THE PASSIVE VOICEBY JOSÉ MANUEL BRITO KOCH

WHEN WE SPEAK OR WRITE, WE CAN USE ACTIVE VOICE OR PASSIVE VOICE.

IN THE ACTIVE VOICE THE MOST IMPORTANT IS WHO MAKES THE

ACTION.

PETER PAINTS THE DOOR.

PETER AS SUBJECT IS WHO MAKES THE ACTION.

IN THE PASSIVE VOICE THE MOST IMPORTANT IS THE ACTION.

THE DOOR IS PAINTED BY PETER.

TO CHANGE ACTIVES SENTENCES TO PASSIVES SENTENCES.

RULESWHEN WE MAKE PASSIVES SENTENCES, WE MUST USE THE CORRECT FORM VERB TO BE

(AM, ARE, IS, WAS, WERE…) PLUS PAST PARTICIPLE. TO FORM PAST PARTICIPLE WE

ADD “ED” TO THE INFINITIVE (REGULAR VERB). WHEN THE VERB IS IRREGULAR WE

USE THE THIRD COLUMN.

PETER PAINTS THE DOOR

PETER= SUBJECTPAINTS = VERB

THE DOOR= OBJET

FIRST WE PUT THE OBJET AS SUBJECT.

THE DOOR …………………………

THE DOOR IS…………………

SECOND WE PUT THE VERB TO BE IN THE CORRECT FORM. IN THIS EXAMPLE, THE ACTIVE VOICE IS IN PRESENT SIMPLE, WE PUT THE VERB TO BE IN

PRESENT SIMPLE TO THE PASSIVE VOICE.

THE DOOR IS PAINTED………NOW WE MUST PUT THE MAIN VERB IN PAST PARTICIPLE.

REGULARS VERBS = +ED

IRREGULARS VERBS = THIRD COLUMN

THE DOOR IS PAINTED BY PETER.

FINALLY WE CAN SAY WHO MAKES THE ACTION. BUT IT ISN’T IMPORTANT.

TO CHANGE ACTIVE VOICE TO PASSIVE VOICE WE MUST SEE THE TENSE.

NOW, WE ARE GOING TO SEE DIFFERENT FORMS.

PRESENT SIMPLE ACTIVE : PAINT(S) ------- AM/IS/ARE PAINTED

PRESENT CONTINUOUS ACTIVE : AM/IS/ARE PAINTING ------- AM/IS/ARE BEING PAINTED.

PRESENT PERFECT ACTIVE : HAVE/HAS PAINTED ------ HAVE/HAS BEEN PAINTED.

PAST SIMPLE ACTIVE : PAINTED ------- WAS/WERE PAINTED.

PAST PERFECT ACTIVE : HAD PAINTED ----- HAD BEEN PAINTED.

PAST CONTINUOUS ACTIVE : WAS/WERE PAINTING ------- WAS/WERE BEING PAINTED.

FUTURE I ACTIVE :WILL PAINT ----- WILL BE PAINTED.

FUTURE II ACTIVE : WILL HAVE PAINTED ---- WILL HAVE BEEN PAINTED.

CONDITIONAL I ACTIVE : WOULD PAINT ----- WOULD BE PAINTED.

CONDITIONAL II ACTIVE : WOULD HAVE PAINTED ---- WOULD HAVE BEEN PAINTED.

MODAL VERB ACTIVE : CAN/ MUST/NEED TO/ ETC. PAINT ----- CAN/ MUST/NEED TO/ ETC. BE PAINTED

EXAMPLES

SIMPLE PAST ACTIVE : PETER PAINTED THE DOOR --- THE DOOR WAS PAINTED BY PETER.

PAST PERFECT ACTIVE : PETER HAD PAINTED THE DOOR --- THE DOOR HAD BEEN PAINTED BY PETER.

PAST CONTINUOUS ACTIVE : PETER WAS PAINTING THE DOOR --- THE DOOR WAS BEING PAINTED BY PETER.

FUTURE I ACTIVE : PETER WILL PAINT THE DOOR --- THE DOOR WILL BE PAINTED BY PETER.

CONDITIONAL I ACTIVE : PETER WOULD PAINT THE DOOR --- THE DOOR WOULD BE PAINTED BY PETER.

MODAL VERB ACTIVE : PETER CAN PAINT THE DOOR --- THE DOOR CAN BE PAINTED BY PETER.

THE END