Active Voice: Introduction

Forms and Functions

Passive Voice : Introduction
Forms and Functions

The Active Voice

A. Uses of the Active Voice
Emphasize
Emphasize
thesubject
subject
the
ofaa
of
sentence,i.e
i.e
sentence,
thedoer
doer
the
Thesubject
subject
The
orthe
thedoer
doer
or
mentioned
isismentioned
orknown
knownin
in
or
the
the
sentence.
sentence.
By: AAR for ULD 1133

B. Formation of Active Voice

The active voice is formed by placing an
emphasis on the subject in a sentence.
This is done by beginning a sentence with a
subject.
Sheena kicked the bucket last night.
The UNITAR undergraduates performed
the play on the stage

The Passive Voice

Contrary to the
Active Voice,
the Passive Voice
puts an emphasis
on the object
rather than
The subject of the
sentence.

A. Uses of the
The Passive Voice is
used in a sentence
when the doer of the
action is known and
does not need
mentioning
The rubbish has been collected
The classroom was swept every morning

 The Passive Voice is also used when the doer of the

action is not known or has been forgotten.
You will be guided throughout the trip
I have been told of his visit to the orchard

The Passive Voice is used when we are more

interested in or concerned with the action than the
person who does it.
A new bus stand is being built
( by the local town council)
The house next door has been bought
(by Mrs. Gan)

Formation of the Passive Voice

i.

e.g:

By putting the verb into the same tense as the active verb and
adding the past participle of the active verb.
a. We keep honey here (active)
b. The honey is kept here (passive)

a. People have seen UFOs at

the beach. (active)
b. UfOs have been seen at the beach.
(passive)
a. My father planted a mango tree (active)
b. A mango tree was planted by my father (passive)

Usually
Usuallypreceded
precededby
by
the
theword
wordby
by
when
whenthe
theagent
agent
isismentioned.
mentioned.

ii. The passive of continuous tenses is formed by adding the

present continuous forms of the verb to be.
a.

They are mending the roof. (active)

a.

The roof is being mended (passive)

a. Doctors were attending the sick patients
(active)
b. The sick patients were being attended by doctors.
- )
(passive

ACTIVE VOICE

AGENT

most of the class

agent not specified;

most likely agents
such as "the
researchers"
the CIA director
and his close
advisors
agent not
specified; most
likely agents such
as "we"

CHANGED TO
PASSIVE VOICE

Active vs. Passive?...

PASSIVE (INDIRECT)

ACTIVE (DIRECT):

Forming Tenses of Passive Verbs

Tense
Active
The passive voice
always consists
of Voice
two parts: Passive
a form ofVoice
the
verb "to be"
+ past
participle: plays/drives
Simple
Present

is played/ driven

Present
Continuous

is playing/ driving

is being played/
driven

Present prefect

has played/has
driven

has been
played/driven

Simple past

played/ drove

was played/ was

driven

Past continuous

was playing/
driving

was being played/

driven

Past Perfect

had played/driven

had been
played/driven

Future

will play/ drive

will be played/
driven

Changing from Passive Voice to Active

PASSIVE VOICE

AGENT

The
presiding
officer
The leaders

The

scientists

CHANGED TO ACTIVE
VOICE

Exercise 1 : Changing the active to the passive

1.

Khalil Gibran wrote that prose.

____________________________________________

2.

Jay will invite Norman to the party.

____________________________________________

3.

Yashmin is preparing that report.

____________________________________________

4.

Waitresses and waiters serve customers.

____________________________________________

5.

The teacher is going to explain the lesson.

____________________________________________

6.

Mogana has suggested an idea

____________________________________________

7.

Two horses were pulling the farmers wagon.

______________________________________

Additional On-line Exercises:

http://a4esl.org/q/h/vm/active-passive.html
http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/blgrquiz_passive1.htm