PASSIVE VOICE

Be + Past Participle. What is done to, rather than who does it.
I throw the ball. The ball is thrown. (present – be is in present, past participle of the main verb)
I broke the window. The window was broken. (past – be is in past, past participle of the main verb)
I have bought the cake. The cake has been bought. (present perfect – be is in present perfect, the main
verb is still a past participle.)

Use the passive when you don’t know who did it.
My purse was stolen.
Use the passive when it doesn’t matter who did it.
The house was painted blue.
Use the passive when the thing done is more important than who did it.
The boy was picked up by the ambulance.

Active Voice starts with the actor: The president of the company called the meeting for 3pm.
Passive Voice starts with the direct object: The meeting was called for 3pm.

You can only use passive voice when you have a direct object in the active.
I ate chicken. The chicken was eaten.
She ate slowly. The slowly was eaten.

PRACTICE SET

1. Change from active voice to passive voice

a) Deborah wrote this test.

b) She wrote it to give you a good opportunity to practice the passive.

2. Change from passive voice to active.

a) This test was compiled from the various exercises you have done this month.

b) It was typed on the office computer.

3. Make a passive sentence in each of the following tenses:

a) past (ex: This test was written yesterday)

b) simple present (ex: Tests are given by most teachers to make students study)

c) present perfect (ex: The grass has been soaked by rain almost every day this year)

d) past perfect (ex: The letter had been mailed before I found out that you changed your address)

e) present progressive (ex: My house is being painted this week)

f) past progressive (ex: I couldn’t cook last week because my kitchen was being painted)
4. Reporting thoughts & beliefs
a) present thought, past action (“it” subject)
ex: It is generally thought that Amelia Erhardt’s plane was shot down.

b) present thought, past action (direct object as subject with past passive infinitive)
ex: Amelia Erhardt’s plane is thought to have been shot down.

c) past belief, common action (“it” subject)

ex: It used to be generally believed that meat was needed in a healthy diet.

d) past belief, common action (direct object as subject with standard infinitive passive)
ex: Meat used to be generally believed to be needed in a healthy diet.

e) past assumption, action before past (“it” subject)

ex: Before you got to class, it was assumed that your homework had been done already.

f) past assumption, action before past (direct object as subject, past passive infinitive)
ex: Before you got to class, your homework was assumed to have been done already.

5. Causative Passive (have or get)

a) Something you cause others to do regularly (ex: I usually have my hair cut every month)

b) Something you caused others to do in the past (ex: I had my food delivered last night)

c) Something you will cause others to do in the future (ex: I’ll get my nails done for the party)