PASSIVE VOICE

Lic. Denise M. Rosales Vásquez

• THE PASSIVE SENTENCES ARE
FORMED WITH THE VERB BE
CONJUGATED IN ALL THEIR TENSES
ACCORDING TO THE SPEAKER'S
NECESSITY:

be am/is/are

was/were been being

• THE ACTIVE VOICE IS
CONSIDERED STRONGER THAN
THE PASSIVE. WRITERS OFTEN
PREFER THE ACTIVE.
• FOR EXAMPLE: Active Voice
• There is a proverb that goes: When in
Rome, do as the Romans do. This
means that it is a good idea to try to
learn the customs of the place you
are visiting, and then behave in a
similar fashion […]
• HOWEVER PASSIVE VOICE IS
FREQUENTLY USED.
• FOR EXAMPLE:

• Two – thirds of Bolivia’s five million

people are located in the cool western
highlands known as the Altiplano. For
centuries, the grain quinoa has been
grown in the mountains. Llamas are
raised for fur, meat, and
transportation. […]
• USE THE PASSIVE WITH BY IF
YOU MENTION THE AGENT.

• La Mona Lisa was painted by

Leonardo Da Vinci
• MENTION THE AGENT WHEN:
You introduce necessary new
information about the agent.
J.K. Rolling is a famous story
writer for children. She just has
moved to London from Portugal,
and she has been hired by
“Animated Books for Children” to
publish her new book…
You want to give credit to
someone who created
something.
The latest book for children was written
by a school teacher called J. K. Rolling.

The agent is surprised.

Our windows are washed by a robot.
• BE CAREFUL! IN MOST CASES, YOU
DO NOT NEED TO MENTION AN
AGENT IN PASSIVE SENTENCES. DO
NOT INCLUDE AN AGENT
UNNECESSARILY.

• The magazine is
published once a week.
• The magazine is published
by the publisher once a
week.
 HOW DOES THE PASSIVE
VOICE WORK?

ACTIVE
Millions of people buy it.
S Obj.
• PASSIVE
• It is bought by millions of people.
SUBJECT AGENT
 HOW DOES THE PASSIVE VOICE WORK?

• ACTIVE
Thomas A. Edison invented the electric bulb.
S Obj.

• PASSIVE
The electric bulb was invented by Thomas A. Edison.
SUBJECT AGENT
SUBJECT VERB Object
(Simple Present)

Mary writes many every

Shultz books for year.
children
Many are by Mary every
books for written Shultz year.
children
SUBJECT VERB OBJECT
(Present
Progressive)

Scientists are new for

creating vaccines children
New are being created
vaccines by
for scientists
children
SUBJECT VERB OBJECT
(Simple Past)

My sister took these in Venice

pictures
These were taken in Venice
pictures by my
sister.
 SUBJECT VERB OBJECT
(Future)

Computer will a new to control

programmers design program cars

A new will be designed to control

program cars
 SUBJECT VERB Object
(Present Perfect)

Linda Sue have made Cabbage since 1925.

Ellen dolls

Cabbage dolls have been made by Linda

Sue Ellen
since 1925.
STATEMENTS
FORMATION
AFFIRMATIVE
STATEMENTS
Oranges are grown in Mexico.
to
S V
be

Past
participle
More than five hundred types of
cheese were made in France in
2001.
 NEGATIVE
STATEMENTS
Tulips aren’t grown in Bolivia
to
S V
be

Past
Negative
participle
The reports will no be done for
today.
 YES / NO
QUESTIONS
Are Latina magazines printed
to in the United States?V
S
be

Past
participle
Have these books been written
by Charles Dickinson?

Yes, they have

No, they haven’t

INFORMATION
QUESTIONS
Where was chocolate discovered?
to V
WH- S
WORD be

Past
participle

It was discovered in Mexico.

Where is Murano Glass made?
to V
WH- S
WORD be

Past
participle

It is done in the Island of

Murano in Venice.
NOW YOU DO IT!
Andrew Lloyd
Webber
 ROGER DALTRY COMPOSED
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AND
CATS, DIDN’T HE?

NO, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

AND CATS WERE COMPOSED BY
ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER.
Pedro Alvares
Cabral
 CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
DISCOVERED BRAZIL, DIDN’T HE?

NO, BRAZIL WAS

DISCOVERED BY PEDRO
ALVARES CABRAL.
Stephen King
MARY HIGGINS CLARK WROTE
THE SHINING AND NEEDFUL
THINGS, DIDN’T SHE?

NO, THE SHINING AND

NEEDFUL THINGS WERE
WRITTEN BY STEPHEN KING.
Walt Disney
 CHARLES SHULZ CREATED
MICKEY MOUSE AND DONALD
DUCK, DIDN’T HE?

NO, MICKEY MOUSE AND

DONALD DUCK WERE
CREATED BY WALT DISNEY.
Georgia O’Keeffe
VAN GOGH PAINTED BLACK
AND PURPLE PETUNIAS,
DIDN’T HE?

NO, BLACK AND PURPLE

PETUNIAS WAS PAINTED BY
GEORGIA O’KEEFFE.
• REMEMBER! THE PASSIVE VOICE IS FORMED
WITH THE VERB BE + PAST PARTICIPLE VERB.
• PASSIVE VOICE IS FREQUENTLY USED, HOWEVER
WRITERS PREFER TO USE ACTIVE VOICE.
• WE USE THE PASSIVE VOICE WITH BY + THE
AGENT WHEN:
• IT IS NECESSARY TO INTRODUCE NEW
INFORMATION
• TO GIVE CREDIT TO SOMEONE WHO CREATED
SOMETHING
• WHEN THE AGENT IS SURPRISED.
PRACTICE!
 FIRE DAMAGES HISTORIC
BUILDING
• THE HISTORIC GELLER HOUSE WAS
DAMAGED BY AN EARLY-MORNING
FIRE TODAY. THE THIRD FLOOR OF
THE BUILDING WAS DESTROYED,
BUT THE FIRST AND SECOND
FLOORS WERE SAVED BY
FIREFIGHTERS. THERE WERE ONLY
A FEW ELDERLY RESIDENTS IN THE
 FIRE DAMAGES HISTORIC
•
BUILDING
THE GUELLER HOUSE WAS BUILT IN 1718 AND IT WAS
USED AS A HOTEL FOR OVER 150 YEARS. GEORGE
WASHINGTON STAYED THERE IN 1782. THE BUILDING
WAS OWNED BY THE GELLER FAMILY UNTIL THE 1930.
THEN IT WAS SOLD TO THE MILLS FAMILY. SEVERAL
YEARS AGO, IT WAS MADE BY MILLS FAMILY INTO AN
APARTMENT BUILDING FOR THE ELDERLY.
 FIRE DAMAGES HISTORIC
•
BUILDING
THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE CALLED BY THEM TO
THE SCENE. WHEN THE FIRE CHIEF ANDREW BARNES
WAS ASKED ABOUT HOW THE FIRE STARTED, HE
ANSWERED THAT MOST LIKELY THE FIRE WAS CAUSED
BY A BURNING CIGARETTE. CHIEF BARNES PROMISED A
COMPLETE INVESTIGATION.
Thank you