Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Form of Passive
Aktive
Passive
Mr Smith writes the delivery
The delivery notes are written (by Mr
Simple Present
notes.
Smith).
Mr Smith is writing the delivery The delivery notes are being written (by Mr
Present Progressive
notes.
Smith).
Mr Smith wrote the delivery
The delivery notes were written (by Mr
Simple Past
notes.
Smith).
Mr Smith has written the delivery The delivery notes have been written (by
Present Perfect
notes.
Mr Smith).
Mr Smith had written the delivery The delivery notes had been written (by Mr
Past Perfect
notes.
Smith).
Mr Smith will write the delivery The delivery notes will be written (by Mr
Future
notes.
Smith).
Mr Smith must write the delivery The delivery notes must be written (by Mr
Ausiliary Verbs
notes.
Smith).
Use of Passive
Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however,
who or what is performing the action.
Example: My bike was stolen.
In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know, however, who
did it.
Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows:
Example: A mistake was made.
In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have
made a mistake.).
Form of Passive
Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle
Example: A letter was written.
When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:
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)
Examples of Passive
Tense
Simple Present
Simple Past
Present Perfect
Active:
Passive:
Active:
Passive:
Active:
Passive:
Active:
Future I
Passive:
Active:
Hilfsverben
Passive:
Subject
Verb
Rita
writes
A letter is written
Rita
wrote
A letter was written
Rita
has written
has been
A letter
written
Rita
will write
will be
A letter
written
Rita
can write
can be
A letter
written
Object
a letter.
by Rita.
a letter.
by Rita.
a letter.
by Rita.
a letter.
by Rita.
a letter.
by Rita.
Examples of Passive
Tense
Present Progressive
Past Progressive
Past Perfect
Future II
Conditional I
Conditional II
Active:
Passive:
Active:
Passive:
Active:
Passive:
Active:
Passive:
Active:
Passive:
Active:
Passive:
Subject
Rita
A letter
Rita
A letter
Rita
A letter
Rita
A letter
Rita
A letter
Rita
Verb
is writing
is being written
was writing
was being written
had written
had been written
will have written
will have been written
would write
would be written
would have written
would have been
A letter
written
Object
a letter.
by Rita.
a letter.
by Rita.
a letter.
by Rita.
a letter.
by Rita.
a letter.
by Rita.
a letter.
by Rita.