Passive Voice

Quiz

Write the author/creator etc. of each of the following in passive.

E.g. Harry Potter

Harry Potter was written by J.K. Rowling

Don Quixote
psychoanalysis
E= MC 2
Mona Lisa
dynamite
Swan Lake
penicillin
Das Kapital
The telephone
Star wars
evolution
printing press
 Uses of Passive
EXAMPLE USE

My car has been stolen. obviousunknown agent agent

or unimportant

The Kayapo’s territories will be

the passive
obvious + by + agent
or unimportant agent
flooded.

Something should have been

done. non-accusatory
unknown agent
These letters still haven’t been (don’t want to say who it is)
sent.

The crops are pollinated by bees. the passive

unknown+ by + agent
agent
 FORM
TENSE ACTIVE Passive Infinitive

simple to write to be written

to have written

to be being written
(rarely used)

perfect continuous to have been writing

 modal passive
TENSE ACTIVE PASSIVE

we mustn’t destroy
present
the forest

The animals should

past not have been
approached
 modal -ing
ACTIVE PASSIVE -ING

They were terrified of people

taking their children into slavery.

The forests keep being

destroyed (by loggers)
 IMPERSONAL
PASSIVE
EXAMPLE STRUCTURE

Orang-utans are known to use

leaves as gloves.

It is acknowledged that logging

damages the environment.

There are thought to be over

180 uncontested tribes in the
Amazon region
 Reporting Verbs

We may use impersonal passive structures after reporting verbs

say, know, ask, suggest, explain, understand, believe, claim,

consider, assumed, expect, estimated, report, discover, etc.