Introduction

Active voice and passive voice refers to the form of a verb.

Active: John cooked the food last night.
Passive: The food was cooked last night.
The two structures have the same meaning but the focus is different. In the first
one, the person doing the action is the subject and in the second one, the action is
done to the subject.
The choice between active and passive depends on what we want to emphasize.
The passive is more impersonal than the active.
The person doing the action is called the agent and it can be mentioned (in a
phrase with by) or not.
Passive verb forms
A passive verb is formed according to the following structure:
verb be in the corresponding tense passive participle
The following chart shows the tenses and future forms that can be used in the
passive voice.
TENSE/FUTURE FORM ACTIVE VOICE
!resent "imple They cook the meat. The meat is cooked.
!resent #ontinuous They are cooking the
meat.
The meat is being
cooked.
!resent !erfect They have cooked the
meat.
The meat has been
cooked.
!ast "imple They cooked the meat. The meat was cooked.
!ast #ontinuous They were cooking the
meat.
The meat was being
cooked.
!ast !erfect They had cooked the
meat.
The meat had been
cooked.
$uture They will cook the meat.
They are going to cook
the meat.
The meat will be cooked.
The meat is going to be
cooked.
The passive occurs onl% with transitive verbs (verbs that have an object). &owever,
there are some transitive verbs, particularl% state verbs such as have('own), lack,
resemble, and suit('be right for) that cannot be passive.
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My friend had a sport car. (Not A sport car was had by my friend.)
That colour suits you. (Not Youre suited by that colour.)
(ut other state verbs can be passive, e.g. believe, contain, include, intend, know,
like, love, mean, need, owe, own, understand, want.
The business is owed by an American company.
These old postcards are wanted by collectors.
"ome verbs such as cost, fit, measure and weight can be either action or state
verbs. The% can be used in the passive voice when the% are action verbs.
Action and active: The decorator measured the wall.
Action and passive: The wall was measured by the decorator.
State: The wall measured three metres.
(Not Three metres was measured the wall)
In negative sentences and )uestions au*iliar% verbs are used in the same wa% as
the% are used in active sentences.
Motorists are not killed by cyclists.
The money still hasnt been found.
(not comes after the first au*iliar%)
Has the money been found
!hen was the fa" sent
(inversion of the subject and the first au*iliar%)
+odals can be used in the passive following the patterns:
modal verb be passive participle
#tamps can be bought at any post office.
Animals shouldnt be kept in cages.
Must everything be done in the last minute
modal verb have been passive participle
This play must have been written by #hakespeare.
This bill ought to have been paid weeks ago.
"ome phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs can be used in the passive.
The building was knocked down last year.
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Has the doctor been sent for
Also
#uch out$of$date practices should be done away with.
(verb adverb preposition)
The poor child is always being made fun of.
(verbal idioms with preposition)
The passive participle can be used also as an adjective.
The vase was broken by a guest.
(passive participle,e*presses an action)
There was a broken vase on the floor. (adjective)
The vase was broken. %t lay in pieces on the floor.
(adjective,e*presses a state)
The use of the passive
-rdering Information
The information in a sentence is ordered starting with the old one and finishing
with the new one, depending on the conte*t or what we want to emphasize.
The electron was discovered by Thomson.
(In this e*ample the emphasis is on the discover% of the electron and who
discovered it)
T%pical conte*ts for the passive
.In writing (especiall% in te*tboo/s and factual information).
&arge numbers of slaves were transported to the 'ew !orld.
Thousand of new (obs have been created.
.In rules, announcements and to describe procedures.
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The service is provided under a contract.
Application should be made in writing.
)assengers are requested to remain seated.
."cientific writing (to describe processes)
The mi"ture is placed in a crucible and is heated to a temperature of
*++,-. %t is then allowed to cool before it can be analysed.
.!ress 0eports
Many people were killed in the accident.
The parents are suspected for their children disappearance.
.&eadlines, advertisements, notices, etc.
./''/0Y ASSES!A"E#
T1A0/ A21//M/'T $%&'E!
)/T13& -34)3'# A((E)"E#
Note: 1o not overuse the passive. 2se it when fits the conte*t and st%le.
Avoiding vague words (someone, a person, one, etc) as subjects.
/lectricity is used for all kind of purposes.
(instead of )eople use electricity for all kind of purposes)
After my talk, % was asked to e"plain one of my points.
(instead of #omeone ask me to e"plain one of my points.
The form has to be signed before send it.
(instead of 3ne has to sign the form before send it.)
The agent in passive sentences
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As it was previousl% pointed out the agent can be mentioned or not. The agent is
mentioned using a phrase with by, if it is relevant information or we want to focus on
it.
5amlet was written by #hakespeare.
The submarine is powered by nuclear energy.
The window was broken by the boy who lives opposite.
-ther information can came instead of an agent.
The dark side of the moon was first seen in 6787.
)lugs should be wired correctly.
+an% times the agent is not mentioned because it is obvious, its identit% is not
/nown or we don not want to.
A new government has been elected. (obviousl% b% voters)
My car was stolen. (un/nown identit%)
Mistakes have been made. (to avoid mentioning who is responsible)
The passive with get
In collo)uial 3nglish get is often used instead of be, but its use is more limited.
2ses:
To tal/ about good or bad things happening.
&uckily, % got accepted.
4nfortunately, lots of people get killed in the streets.
!e got delayed because of the traffic.
In idiomatic e*pressions
get washed get shaved
get9un:dressed get changed9;change your clothes:
get engaged get married
get divorced get started9;start:
get caught get drunk
The passive with give, send, etc
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In the active, give can have two objects.
The nurse gave the patient a sleeping pill.
3ither of these objects can be the subject of a passive sentence.
A sleeping pill was given to the patient.
The patient was given a sleeping pill.
The choice of subject depends on what we want to emphasize. In 3nglish usuall%
the person receiving the action is chosen to be the subject.
The chairman was handed a note.
%ve been offered a (ob.
5e residents will be found new homes.
"ome verbs that can be used in this pattern are:
allow
ask
award
charge
deny
feed
find
give
grant
hand
leave9in a will)
lend
offer
owe
pay
promise
refuse
sell
send
show
teach
tell

The passive with verbs of reporting
There are two passive patterns:
.It passive verb that.clause
%t is said that oil prices are rising.
%t is thought that the stones are <.+++ years old.
%t was proposed that the industry should be privati=ed.
4erbs used with this pattern:
accept
agree
allege
announce
anticipate
argue
believe
claim
conclude
consider
decide
discover
estimate
e"pect
feel
fear
find
hold
imply
intend
know
note
notice
observe
propose
reali=e
recogni=e
recommen
d
report
say
see
show
state
suggest
think
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assume envisage hope predict reveal
rumour
understand
."ubject passive verb to.infinitive
The stones are thought to be <.+++ years old
The witness is e*pected to arrive soon.
The film was felt to lack e"citement.
4erbs used with this pattern:
allege
assume
believe
claim
consider
declare
discover
estimate
e"pect
feel
find
intend
know
mean
observe
presume
prove
report
reveal
rumour
say
see
show
state
suppose
think
understand
5otes:
.The to.infinitive can also be continuous, perfect or passive.
The army was reported to be crossing the frontier.
The prisoner is known to having behaved violently in the past.
The disease was thought to be spread by mos>uitoes.
Also Twelve people are believed to have been killed in the accident.
(perfect and passive)
.6e can use the subject there with to be.
There is considered to be no chance of the bill becoming law.
.The passive verb can have a modal.
The company can hardly be said to be prospering.
The rumour must be assumed to be false.
In both patterns, the agent can be included ne*t to the verb it relates to.
%t was reported by -'' that the army was crossing the frontier.
The film was felt by audiences to lack e"citement.
Passive verb + to-infinitive or present participle
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"ome particular patterns have a passive e)uivalent.
.verb object to.infinitive
Active: )olice advise drivers to use an alternative route.
Passive: 0rivers are advised to use an alternative route.
This passive pattern is used with verbs such as tell, ask, persuade, warn, advise,
force and allow.
5otes:
.In the passive alwa%s use a to$infinitive even if in the active it is without to (this happens with make
and verbs of perception such as see).
Active: The terrorists made the hostages lie down.
Passive: The hostages were made to lie down.
Active: The detective saw the woman put the jewellery in her bag.
Passive: The woman was seen to put the (ewellry in her bag.
.6e can use let in the active but not in the passive voice. Allowed is used instead.
Active: They let the hostages rest. ? They allowed the hostages to rest.
Passive: The hostages are allowed to rest.
.verb object present particle
Active: The detective saw the woman putting the (ewellery in her bag.
Passive: The woman was seen putting the (ewellery in her bag.
This passive pattern can be used with verbs of perception such as see and some
other verbs li/e catch, discover, find, keep, leave, lose, spend, and waste.
The causative
The causative is formed with have?get @ ob(ect @ past participle.
(5ave is neutral and get is more informal. (oth are used in (ritain and in 2")
!e have our house decorated every year.
%m going to have my hair cut.
%ve (ust had+got my car repaired.
This pattern means 7cause something to be done8 or that %ou arranged for someone
to do something. It is mainl% used to tal/ about professional services.
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5otes:
.9et can also used informall% to tal/ about something we do ourselves.
% must get my homework done. (' I must do m% homewor/)
!e finally got everything packed into suitcases. (' 6e pac/ed the suitcases)
.This pattern is used to tal/ about something unpleasant that has happened.
!e had a window broken in the storm.
My sister has had some money stolen.
The passive to-infinitive and gerund
ACTIVE PASSIVE
To.infinitive to coo/ to be coo/ed
% e"pect to be invited to
the wedding.
!erfect to.infinitive to have coo/ed to have been coo/ed
The fire seems to have
been caused by an
electrical fault.
9erund coo/ing being coo/ed
$eing searched by
customs officers is
unpleasant.
!erfect gerund having coo/ed having been coo/ed
There is no record of
any message having
been sent.
5ote: "ometimes get can be used instead of be.
% donAt e"pect to get invited.
Active forms with a passive meaning
After need or want ('need) the active gerund can have a passive meaning.
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The room needs decorating. (The room needs to be decorated.)
The bike wants cleaning. (The bi/e needs to be cleaned.)
5otes:
.The passive gerund cannot be used.
Not The room needs being decorated.
.6ant meaning 7need8 is informal.
To.infinitive can be used to tal/ about jobs we have to do.
!e had the living$room to decorate.
%ve got some homework to do.
6hen the subject of the sentence is the agent, the active infinitive is used. (ut if the
subject is not the agent, then the passive infinitive is used.
The living$room had to be decorated.
The home work is to be done by tomorrow.
After the subject there, both infinitives can be used.
There were several rooms to decorate ? to be decorated.
To tal/ about leisure activities, the active infinitive is normall% used and also after an
adjective.
There are lots of e"citing things to do.
This machine isnt safe to use.
The piano is too heavy to move.
If the agent is mentioned, the passive infinitive is used.
The piano is too heavy to be moved by one person.
A few verbs can be used in the active form with a passive meaning.
5er latest record is selling in huge numbers. ('It is being sold:)
This sweater washes all right in warm water. ('It can be washed:)
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