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Forms of verb Be:

(present) = am, is , are
subject does the action.
(past) = was, were
A verb is said to be in the passive voice when
the participle) = being
(present
(past
participle) = been
sentence shows what is done to the subject.
The past participle of a verb is:
verb + ed (regular verbs):
used:
paint
painted
(the person who does the action) is unknown, unimportant
or obvious
from the context.
as shot.
3rd column in the list of irregular verbs: break br
A verb is said to be in the active voice when the

s arrested. (by police)

n is more important than the agent as in instructions, processes or headlines.
ere injured in the explosion.
polite or formal statements.
been cleaned.from active into passive:
Changing
A. Write the past participle of
is onthe
theobject
agent.
Make
of the active verb the subject in the new sentence.
the following verbs:
will be
opened by the president.
Mary

1. want

2. buy

3. decide

Change the active verb into the passive form. Use (be + past participle of the4.main
verb):
marry
Note:
If the
verb
is a pronoun, make sure to change it to a subject pronoun.
Mary has
been
drawn
5. choose
Alan
drawn
herverb
several
times.
She
Make sure
thehas
new
passive
agrees
in number
with the new subject.

6. drop

Add the rest f the sentence.

e with
the
verbdrawn
to beseveral
and the times.
past participle of the main verb: to be + past
participle
7. make
(PP)
Mary
has
been
ms
are:
Make
the subject of the active sentence the agent of the passive sentence. The
agent
is
introduced
with by.
8. draw

am/is/are
+ PP drawn several times by Alan.
Mary
has been
ed twice a year.
REMEMBER: DO NOT
CHANGE
TENSE.active verbs into the passive
us:am/is/are being + PP
Change
the underlined
repared now.
Adam hit the ball.
were + PP
The ball was hit by Adams.
iced last week.
Someone is ringing the bell.
was/were being + PP
The bell .
prepared at 7 last night.
Mom washes the carpet.
Note:
voice.
See the
examples: by Mom.
has/have
beenNever
+ PP use (do, does, or did) with the passive The
carpet

been eaten.
Children should drink milk.
been + PP
Milk by children.
Note:I If
there
a preposition
with the verb, do not forget
ut.
have
paidismy
checks.
Sue looks
after
the
children.
will be + PP or am/is/are going to be + PP
Checks by me.
pared soon.
Tim will write a story.
The children
looked after by Sue.
be prepared at seven.
A story are

by Tim.
ll have been + PP
Tom needs to do this work.
been paid by Tuesday.
This work needs .
+ PP
Dina may invite some friends.
o be cleaned now.
Some friends by Dina.
e + PP
be cleaned.

is not specific (people, someone, somebody, etc...). It is preferable not to mention the subject if it is a pronoun (I, you,

C. Change the following sentences from active into passive:

1. The lawyer will give you some advice.

2. Sue asked the policeman for directions.

3. The pirates had found the treasure.

D.4. Change
the
following
sentences
active into passive:
Peter is
going
to takenegative
the package
later. from
5. Someone has already stopped the machine.
6. The coach always encourages the trainees.

1. We didnt notice the new changes.

7. Meg needs to wipe the floor right now.

2. The store wont deliver the furniture.

8. The employees might suggest new rules.

3. They havent collected the taxes yet.

4. The students didnt study the poem well.

5. We dont accept credit cards here.

6. Tim wasnt planting trees at seven.

7. You shouldnt water this plant daily.

8. They are not interviewing the applicants.

E. Change the following questions from active into passive:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Did the driver hit the boy yesterday?

Will the police question all the suspects?
Have you signed the house contract?
Do people speak English in Spain?
Who broke the vase in the sitting room?
Are you roasting chestnuts now?
Can you reach the top of this mountain?
Was Jim playing the piano very loudly?

Active and passive in sentences that take two objects; a direct and indirect object:

Either an indirect object or a direct object may become the subject of a p

If the direct object becomes the subject, use to before the indir

F. Change the following sentences with two objects from active into passive:

1. The secretary gave Martin some letters.

2. My friend has sent me an invitation.

3. Mike is showing Laura some pictures.

4. Kevin will buy Jane a new car next week.

5. Joe always lends Tom some money.

6. The company will pay him a lot of money.

7. Will the college award Dan a scholarship?

8. The court denies the criminal some rights.
mportant to mention the agent or the person who performed
the action.
G. Fill in by
or with.

scued by a stranger.
ts which perform actions.
ed with dice.

1. The fox was hunted a gun.

2. Mat will be trained a good teacher.
3. The book is written a famous
author.
4. He was hit on his head a stone.
5. Passports are checked the police.

H. Change the following mixed sentences from active into passive:

1. People eat a lot of fast food these days.

2. The company will advertise the new product on TV next month.

3. The teacher shouted at Jill at school today.

4. People make salads from different kinds of vegetables.

5. They wont have completed building the bridge by the end of the month.

6. Had Mira checked the mail before she went to school?

7. Hundreds of dissidents are seeking refuge in the US embassy.

8. Millions of tourists visit Rome every year.

9. Do you usually feed your chickens corn?

10. Wind and rain have eroded the statues into shapeless stones.

11. When did they show the news of the earthquake on TV?

12. Adam hadnt expected Kate to come on time by the time he got home.

13. Can you tell me the way to the park?

14. You need to polish the shoes regularly to protect the leather.

15. Sally was taking care of the children during the interview with the press.

16. Dianne is choosing a new dress right now.

A Chart
for changing verbs from active to passive with all tenses.
Note that all the passive verbs are formed with BE + Past Participle (main verb)
Tense
Active
Passive

The crime shocks me.

I am shocked by the crime.

Present
Simple

The crime shocks Jake.

Jake is shocked by the crime.

The crime shocks us.

We are shocked by the crime.

Present

The crime is shocking me.

I am being shocked by the crime.

Continuous
Past Simple
Past
Continuous
Present
Perfect
Past Perfect

Future
Simple
Future
Perfect
Infinitives

Modals

Answer key:
Activity A:
1. wanted
2. bought
3. decided
4. married
5. chosen

The crime is shocking us.

We are being shocked by the crime.
The crime shocked me.

I was shocked by the crime.

The crime shocked

We were shocked by the crime.

The crime was shocking me.

I was being shocked by the murder.

The crime was shocking us.

We are being shocked by the murder.

Jake has mailed the letter.

The letter has been mailed by Jake.

Jake has mailed the letters.

The letters have been mailed by Jake.

Jake had mailed the letter.

The letter had been mailed by Jake.

Jake had mailed the letters.

The letters had been mailed by Jake.

Jake will mail the letter.

The letter will be mailed by Jake.

Jake is going to mail the letter.

The letter is going to be mailed by Jake.

Jake is going to mail the letters.

The letters are going to be mailed by Jake

Jake will have mailed the letter.

The letter will have been mailed by Jake.

Jake will have mailed the letters

The letters will have been mailed by Jake.

Jack needs to mail the letter.

Jack needs to mail the letters.

The letter needs to be mailed.

The letters need to be mailed.

Jake can mail the letter.

The letter can be mailed by Jake.

Jake could mail the letters.

The letters could be mailed by Jake.

Jake may mail the letter.

The letter may be mailed by Jake.

Jake might mail the letters.

The letters might be mailed by Jake.

Jake should mail the letter.

The letter should be mailed by Jake.

Jake must mail the letters.

The letters must be mailed by Jake.

Jake would mail the letter.

The letter would be mailed by Jake.

Jake has to mail the letter.

The letter has to be mailed by Jake.

Jake has to mail the letters.

The letters have to be mailed by Jake.

Jake ought to mail the letter.

The letter ought to be mailed by Jake.

6. dropped
7. made
8. drawn
Activity B:
1. The ball was hit by Adams.
2. is being rung
3. is washed
4. should be drunk
5. have been paid
6. will be written
7. to be done
8. may be invited
Activity C:
1. You will be given some advice by the lawyer.
2. The policeman was asked for directions.
3. The treasure had been found by the pirates.
4. The package is going to be taken later by Peter.
5. The machine has already been stopped.
6. The trainees are always encouraged by the coach.
7. The floor needs to be wiped right now.
8. New rules might be suggested by the employees.
Activity D:
1. The new changes werent noticed.
2. The furniture wont be delivered.
3. The taxes havent been collected yet.
4. This poem wasnt studied well by the students.
5. Credit cards are not accepted here.
6. Trees were not being planted at seven.
7. This plant shouldnt be watered daily.
8. The applicants are not being interviewed.
Activity E:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Was the boy hit by the driver yesterday?

Will all the suspects be questioned by the police?
Has the house contract been signed?
Is English spoken in Spain?
Who was the vase in the sitting room broken by?
Are chestnuts being roasted now?
Can the top of this mountain be reached?
Was the piano being played very loudly?

Activity F:
1. Martin was given some letters by the secretary. / Some letters were given to Martin by
the secretary.
2. I was sent an invitation by my friend. / An invitation was sent to me by my friend.
3. Laura is being shown some pictures by Mike. / Some pictures are being shown to Laura
by Mike.

4. Jane will be bought a new car by Kevin next week. / A new car will be bought to Jane by
Kevin next week.
5. Tom is always lent some money by Joe. / Some money is always lent to Tom by Joe.
6. He will be paid a lot of money by the company. / A lot of money will be paid to him by
the company.
7. Will Dan be awarded a scholarship be the college?/ Will a scholarship be awarded to
Dan by the college?
8. The criminal is denied some rights by the court. / Some rights are denied to criminal by
the court.
Activity G:
1. The fox was hunted with a gun.
2. Mat will be trained by a good teacher.
3. The book is written by a famous author.
4. He was hit on his head with a stone.
5. Passports are checked by the police.
6. The island is surrounded with water.
Activity H:
1. A lot of fast food is eaten these days.
2. The new product will be advertised on TV next month.
3. Jill was shouted at by the teacher today.
4. Salads are made from different kinds of vegetables.
5. Building the bridge wont have been completed by the end of the month.
6. Was the mail checked by Mira before she went to school?
7. Refuge in the US embassy is being sought by hundreds of dissidents.
8. Rome is visited by millions of tourists every year.
9. Is your chicken usually fed corn?
10. The statues were eroded into shapeless stones with wind and rain.
11. When was the news of the earthquake shown on TV?
12. Kate hadnt been expected to come on time by the time Adam got home.
13. Can I be told the way to the park?
14. The shoes need to be polished regularly to protect the leather.
15. The children were taken care of by Sally during the interview with the press.
16. A new dress is being chosen by Dianne right now.