PASSIVE VOICE IN ENGLISH

PASSIVE VOICE
Active: S + V + O
Passive: S + Be + PP(
V
3
ed
) + by + O
(
tense
)
EX: My father planted this tree last year.
This tree was planted by my father last
year.
TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE

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.
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.
TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES
IN PASSIVE VOICE

The Present Perfect Tense
Active: S + Has/Have + V
3
ed + 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 + V
2
ed + O
Passive: S + wa

s/were
+ PP + by + O
EX: He gave Tom a book.
A book wa
s 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 + wa
s/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 + V
3
ed + 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 + V
3

ed + 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.
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.