{"id":27372,"date":"2021-04-26T02:19:45","date_gmt":"2021-04-26T01:19:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplrenglish.com\/?p=27372"},"modified":"2025-02-10T20:32:39","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T19:32:39","slug":"passive-voice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplrenglish.com\/?p=27372","title":{"rendered":"Passive Voice"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Passive<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Introduction to the passive voice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We use the passive voice<\/strong> when we want to place focus on the object instead of the subject. That is, what was done is more important than who did it. For us, the person or thing affected by the doer has a priority over the doer himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Active sentence<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>\u00a0\u00a0 A shark<\/mark><\/strong>
Doer\/subject<\/td>		ate<\/mark><\/strong>
Verb (action)<\/td>		\u00a0the Prime Minister<\/mark><\/strong>
Direct object (victim)<\/td><\/tr>
Passive sentence<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/mark>The Prime Minister<\/mark><\/strong>
Direct object (victim)<\/td>		\u00a0<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0was eaten<\/mark><\/strong>
To be in the past participle<\/td>		\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0by a shark<\/mark><\/strong>.
Doer\/subject<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Transformation steps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
  1. Identification of the direct object<\/li>
  2. Identifying the verb tense.<\/li>
  3. Putting \u2018\u2019to be\u2019\u2019 in the same tense.<\/li>
  4. Putting the verb in the past participle.<\/li>
  5. Adding a by-phrase(by+subject) ,if necessary. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \u00a0 <\/mark>TENSE<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/mark> ACTIVE\u00a0 SENTENCE<\/mark><\/strong><\/td> PASSIVE\u00a0 SENTENCE<\/mark><\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
    PRESENT SIM<\/mark>PLE<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>A  shark eats the Prime Minister.<\/td>The Prime Minister is eaten<\/strong> by a shark.<\/td><\/tr>
    PRESENT CONTINUOUS<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>A  shark is eating<\/strong> the Prime Minister.<\/td>The Prime Minister is being eaten<\/strong> by a shark.<\/td><\/tr>
    PRESENT PERFECT<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>A  shark has eaten<\/strong> the Prime Minister.<\/td>The Prime Minister has been eaten<\/strong> by a shark.<\/td><\/tr>
    PAST SIMPLE<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>A  shark ate<\/strong> the Prime Minister.<\/td>The Prime Minister was eaten<\/strong> by a shark.<\/td><\/tr>
    PAST CONTINUOUS<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>A shark was eating<\/strong> the Prime Minister.<\/td>The Prime Minister was being eaten<\/strong> by a shark.<\/td><\/tr>
    PAST PERFECT<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>A shark had eaten<\/strong> the Prime Minister.<\/td>The Prime Minister had been eaten<\/strong> by a shark.<\/td><\/tr>
    FUTURE SIMPLE<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>A shark will eat<\/strong> the Prime Minister.<\/td>The Prime Minister will be eaten<\/strong> by a shark.<\/td><\/tr>
    FUTURE PERFECT<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>A shark will have eaten<\/strong> the Prime Minister.<\/td>The Prime Minister will have been eaten<\/strong> by a shark.<\/td><\/tr>
    NEAR FUTURE<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>A shark is going to eat<\/strong> the Prime Minister.<\/td>The Prime Minister is going to be eaten<\/strong> by a shark.<\/td><\/tr>
    MUST\/HAVE TO<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>A shark must\/has to eat<\/strong> the Prime Minister.<\/td>The Prime Minister must\/has to be eaten<\/strong> by a shark.<\/td><\/tr>
    CAN\/COULD<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>A shark can\/could eat<\/strong> the Prime Minister.<\/td>The Prime Minister can\/could be eaten<\/strong> by a shark.<\/td><\/tr>
    MAY\/MIGHT<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>A shark may\/might eat<\/strong> the Prime Minister.<\/td>The Prime Minister may\/might be eaten<\/strong> by a shark.<\/td><\/tr>
    SHOULD\/OUGHT TO<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>A shark should\/ought to eat<\/strong> the Prime Minister.<\/td>The Prime Minister should \/ought to be eaten<\/strong> by a shark.<\/td><\/tr>
    WOULD<\/mark><\/strong><\/td>A shark would eat<\/strong> the Prime Minister.<\/td>The Prime Minister would be eaten<\/strong> by a shark.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Remarks about the passive voice transformation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    1. Only sentences that contain a transitive verb can be transformed into a passive form. Example:<\/strong> The baby is sleeping<\/em><\/strong>. (\u2018\u2019to sleep\u2019\u2019 is an intransitive verb)<\/li>
    2. We don\u2019t add a by-phrase when\u00a0:<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n