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ACTIVE & PASSIVE

VOICE
We often say things in 2 different ways:
Active
By using a word as the object of the verb
The object usually comes after the verb
To find the object, we ask what? after the verb
Passive
By using the same word as the subject
The subject usually comes before the verb
To find subject, we ask what? before the verb
Why change active to passive?
helps shift the emphasis away from who
committed the act to what actually
happened
we want to make the active object more
important (the thing)
we do not know the active subject (person)
Active sentence
Begins with the person (subject) who did
the action
Greg painted the gate just now
Greg = subject : the person who did the action
Painted = active verb
The gate just now = object : the thing that received
the action
Passive Sentence
Begins with the thing (Subject) that
receives the action of the verb.
The gate was painted by Greg just now.
The gate = subject: thing that received the action
Was painted = passive verb
By Greg just now = agent: the person who did the
action
How to change
Exchange the object to become the subject
Mum sends us to school everyday.
We are sent to school everyday by mum.
Tense of the verb must be of the same form
after changing the sentence (present ->
present, past -> past)
After changing the sentence, make sure the
verb agrees with the subject

Past Participles
Used for all perfect tenses and passive
voice
For regular verbs, normally add -ed
Finish -> finished
Learn -> learned
For irregular verbs, no rules, just require
good vocabulary and practice
Break -> broke -> broken
Eat -> ate -> eaten
Sing -> sang -> sung
How to change
Tense Active voice Passive voice
Simple present Main verb : give Am/are/is + past
participle
: am given
Simple past Main verb : gave Was/were + past
participle
: was given
Simple future will + main verb : will
give
Will be + past participle
: will be given
Present continuous Am/are/is + main verb -
ing : am giving
Am/are/is + being + past
participle : am being
given
Past continuous Was/were + main verb -
ing : were giving
Was/were + being + past
participle : were being
given
Examples:
AS : The teacher is distributing sandwiches to
the children
PS : Sandwiches are being distributed to the
children by the teachers

AS : She was writing letters
PS : Letters were being written by her
Active -> Passive with no agents
Do not know who or what did the action
The agent is not important
Obvious person or thing did the action
Focus on what happens instead of who or
what did the action
Actice -> Passive with no agents
Examples:
Active: Ali writes his essays with humour and
wit.
Passive: Alis essays are written with humour
and wit.

Passive: Janes house was burgled yesterday.
Active -> Passive, Perfect tense and
modals
When a sentence is changed from
present/past/future perfect tense from
active to passive, we have to change the
verb in these ways:
a. Present perfect: has/have + been + past
participle of verb
Active: He has encouraged the children to improve
their reading skills.
Passive: The children has been encouraged to
improve their reading skills.
Active -> Passive, Perfect tense and
modals
b. Past perfect: had + been + past participle of
verb
Active: Henrys friend Brian had told Mr. Chong about
Henrys arrival before I called him.
Passive: Mr. Chong had been told about Henrys
arrival by his friend Brian before I called him.
c. Future perfect: will have + been + past
participle of verb
Active: By next week, our teacher will have marked all
our books
Passive: By next week, oour books will have been
marked.
Active -> Passive, Perfect tense and
modals
When we change a sentence with modals
such as can, may or must, we have to change
the verb in these ways:
Can + be + past participle
May + be + past participle
Must + be + past participle
Example:
Active: Our coach Marion may cancel our class for
this weekend.
Passive: The class may be cancelled by our coach
Marion
Homework
Pg 99, Practice A
Pg 100, Practice B & C
Pg 103, Practice B
Pg 104, Practice D
Pg 107-109, Practice B, D & E

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