Passive Voice

Juan Fco Blesa
The passive sentence

ACTIVE VOICE
Robert gave a coin
Active Active Direct
Subject Verb Object
Passive Passive Agent

Subject Verb
by
PASSIVE VOICE
was given by
Structure of the sentence
 Subject:
Subject Person or object that suffered/enjoyed the
results of an action. (Persona u objeto que sufre o disfruta los resultados de
una acción.
 The verb "to be"
be in the tense the action ocurred. (El verbo
to be en el tiempo que ocurrió la acción.)
 The Past Participle of the verb that represents the
action itself. (El participio de pasado del verbo que representa la acción.)
 Whatever complements that verb needs. (Los complementos
que el verbo necesite.)
 In a few special cases we can also use by + the agent.
agent
(En algunos casos usaremos el complemento agente introducido por la preposición by)
 We can only have passive sentences from transitive
verbs, never with intransitive verbs. (Solo podemos hacer oraciones
pasivas de verbos transitivos y nunca de verbos intransitivos)
Structure of the verb
TENSES EXAMPLES
Present Simple Pigs are often used to find truffles
Present Continuous My house is being redecorated at the moment
Present Perfect I have never been given flowers on my birthday
Past Simple This picture was painted by Picasso
Past Continuous When I saw him he was being followed by the
police
Past Perfect She was angry because she had already been told
three times
Future Simple When you get there everything will be finished
Going to - Future They are not going to be easily convinced
Conditional Simple You would be punished if they found out
Conditional Perfect If you hadn’t told them would I have been invited?
THE PASSIVE VERB
to BE (in the active tense) + Past Participle (main verb)
to BE gives us the tense of the action(be en el

tiempo de la acción)
the principal verb is always in Past Participle (El verbo
principal no lo encontraremos siempre en pasado de participio)
ACTIVE PASSIVE
She wants an ice-cream An ice-cream is wanted

He sent a letter A letter was sent
We will buy a new car next week A new car will be bought
They have been cutting the grass The grass has been being cut
When do we use it?
 Highlight the action more than the subject who makes
the action.
 Resaltar la acción más que al sujeto que la realiza.
• They built this house in 1944. / This house was built in 1944.
 When the agent is unknown or we don’t want to
mention it.
 Cuando el sujeto que realiza la acción es obvio, o desconocido, o
no se lo quiere nombrar.
• Spanish "SE" :
Se venden pisos: Flats are sold
• Spanish "Ellos/as" omitted :
Le dieron un beso a Pepita: Pepita was given a kiss
When do we use it?
 To make the object of the active verb more
important
 Para hacer el objeto del verbo activo más importante.
America was discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus

 When the description of the agent is very long
 Cuando la descripción del agente es muy larga.
A charity record has been made by many famous names in

the world of pop music.
The passive sentence
ACTIVE VOICE
Robert gave a coin to Tom
Active Active Direct Indirect
Subject Verb Object Object
Passive Passive Direct Agent

Subject Verb Object
by
PASSIVE VOICE
was given by
 Si una oración tiene dos complementos, ponemos como sujeto el primer
complemento que vaya detrás del verbo en activa, sea el directo o el
indirecto.
• They will send some books to Pam / Some books will be sent to Pam.
• They will send Pam some books. / Pam will be sent some books.
 Si el complemento indirecto es un pronombre, hay que cambiarlo a la
forma de sujeto.
- She showed me her new house
- I was shown her new house.
- Esta pasiva se suele utilizar con los verbos ask, give, lend, pay, offer,
promise, sell, send, show y tell, que llevan el doble complemento: directo
e indirecto.
Examples
1/They built this house in 1466
2/ This house was built in 1466
1/ Channel islanders speak French & English

2/ French & English are spoken by Channel islanders
1/ This book will change your life

2/ Your life will be changed by this book
Examples
1/ They have cut the grass
2/ The grass has been cut
1/ My mother is going to give me a present

2/ I am going to be given a present by my mother
1/ Susan wrote an e-mail to him
1/ He was written an e-mail by Susan
More examples
1/ They can’t answer your question
2/ Your question can’t be answered
1/ Someone had to take her to hospital after this

2/ She had to be taken to hospital after the crash
1/ They shouldn’t allow the children to do these things

2/ The children shouldn’t be allowed to do these things
1/ Someone must tell him if we want him to know

2/ He must be told if we want him to know
More passive stuff
 HAVE/ GET something done: Arranging for or
paying for somebody to do something for you.
(Get is more informal).
 (Esta estructura tiene un sentido pasivo, pues
el nombre que va en medio recibe la acción HAVE + Object +
del verbo que va en participio)
Past Participle
They cut his hair
He had his hair cut
They cleaned her carpet
She got her carpet cleaned
They has mended our car.
We have had our car mended
They translated their book.
They had got their book translated
More passive stuff
 Verbs like: Believe, Think, Consider, Say, Report,
Know, Expect, Feel, Understand, Find
1. Introductory IT is used (It introductorio)
IT + passive verb + complete subordinate sentence

without changes
It is said that he started the fire.
(Se dice que el empezó el fuego)
It is thought that she doesn't live in London

(Se piensa que ella no vive en Londres)
It was known that the King is coming tomorrow

(Se sabía que el Rey viene mañana)
More passive stuff
 Verbs like: Believe, Think, Consider, Say, Report,
Know, Expect, Feel, Understand, Find
Subordinate subject + verb passive + subordinate

active verb in INFINITIVE.
It is said that he started the fire (action in the Past)

He is said to have started the fire (Infinitive Perfect)
It is thought that she doesn't live in London (Present)
She is thought to live in London (Infinitive Present)
More passive stuff
 GET is used instead of BE with passive
meaning. Informal English.
I got stuck in a traffic jam
She is getting married
 After NEED/
NEED WANT the -ing form can be used
with passive meaning
This job needs doing
That room wants cleaning

Passive Voice

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Juan Fco Blesa

The passive sentence

Passive Passive Agent

to BE gives us the tense of the action(be en el

She wants an ice-cream An ice-cream is wanted

America was discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus

A charity record has been made by many famous names in

Passive Passive Direct Agent

1/ Channel islanders speak French & English

1/ This book will change your life

1/ My mother is going to give me a present

1/ Someone had to take her to hospital after this

1/ They shouldn’t allow the children to do these things

1/ Someone must tell him if we want him to know

IT + passive verb + complete subordinate sentence

It is thought that she doesn't live in London

It was known that the King is coming tomorrow

Subordinate subject + verb passive + subordinate

It is said that he started the fire (action in the Past)

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