Passive Voice
ENGLISH GRAMMAR The Passive Voice
THE PASSIVE VOICE
INTRODUCTION
The passive of an active tense is formed by putting the verb to be into the same tense as the active verb and adding the past participle of the active verb. The subject of the active verb becomes the ‘agent’ of the passive verb. The agent is very often not mentioned. When it is mentioned it is preceded by by and placed at the end of the clause.
Active: My grandfather planted this tree.
Passive: This tree was planted by my grandfather.
PASSIVE VERB TENSES
Present Simple
Past Simple
Future Simple
Present Continuous
Past Continuous
Going to
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Infinitive
Modals
1
ACTIVE VOICE
He delivers the letters.
He delivered the letters.
He will deliver the letters.
He is delivering the letters.
He was delivering the letters.
He is going to deliver the letters.
He has delivered the letters.
He had delivered the letters.
He has to deliver the letters.
He must deliver the letters.
SIMPLE
PASSIVE VOICE
The letters are delivered.
The letters were delivered.
The letters will be delivered.
The letters are being delivered.
The letters were being delivered.
The letters are going to be delivered.
The letters have been delivered.
The letters had been delivered.
The letters have to be delivered.
The letters must be delivered.
CONTINUOUS
PERFECT
+ S + am/is/are + Ptp
- S + am/is/are + not + Ptp
S + am/is/are + not +being + Ptp
S + have/has + not + been + Ptp
Am/Is/Are) + S + being + Ptp ?
Have/Has) + S + been + Ptp ?
+ S + was/were + Ptp
S + was/were + being + Ptp
S + had + been + Ptp
- S + was/were + not + Ptp
S + was/were + not + being + Ptp
S + had + not + been + Ptp
? Was/Were + S +PtpV ?
PAST
S + have/has + been + Ptp
? Am/Is/Are + S + Ptp ?
PRESENT
S + am/is/are + being + Ptp
Was/Were + S + being + Ptp?
Had + S + been + Ptp
+ S + will + be + Ptp
FUTURE
- S + will + not + be +
THE PASSIVE VOICE
INTRODUCTION
The passive of an active tense is formed by putting the verb to be into the same tense as the active verb and adding the past participle of the active verb. The subject of the active verb becomes the ‘agent’ of the passive verb. The agent is very often not mentioned. When it is mentioned it is preceded by by and placed at the end of the clause.
Active: My grandfather planted this tree.
Passive: This tree was planted by my grandfather.
PASSIVE VERB TENSES
Present Simple
Past Simple
Future Simple
Present Continuous
Past Continuous
Going to
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Infinitive
Modals
1
ACTIVE VOICE
He delivers the letters.
He delivered the letters.
He will deliver the letters.
He is delivering the letters.
He was delivering the letters.
He is going to deliver the letters.
He has delivered the letters.
He had delivered the letters.
He has to deliver the letters.
He must deliver the letters.
SIMPLE
PASSIVE VOICE
The letters are delivered.
The letters were delivered.
The letters will be delivered.
The letters are being delivered.
The letters were being delivered.
The letters are going to be delivered.
The letters have been delivered.
The letters had been delivered.
The letters have to be delivered.
The letters must be delivered.
CONTINUOUS
PERFECT
+ S + am/is/are + Ptp
- S + am/is/are + not + Ptp
S + am/is/are + not +being + Ptp
S + have/has + not + been + Ptp
Am/Is/Are) + S + being + Ptp ?
Have/Has) + S + been + Ptp ?
+ S + was/were + Ptp
S + was/were + being + Ptp
S + had + been + Ptp
- S + was/were + not + Ptp
S + was/were + not + being + Ptp
S + had + not + been + Ptp
? Was/Were + S +PtpV ?
PAST
S + have/has + been + Ptp
? Am/Is/Are + S + Ptp ?
PRESENT
S + am/is/are + being + Ptp
Was/Were + S + being + Ptp?
Had + S + been + Ptp
+ S + will + be + Ptp
FUTURE
- S + will + not + be +
Bibliography: - A. J. Thomson and A.V. Martinet, A Practical English Grammar, Oxford University Press, 1986 - V - M. Carling and S. Jervis, Grammar Time 4, Longman, 2003 - S - M. Carling, Grammar Time 6, Longman, 2003 EXERCISES