4350 the passive voice

VERB

OBJEC
T

Peter

wrote

a
letter

SUBJECT

BE + PAST
PARTICIPL
E

A letter
active form

was

AGENT

by
EXAMPLES

The secretary

prints

the documents

Dad
The documents

washed
are printed

the car.
(by the secretary)

My
The parents
car

have
booked
was washed

a(by
flight.
Dad).

A flight

has been
booked

(by my parents).

Sally

is drinking

a cup of tea.

A cup of tea

is being drunk

(by Sally).

Turn the sentences below into the passive.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

My father is washing the car.
John broke the window.
Jane was cutting the cake.
She would call the police.
Someone has stolen my car!

The object of the active
sentence becomes the subject
of the passive sentence



the finite form of the verb is
changed (to be + past
participle)



the subject of the active
sentence becomes the object
of the passive sentence (or is
dropped)

passive form
Present
Simple
Simple
perfectpast
Present

SUBJECT



Present
contunuous

PASSIVE
FORM

ACTIVE
FORM

When ? = when the focus is on the action
How? =


6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Our boss will sign the contract.
They didn’t let him go.
You can find her at the bar.
Will the plumber repair the shower?
Somebody hit me.
They make shoes in that factory.
People must not leave bicycles in the driveway.

They built that skyscraper in 1934.
The students will finish the course by July.
They are repairing the streets this month.
They have finished the new product design.
Did the plan interest you?
They are going to perform Beethoven's Fifth Symphony next weekend.
Someone will speak Japanese at the meeting.
Karen was preparing the refreshments.

Turn these sentences back into the active.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

The ship was sunk by a bomb.
The bed is being made by Daniel.
The church bells are rung by a group of men.
We are sent by our boss.
The war was won by the French.
The dog has been taken for a walk by Judith.
A chocolate cake was baked by Mom for my birthday party.
The situation is being discussed by the President in the meeting.
The cup was won by Jim at Sports Day.

You would have been told by them.