Using the Passive Voice

and Active
By:
Karm Machaca Fuentes
Manuel Aguilar Fuentes

Using the Passive Voice

Definitions
Changing to the passive voice
Practice examples

Active Voice
Active voice is used to show that the
subject of the sentence is performing
or causing the action.
Example:
Alexia threw the basketball before
the buzzer.
Alexia shot the basketball from the
free throw line.
Alexia scored three points.

Passive Voice
Passive voice is used when the subject
is the recipient of the action.
Example:
The ball was thrown by Alexia.
The basket was shot by Alexia.
The score was made by Alexia.

Active voice vs. passive

voice
Active voice takes the form A does B

We chose plastic film to cover the

microphone.
Passive voice takes the form B is done (by A)

Plastic film was chosen (by us) to cover

the microphone.

When would you

WANT to use passive
voice?
When intentionally trying to hide the subject of the sentence.
For example, a politician might say, The mistake was made by
someone. Hiding the subject helps him/her hide the blame.
When intentionally trying to minimize the guilt of the subject.
For example, a cheating boyfriend might say, Cheating was
committed by me.
When passive voice better emphasizes the main point of the
message, such as Children were harmed by the drunk driver.

Active voice subjects perform

an act
Active voice
We ... chose ... plastic film to cover the
microphone.

Subject

Verb

Object

Passive voice subjects are

acted on
Active voice
We ... chose ... plastic film to cover the
microphone.

Subject

Verb

Object

Passive voice
Plastic film was chosen to cover the microphone.

Subject

Verb

Object

Passive voice differs from 3rd

person
Third person, but active voice
The team ... chose ... plastic film to cover the
microphone.
Subject

Verb

Object

Passive voice
Plastic film was chosen to cover the microphone.

Subject

Verb

Object

Using the Passive Voice

Definitions
Changing to the passive voice
Practice examples

Combine to be + past
participle
To be is very irregular:
Present tense

Past tense

1st
person

I am

We are

I was

2nd
person

You are

You are You were

We were
You were

Past
usually
add -ed
orit-t:They
3rd participles
He, she,
it They
He, she,
presented,
burnt
person
ismeasured,
arebuilt, was
were
Irregular past participles must be memorized

To be + past participle
Form

Grammar

Active Form

Passive Form

Present Simple

Am/is/are + PP

Served twice a year is

the Jim s car.

Jim s car is serviced

twice a year.

Present
Continuous

Am/is/are being + PP

Prepare now dinner.

Dinner is being
prepared now.

Past Simple

Was/were +PP

Last week the Jim s

car was serviced

Jim s car was

serviced last week.

Past
Continuous

Was/werw being + PP

At 7 last night was

preparing dinner.

Dinner was being

prepared at 7 last
night.

Has/have been + PP

It has been already

eaten lunch.

Lunch has already

been eaten.

Had been + PP

Had cut trees.

Trees had been cut.

Future Simple

Will be + PP o
am/is/are going to be
+ PP

Soon prepared will

dinner

Dinner will be
prepared soon.

Future Perfect

Will have been + PP

Tuesday will have

paid checks

Checks will have

been paid by
Tuesday.

(to) be + PP

Now need to be
washed dishes.

The dishes need to

be cleaned now.

Present
Perfect
Past Perfect

Infinitives

Omit the agent of the

action
Active
Workers installed burglar alarms.
Passive, with agent
Burglar alarms were installed by the workers.
Passive, with the agent omitted
Burglar alarms were installed.

Remember tense and

number
Active Voice

Passive voice

I finish a project in
eight hours.

A project is finished in
eight hours.

I finish three projects

in eight hours

Three projects are finished

in eight hours

I finished a project in
eight hours.

A project was finished in

eight hours.

I finished three
Three projects were
projects in eight hours. finished in eight hours.

Remember tense and

number
Active Voice

Passive voice

I finish a project in
eight hours.

A project is finished in
eight hours.

I finish three projects

in eight hours

Three projects are finished

in eight hours

I finished a project in
eight hours.

A project was finished in

eight hours.

I finished three
Three projects were
projects in eight hours. finished in eight hours.

Remember tense and

number
Active Voice

Passive voice

I finish a project in
eight hours.

A project is finished in
eight hours.

I finish three projects

in eight hours

Three projects are finished

in eight hours

I finished a project in
eight hours.

A project was finished in

eight hours.

I finished three
Three projects were
projects in eight hours. finished in eight hours.

Remember tense and

number
Active Voice

Passive voice

I finish a project in
eight hours.

A project is finished in
eight hours.

I finish three projects

in eight hours

Three projects are finished

in eight hours

I finished a project in
eight hours.

A project was finished in

eight hours.

I finished three
Three projects were
projects in eight hours. finished in eight hours.

Remember tense and

number
Active Voice

Passive voice

I finish a project in
eight hours.

A project is finished in
eight hours.

I finish three projects

in eight hours

Three projects are finished

in eight hours

I finished a project in
eight hours.

A project was finished in

eight hours.

I finished three
Three projects were
projects in eight hours. finished in eight hours.

Remember tense and

number
Active Voice

Passive voice

I finish a project in
eight hours.

A project is finished in
eight hours.

I finish three projects

in eight hours

Three projects are finished

in eight hours

I finished a project in
eight hours.

A project was finished in

eight hours.

I finished three
Three projects were
projects in eight hours. finished in eight hours.

Remember tense and

number
Active Voice

Passive voice

I finish a project in
eight hours.

A project is finished in
eight hours.

I finish three projects

in eight hours

Three projects are finished

in eight hours

I finished a project in
eight hours.

A project was finished in

eight hours.

I finished three
Three projects were
projects in eight hours. finished in eight hours.

Remember tense and

number
Active Voice

Passive voice

I finish a project in
eight hours.

A project is finished in
eight hours.

I finish three projects

in eight hours

Three projects are finished

in eight hours

I finished a project in
eight hours.

A project was finished in

eight hours.

I finished three
Three projects were
projects in eight hours. finished in eight hours.

Using the Passive Voice

Definitions
Changing to the passive voice
Practice examples

Change to the passive voice

Mr Jones watches films.
Films
The people speak English.
English
He reads comics.
We play volleyball.
They sing the song.

Change to the passive voice

He opens the door.
The door
She pays a lot of money.
A lot of money
They don't help you.
You
He doesn't open the book.
The book
Does the police officer catch the thief?

. Put the verbs in brackets

into Past Simple Passive.
Two men _________________________ (see) breaking
into a house in my street last night. The police
_____________________ (call) and they arrived very
quickly. One man _____________________ (catch)
immediately. The other escaped, but he
______________________ (find) very soon. Both men
_____________________ (take) to the police station
where they _________________________ (question)
separately by a police officer. The two men
________________________ (charge) with burglary.

Read and complete. Use

Past Simple.
a. The toothbrush / invent / in the 15th century.
______________________________________________b. The first
public basketball game / play / in 1892.
______________________________________________
c. The first eyeglasses / wear / in the 1200s.
______________________________________________d. The first
bicycle / ride in 1791.
______________________________________________e. The first
hot dog / eat / in the 1860s.
______________________________________________

Choose the correct form of

the verbs in brackets.
FIAT
Fiat 0 was started (started/was started) by a group of Italian businessmen in
1899. In 1903, Fiat, 1 _________________ (produced/was produced) 132 cars.
Some of these cars 2 _____________________ (exported/were exported) by the
company to the United States and Britain. In 1920, Fiat 3 _________________
(started/was started) making cars at a new factory at Lingotto, near Turin.
There was a track on the roof where the cars 4 ____________________
(tested/were tested) by technicians. In 1936, Fiat launched the Fiat 500. This
car 5 ____________________ (called/was called) the Topolino the Italian name
for Mickey Mouse. The company grew, and in 1963 Fiat 6 _____________________
(exported/was exported) more than 300,000 vehicles. Today, Fiat is based in
Turin, and its cars 7 _________________ (sold/are sold) all over the world.