Passive Voice

Passive Voice
A passive sentence is used when the focus is
on the action rather than on the doer of it, or
when the doer is unknown.
In a passive sentence, the subject receives the
action, whereas in an active sentence, the
subject performs the action.
A passive verb consists of the auxiliary Be +
the Past Participle of a verb.
 Passive Voice
Passive voice is used when the focus is on the
action. It is not important or not known,
however, who or what is performing the
action.
Example: My bike was stolen.
Sometimes a statement in passive is more
polite than active voice.
Example: A mistake was made.
 Passive Voice
To change an active sentence into a passive
one, we have to maintain the same tense of
the active verb, and add the auxiliary to Be
plus the past participle of the active verb.
Example:
Active Verb Passive Verb
open be + opened
take be + taken
register be + registered
 Passive Voice
The past participle of a regular verb is formed
by adding the suffix ed to the verb stem,
while that an irregular verb should be learned
by heart.
Following are examples of active versus
passive sentences in the simple present,
present progressive, simple past, past
progressive tense, future forms, and modal
verb.
 Passive Voice
Simple Present Tense. Example:
[Active] We watch Skyfall movie.
[Passive] Skyfall movie is watched (by us).

Present Progressive. Example:

[Active] We are watching Skyfall movie.
[Passive] Skyfall movie is being watched.
 Passive Voice
Simple Past Tense. Example:
[Active] We watched Skyfall movie.
[Passive] Skyfall movie was watched.

Past Progressive. Example:

[Active] We were watching Skyfall movie.
[Passive] Skyfall movie was being watched.
 Passive Voice
Future forms:
- Will, example:
[Active] We will watch Skyfall movie.
[Passive] Skyfall movie will be watched.

- Going to, example:

[Active] We are going to watch Skyfall movie.
[Passive] Skyfall movie is going to be watched.
 Passive Voice
Modal Verbs. Examples:
[Active] We can watch Skyfall movie.
[Passive] Skyfall movie can be watched.

[Active] We must watch Skyfall movie.

[Passive] Skyfall movie must be watched.
 Exercises
Rewrite the sentences in passive voice.
1. I can answer the question.
The question can be answered by me.
2. He opens the door.
The door is opened by him.
3. Jane will buy a new computer.
A new computer will be bought by Jane.
4. Sheila is drinking a cup of tea.
A cup of tea is being drunk by Sheila.
 Exercises
5. We were talking about Francis.
Francis was being talked about by us.
6. Anna opened the window.
The window was opened by Anna.
7. She would carry the box.
The box would be carried by her.
8. Her boyfriend will install it.
It will be installed by her boyfriend.
 Exercises
9. My father is washing the car.
The car is being washed by my father.
10. Somebody hit me.
I was hit by somebody.
11.He was playing the guitar.
The guitar was being played by him.
12.We are going to visit the museum.
The museum is going to be visited by us.
 Exercises
13.We stopped the bus.
The bus was stopped by us.
14.She pays a lot of money.
A lot of money is paid by her.
15.You should open the window.
The window should be opened by you.
16.I will ask a question.
A question will be asked by me.
 Exercises
17.She didnt win the prize.
The prize was not won by her.
18.John doesnt open the book.
The book is not opened by John.
19.He could not read the sentence.
The sentence could not be read by him.
20.He wont see Susan.
Susan will not be seen by him.
 Exercises
21.He is not wearing a tie.
A tie is not being worn by him.
22.She was not feeding the cats.
The cats were not being fed by her.
23.Does the police officer catch the thief?
Is the thief caught by the police officer?
24.Are they talking about the meeting?
Is the meeting being talked about by them?