is
called the retained object.
“her” is our indirect object: “The job” is our direct object:
indirect object is a noun or a pronoun direct object is a noun or a pronoun that
that receives the action from direct receives the action from the subject
object.
example:
active voice (past simple tense): The previous manager gave her the job
subject tran. verb
passive voice option 1: she was given the job by the previous manager.
-The job is the retained object, for that it does not change, it continues to be an object
-her; is the indirect object which becomes the subject
passive voice option 2: the job was given to her by the previous manager.
when the direct object “the job “becomes the passive subject the preposition “to “is usually
added in front of the direct object “ her “ which continues to be as an retained object .
o finding the direct object: we ask “the previous manager gave what? “
= the job = direct object (receives the action from the subject)
for a sentence to have an indirect object it must have a direct object.
o finding the indirect object: find the direct object and then work out where it’s going by asking
“to whom, for whom, for what “= her = indirect object
Formula of passive voice structure
- present simple: is / was + past participle of the main verb

- present continues: is / are being + P.P
- past simple: was/were + P.P
- past continues: was/were being +P.P
- present perfect: has / have been + P.P
- past perfect: had been + P.P
- future simple: will be + P.P
- future continues: will being + P.P
Diverse types of sentences
A- assertive sentence:
An assertive sentence is a sentence that states a fact. Such sentences are simple statements. They
state, assert, or declare something. They are also called declarative sentences.
o Some examples of Voice Change of Assertive Sentences:
- I do the work (AV) = The work is done by me. (PV)
- Rofaida helped the old man = The old man was helped by Rofaida.
- Manel is playing cricket = Cricket is being played by Manel
- Mouna had seen a picture. A picture had been seen by Mouna.
- Amine will play football = Football will be played by Amine
B- imperative sentence: an imperative sentence is when you give an order, make a request,
and give an advice
rule 1when it’s expressing an order:
If the verb in the Active voice expresses an order ,the word „let‟ is usually placed at the
beginning of the Passive voice and “ be” verb is placed before the past participle of the main
verb.
example:
- shut the door (AV) = let the door be shut (PV)
- tell him to go (AV) = let him be told to go (PV)
rule 2 when it’s expressing a request:

If the sentence begins with „please‟ in Active voice, „you are requested to‟ is used in the
passive voice. In such cases an Intransitive verb may also be changed into Passive with „you are
requested to
example:
- please do not smoke (AV) = you are requested not to smoke (PV)
- please go there (AV) = you requested to go there (PV)
rule 3. Another form of the Passive is with the verb „should‟ and „be‟when it’s an advice
example following by the past participle form of the main verb
- obey your parents = your parents should be obeyed
- keep your word - your word should be kept
C- interrogative sentence: is a sentence that asks a question

rule 1:
If the interrogative sentence begins with the Auxiliary verb „Do‟, the process of changing is
convenient by changing it into Assertive first and then into Interrogative.
example1:
- interrogative. (AV): do you see the bird?

- assertive (AV): you see the bird.
- assertive (PV): the bird is seen by you
- interrogative (PV): is the bird seen by you?
example2:
- interrogative. (AV): did you see the man?
- assertive (AV): you saw the man
- assertive (PV): the man was seen by you
- interrogative (PV): was the man see by you
rule 2: If the interrogative sentence does not begin with „do‟, however it begins with a
WH-word, it can be directly changed into passive ( to be + P.P)
example:
- active: who taught you English?
- passive: by whom were you taught English
- active: which book do you want?
- passive: which book is wanted by you?
The passive with “get”

In informal English, “get” is sometimes used instead of “be” to form the passive.
- My bicycle got stolen last night.
- My bicycle was stolen last night.
The impersonal passive The impersonal passive is used with reporting verbs such
as allege, believe, claim, consider, estimate expect, know, report, say,think,understand
, etc. It reports what an unspecified group of people say or believe.
o The impersonal passive has two forms:

it + be + past participle + (that) + subject + verb:
example:
- It is estimated that millions of people visit the site every year.
- It is reported that mosquitoes transmit the disease.
someone/something + be + past participle + infinitive:

example:
Millions of people are estimated to visit the site every year.
Mosquitoes are reported to transmit the disease.
example: it + passive verb + that

- Some people think he stole the money
- it is thought that he stole the money
Another form of voice is quasi-passive voice:
What is Quasi-passive voice? : a quasi-passive voice is active in form but passive in sense.
example:
Honey tastes sweet.: Honey is sweet when it is tasted.
The rose smells sweet. The rose is sweet when it is smelt.
when do we use passive voice: passive voice is mainly used:

1. when the action or the result of the action is more important than the person or thing that
performs it.
2. when the agent is unknown or obvious
passive with an agent:
in a passive sentence the agent, or doer of the action, is very often not mentioned.
o when the agent is mentioned it is preceded by the preposition “by” .

We use the preposition by to introduce the doer or the agent of the action.
this structure is used when the agent is important and mentioned:
example:
- a flood destroyed the community in 1862
- (PV) The community was destroyed by a flood in 1862.
o When the subject of the passive clause is not the real agent of the verb, we use other
prepositions in passive structures:
examples:
- I’d been decorating the bedroom and I was covered in paint. (Paint isn’t the real
agent; I am the agent; I was painting.)
o When the doer or agent of the action is an instrument, we use the preposition with:
example:
- (AV) a hammer smashed open the door
- (PV) The door was smashed open with a hammer.
passive without an agent: passive structures without an agent are very common.
o We use these structures when an agent is not important, or is unknown or obscure :

example:
- The data was analysed and the results have just been published.
= it is unknow by whom the data was analyzed, for that our agent is not
mentioned.
o when we want to make a statement impersonal:
what we mean by impersonal is the usage of “It” and “there” impersonal construction
We often use an impersonal expression with it or there when the agent is not important:
example:
-It was decided to charge £10 per ticket.
-There were no comments given about the proposal and no decisions made.
= (No comments were given and no decisions were made).

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Saturday’s group

Data and information were collected by: Grigahcine Amani

Title Lesson: passive voice

when is the passive voice used:

what does a “voice “grammatically mean?

Formula of passive voice structure

- present simple: is / was + past participle of the main verb

Diverse types of sentences

- tell him to go (AV) = let him be told to go (PV)

rule 2 when it’s expressing a request:

- please go there (AV) = you requested to go there (PV)

C- interrogative sentence: is a sentence that asks a question

- interrogative. (AV): do you see the bird?

The passive with “get”

o The impersonal passive has two forms:

- It is reported that mosquitoes transmit the disease.

someone/something + be + past participle + infinitive:

Mosquitoes are reported to transmit the disease.

example: it + passive verb + that

when do we use passive voice: passive voice is mainly used:

o when the agent is mentioned it is preceded by the preposition “by” .

o We use these structures when an agent is not important, or is unknown or obscure :

-It was decided to charge £10 per ticket.

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