PASSIVE VOICE

• In a passive sentence in English, the object

(or receiver of the action) in an active
sentence becomes the subject of a passive
sentence.
• Example: Bob mailed the package.
(active)
• The package was mailed by Bob. (passive)
 PASSIVE VOICE
Active: S+V+O

Passive: S + Be + PP(V3ed) + by + O
(tense)
EX: My father planted this tree last year.
This tree was planted by my father last
year.
• The sentences have the same meaning, but
the focus is different because the subject is
different.
• The “doer” of the action (subject) in an
active sentence, becomes the object of the
preposition “by” in a passive sentence.
• Ex: The package was mailed by Bob.
 TO FORM THE PASSIVE
VOICE:
• Use a form of the verb “to be”
• Plus the past participle of the main verb

• Example:
The package was mailed by Bob.
TENSE FORMS OF PASSIVE
VERBS
Simple Present:
I am surprised by that news.
Simple Past:
He was surprised by that news.
Future:
The letter will be mailed by Bob.
Present Perfect:
The letters have been mailed by Bob.
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
 The Present Perfect Tense
Active: S + Has/Have + V3ed + O

Passive: S + has/have + been +PP + by + O

EX: He has just finished a novel.
A novel has just been finished (by
him).
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
 The Simple Past Tense
Active: S + V2ed + O

Passive: S + was/were + PP + by + O
EX: He gave Tom a book.
A book was given to Tom (by him).
Tom was given a book (by him).
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
The Past Continuous Tense
Active: S + was/were + V-ing + O

Passive: S + was/were + being + PP + by + O

EX: He was writing a letter at 8.00 yesterday.
A letter was being written (by him).
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
 The Past Perfect Tense
Active: S + had + V3ed + O

Passive: S + had + been + PP + by + O

EX: He had finished his homework before
8.00 yesterday.
His homework had been finished (by
him) before 8.00 yesterday.
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
 The Simple Future Tense
Active: S + will/shall + V + O

Passive: S + will/shall + be + PP + by + O
EX: He will finish the homework.
The homework will be finished.
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
 The Future Continuous Tense
Active: S + will/shall + be + V-ing + O

Passive: S + will/shall + be + being + PP + by + O

EX: Tom will be cooking lunch at 10.00
tomorrow.
Lunch will be being cooked by Tom
at 10.00 tomorrow.
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
 The Future Perfect Tense
Active: S + will/shall + have + V3ed + O

Passive: S + will/shall + have + been + PP + by + O

EX: By the end of next week, he will have
written 10 letters to her.
By the end of next week, 10 letters will
have been written to her.
 QUESTIONS IN PASSIVE
VOICE
Because passive voice uses the verb to be, the
question form is easy. Put the verb to be
before the subject to make the interrogative.

Example:
John was surprised by the news.
Was John surprised by the news?
 NEGATIVE FORM OF
PASSIVE VERBS
Because the passive is formed using the verb
to be, the negative form is also easy. Put
not after the verb to be.

Example:
We were surprised by the news.
We were not surprised by the news.
 TRANSITIVE &
INTRANSITIVE VERBS
• A transitive verb is a verb that is followed
by an object.
Examples:
Bob mailed the letter.
The teacher corrected the papers.
Only transitive verbs can be used in the
passive voice.
• An intransitive verb is a verb that is not
followed by an object.
Examples:
An accident happened.
John came to our house.
An intransitive verb cannot be used in the
passive voice.
 THE BY PHRASE
• The by phrase is used in passive sentences
when it is important to know who
performed the action.
Example: This sweater was made by my
aunt.
It is important to know that my aunt made
the sweater..
• The by phrase may be left out if:
1) we don’t know the exact person who did
the action
2) it is not important to know who did the
action
3) it is obvious who did the action
 EXAMPLES
• 1) That sweater was made in Korea. (by
someone)
• 2) That house was built in 1940. (by the
contractor)
• 3) Rice is grown in many countries. (by
people)
 PASSIVE FORMS IN THE
PROGRESSIVE TENSES
The Simple Present Tense
Active: S + V(s/es) + O

Passive: S + am/is/are + PP + by + O
EX: He reads books every day.
Books are read (by him) every day.
 PASSIVE FORMS IN THE
PROGRESSIVE TENSES
• Present Progressive Tense:
use the present of the verb to be + being
+ past participle
Example:
(active) The secretary is copying some
letters.
(passive) The letters are being copied by the
secretary.
 TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE
 The Present Continuous Tense
Active: S + am/is/are + V-ing + O

Passive: S + am/is/are + being +PP + by + O

EX: He is writing a novel at the moment.
A novel is being written (by him) at the
moment.
• Past Progressive Tense: use the past of the
verb to be + being + past participle

Example:
(active) The secretary was typing a letter.
(passive) The letter was being typed by the
secretary.
 PASSIVE MODAL
AUXILIARIES
• Modal auxiliaries are often used in the
passive voice.
• To form the passive with modals, use:
modal + be + past participle
Example:
(active) Bob must mail the letter.
(passive) The letter must be mailed by Bob.
 MODAL VERBS (MV) IN
PASSIVE VOICE
Modal Verbs can be used in either the present or
past forms.
Active: S + MV (not) + V + O

Passive: S + MV (not) + Be + PP + by + O
EX: We can’t solve this problem.
This problem can’t be solved.
PASSIVE VOICE WITH CAUSATIVE
FORM
Active: S + Has/Have + O1 + V (BI)+ O2
S + Get + O1 + V (to-infinitive) + O2

Passive: S + Has/Have/Get + O2 + PP
EX: My father had Tom wash his car.
My father had his car washed by Tom
 OTHER INFINITIVE
COMBINATIONS IN PASSIVE
VOICE
Verbs of liking/loving/wanting/wishing + Object
+ infinitive form their passive with the passive
infinitive.
Active: S + V + O1 + to-infinitive + O2

Passive: S + V + O + To Be + PP
EX: He wants someone to take photographs.
He wants photographs to be taken.
Such verbs as “have/let/make/hear/see/watch/feel/
observe” are used in the following passive
structure:
Active: S + V + O + V (BI)
Passive: S + To Be + PP + to-Infinitive
EX: The gravity makes things drop down.
Things are made to drop down by the gravity.
Note: The verb following “let” does not bear “to”
in the passive sentence.
 OTHER INFINITIVE
COMBINATIONS IN PASSIVE
VOICE
With advise/beg/order/recommend/urge +
Indirect Object + Infinitive + Object, we have
two ways of making the passive voice.
<1>Active: S + V + O1 + to-infinitive + O2

Passive: S + To Be + PP + to-infinitive + O2
EX: He urged the Council to reduce the tax.
The Council was urged to reduce the tax.
 OTHER INFINITIVE
COMBINATIONS IN PASSIVE
VOICE
With advise/beg/order/recommend/urge +
Indirect Object + infinitive + Object, we have
two ways of making the passive voice.
<2>Active: S + V + O1 + to-infinitive + O2

Passive: S1 + V + that + S2 + should be + PP

EX: He urged the Council to reduce the tax.
He urged that the tax should be reduced.
 OTHER INFINITIVE
COMBINATIONS AFTER THE
PASSIVE VERB
After acknowledge/assume/believe/claim/
consider /estimate/feel/find/know/report/
say/think /understand …, we use the
infinitive construction.
Simple Infinitive: if the time in the infinitive
passive is the same as that of the main active
verb.
<1>Active: S1 + V1 + that + S2 + V2 + (O)

Passive: It + To Be + PP + that + S2 + V2 +
(O)
EX: People said that he was jealous of her.
It was said that he was jealous of her.
<2>Active: S1 + V1 + that + S2 + V2 + (O)

Passive: S+ To Be + PP + to + V+ (O)
EX: People said that he was jealous of her.
He was said to be jealous of her.
Perfect Infinitive: if the time in the infinitive
passive is earlier than that of the main active
verb.
<1>Active: S1 + V1 + that + S2 + V2 + (O)

Passive: It + To Be + PP + that + S2 + V2 +
(O)
EX: People say that he was jealous of her.
It is said that he was jealous of her.
<2>Active: S1 + V1 + that + S2 + V2 + (O)

Passive: S+ To Be + PP + to have + PP + (O)

EX: People say that he was jealous of her.
He is said to have been jealous of her.
 OTHER GERUND
COMBINATIONS IN PASSIVE
VOICE
With advise/insist/propose/recommend
/suggest + Gerund + Object
Active: S + V + V-ing + O

Passive: S + V + that + S + should be + PP

EX: He recommended using bullet-proof glass.
He recommended that bullet-proof glass
should be used.
 OTHER GERUND
COMBINATIONS IN PASSIVE
VOICE
Active: S + V + O + V-ing

Passive: S + V + Being + PP + by + O
EX: I remembered my father taking me to the
zoo.
I remember being taken to the zoo by my
father.
 Active: S + V + To-inf + O

Passive: S + V + To Be + PP + by + O
EX: She started to learn English 5 years ago.
English started to be learnt 5 years ago.
Active: S + V + V-ing + O

Passive: S + V + Being + PP + by + O
EX: She started learning English 5 years ago.
English started being learnt 5 years ago.
 PRACTICE
CHANGE INTO PASSIVE VOICE!
 Change into Passsive!
• Astining Tyas made distilled water for chemistry
lab.
• Febri is examining the quality of water.
• Acute infections cause elevated white blood
cells.
• The students must wash their hands before and
after laboratory work.
• Students may not remove their mask when
working with infectious specimens.