1. USE
We use the passive voice when we are interested in the OBJECT / PROCESS, not
the performer.
We place “by + performer” at
the end of a passive voice sentence if we want to include in the passive voice sentence the
subject of the active sentence.
Examples:
“Somebody stole my bike” → “My bike was stolen”.
“Tom stole my bike” → “My bike was stolen by Tom”.
2. FORM:
TO BE + PAST PARTICIPLE (-ED/3rd
COLUMN, IRREGULAR VERBS)
THE OBJECT of the active voice sentence becomes the SUBJECT in the passive voice sentence.
Examples:
Active
|
Mary
|
buys
|
a car.
|
SIMPLE PRESENT
|
|
Passive:
|
A car
|
is
bought
|
by Mary.
|
Active:
|
Mary
|
bought
|
a car.
|
SIMPLE PAST
|
|
Passive:
|
A car
|
was
bought
|
by Mary.
|
Active:
|
Mary
|
has
bought
|
a car.
|
PRESENT PERFECT
|
|
Passive:
|
A car
|
has
been bought
|
by Mary.
|
Active:
|
Mary
|
will
buy
|
a car.
|
WILL-FUTURE
|
|
Passive:
|
A car
|
will
be bought
|
by Mary.
|
Active:
|
Mary
|
can
buy
|
a car.
|
MODALS
|
|
Passive:
|
A car
|
can
be bought
|
by Mary.
|
CONTINUOUS TENSES AND THE PASSIVE FORM
Present Continuous Passive: Is/am/are + being + past participle (The house is being painted). Past Continuous Passive: Was/were + being + past participle (The cars were being washed).Attention - Neither Future Continuous nor Perfect Continuous tenses use the Passive Voice because putting together two forms of the "be"together sounds awkward, so use simple passive forms instead.
3. PASSIVE VOICE: THE TWO GRAMMAR STRUCTURES
When verbs like believe, consider, expect, know, think, say, suppose are used in the Passive Voice, there can be structured in two ways: an impersonal option and a personal option, which is more frequent than the impersonal one.
Option 1 (Impersonal Construction): Starts with a dummy "It" + passive verb + that-clause.
It + is/was [passive verb] + that + subject + verb...
Everybody thinks that Elena is really talented at French.
It is thought (that) Elena is really talented at French. ("Se piensa...")
Option 2 (Personal Construction): Starts with the real subject + passive verb + to-infinitive.
Subject + is/was [passive verb] + to + infinitive...
Everybody thinks that Elena is really talented at French.
Elena is thought to be really talented at French. ("Se piensa que Elena...")
4. PASSIVE VOICE SENTENCES WITH
TWO OBJECTS
The INDIRECT OBJECT of the active
voice sentence can become the SUBJECT in the passive
voice sentence. Translation into Spanish: "A ... le/les..." / Active voice: "Subject + V"
I- If the active voice follows the
order “Subject + Verb + Direct Object + to Indirect Object” → Omit “to”:
“Helen offered a job to my brother Jim”
becomes
“My brother Jim was offered a job by Helen”
“Dan will give a present to Jane”
becomes
“Jane will be given a present by Dan”
II- If the indirect object of the active sentence is an
object pronoun → Transform
it into a subject pronoun:
“Mary offered a job to him” becomes “He was offered a job by Mary”
“Dan will give a present to her” becomes “She will be given a present by Dan”
5. I. THE CAUSATIVE STRUCTURE:"HAVE/GET SOMETHING DONE"
To describe situations where we want
someone else to do something for us. It highlights the task itself completed, especially when the person doing it is not even named.
- Have
something done: It is a more formal structure than “get
something done”.
- Get
something done: It is more informal and most common in spoken
English.
Examples:
I had /got my computer repaired yesterday. He will have /will get his hair cut soon.
5. II. THE ACTIVE CAUSATIVE STRUCTURE:
"HAVE SOMEONE DO SOMETHING/ GET SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING"
It highlights WHO performs the action. Differences in meaning between the use of both forms:
Have someone do something: Commission, pay, ask, arrange.
Get someone to do something: Convince, persuade.
Other variations of the active causative structure:
Make someone do something: Force, compel.
Let someone do something: Allow, permit.
Examples:
I had my brother repair my computer yesterday.
He will get his mum cut his hair soon.
The teacher made the pupils do the project.
My dad lets me go to your birthday party.
