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 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:
Simple present

Subject + is/are+ Past Participle + By + subject

Past
simple

Subject + was/were + Past Participle + by + subject

Example:
A letter was written.
The missing dog was found
Eggs and flour are whisked

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the

following:

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

When do I use passive voice?

You might use it in the following cases:
1.

The actor is unknown:

The cave paintings of Lascaux were made in the Upper Old Stone Age.
[We don't know who made them.]

2.

The actor is irrelevant:

An experimental solar power plant will be built in the Australian desert.
[We are not interested in who is building it.]

3.

You want to be vague about who is responsible:

Mistakes were made. [Common in bureaucratic writing!]

4.

You are talking about a general truth:

Rules are made to be broken. [By whomever, whenever.]

5.

You want to emphasize the person or thing acted on. For example, it
may be your main topic:
Insulin was first discovered in 1921 by researchers at the University of
Toronto. It is still the only treatment available for diabetes.

6.

You are writing in a scientific genre that traditionally relies on passive

voice. In this sentence, the focus is in the experiment, not in the
performers:
The sodium hydroxide was dissolved in water. This solution was then
titrated with hydrochloric acid.

Exercises:
1) Transform the following sentences into the passive voice:
I eat ice cream
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I ate ice cream
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Mariah loves Jake
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They drive their cars to work
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We use trees to make paper
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I broke a glass
______________________________________________________________
He crashed his car
______________________________________________________________
We made a mistake
______________________________________________________________

2) Write a recipe trying to use the Passive Voice. E.g. Muffins

recipe: 1) The butter is melted; 2) the flour is added.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

A) Are the sentences written in Active or Passive voice?

1) These cars are produced in Italy.
Active voice
Passive voice
2) He lost his keys yesterday.
Active voice
Passive voice
3) Steven likes to play baseball.
Active voice
Passive voice
4) Lots of houses were destroyed.
Active voice
Passive voice
5) A letter was written.
Active voice
Passive voice

6) The bus driver was hurt.

Active voice
Passive voice

B) Rewrite the sentences in Passive voice.

Example: The students wrote letters.
Letters were written by the students.
1) My friend bought a new car.

2) The electricians test the fire alarm.

3) They understand Spanish.

4) John cleaned the bathroom.

5) Levi Strauss invented the blue jeans.

6) Our dog did not bite the cat.

C) Rewrite the sentences in Active voice.

Example: Letters were written by the students.
The students wrote letters.
1) Coffee is sold by Marie.

2) The bag was packed by his mother.

3) The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.

4) Football is played by the children.

5) The club was founded by Ron and Peggy.

6) The computer is used by Patrick.

D) Make correct passive forms. Mind the tenses in brackets.

Example: the car - to produce (Simple Present)
the car is produced
1) computer games - to buy (Simple Present)

2) skateboards - to ride (Simple Past)

3) books - to write (Simple Past)

4) English - to speak (Simple Present)

5) a prize - to win (Simple Past)

6) posters - to make (Simple Present)