What

is the difference between the active and the passive voice?

 In an sentence using the active voice, the subject of the sentence does the action. Example Active: The explorers climbed the tallest mountain in the range.

In a sentence using the passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action. Example Passive: The tallest mountain in the range was climbed by the explorers.

When do we use it?

When we want to say that the subject of a sentence is doing the action, we use the verb of that sentence in its Active form Example: A man is cutting down a tree. (Active) A man = subject, doing the action (cutting)

 When we want to say that the subject of a sentence is not doing anything but is allowing something to be done to it by somebody else, we use the Passive Voice form Example: A tree is being cut down by a man. (Passive) A tree = subject, not doing anything, but allowing a man to cut it. When the agent is unknown Example: Flats are sold by unknown. (Passive)

 To make the object of the active verb more important

Example: America was discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus. (Passive)

When the description of the agent is very long

Example: A charity record has been made by many famous names in the world of pop music. (Passive)

 BE(is/was/havebeen,

past participle

etc) +

Example: We made a mistake. (Passive) A mistake was made by us. (Passive)

General Structure

Active-Passive -example 1
The boy is carrying the girl. (Active) The boy = subject is carrying = verb the girl = object of the verb The boy is doing the action of carrying

Active-Passive -example 2

The girl is being carried by the boy. (Passive) The girl = subject is being carried = verb by = preposition the boy = object of the preposition by the boy is doing the action of carrying (object) Not The girl (subject)

The subject of the Active sentence becomes the object of the preposition in the Passive sentence!
Example: Johny reads a book every day. (Active) Johny is the subject of the Active sentence.

A book is read every day by Johny. (Passive) by Johny is object of the preposition by

Example: Johny reads a book every day. (Active) reads are verb of the Active sentence

A book is read every day by Johny. (Passive)

THE OBJECT OF THE VERB IN THE ACTIVE

SENTENCE BECOMES THE SUBJECT OF THE PASSIVE SENTENCE.

Example: Johny reads a book every day. (Active) a book is object of the verb

A book is read every day by Johny. (Passive) A book is subject of the passive sentence.

When the subject of a sentence is singular, the verb must also be in singular
Example: He cooks food. (Active ) food is object of the verb (singular)
Food is cooked by him. (Passive) Food is subject of the passive sentence (singular), so is cooked is verb (singular)

When the subject of a sentence is Plural, the verb of that sentence must be Plural
Example: He carried some books. (Active) some books are object of the verb in Active (Plural) Some books were carried by him. (Passive) were carried is verb (plural)

Example: She has signed ten letters. (Active) ten letters are object of the verb in Active (plural) Ten letters have been signed by her. (Passive) Ten letters are subject (plural)

Simple Present Tense

MainVerb -> Is/are + PastParticiple

Example: She bakes cakes. (Active) bakes is verb

Cakes are baked by her. (Passive) are baked is verb

PRESENT CONTINUES TENSE

-Is/are + Verb(ing) -> Is/are + Being + Past Participle Example: He is building a sand castle. (Active) is building is verb A sand castle is being built by him. (Passive) is being built is verb

Present Perfect Tense

Have/has + Verb(participle) -> Have/has + Been + PastParticiple Example: He has drawn a picture. (Active) has drawn is verb

A picture has been drawn by him. (Passive) has been drawn is verb

Present Perfect Continues Tense

According to the traditional grammar rules, the present perfect continues tense is not used in PASSIVE VOICE FORM; however, in the contemporary English, there are occasions where the present perfect continues tense is used in the Passive Voice.

Example: He has been mowing the lawn. (Active)

The lawn has been being mowed by him. (Passive)

Simple Past Tense

- Main Verb -> Was/were + PastParticiple Example: She told me a secret. (Active) told is verb
A secret was told (to) me by her. (Passive) was told is verb

Was/were + Verb(ing) -> Was/were + Being + PastParticiple

Example: The postman was delivering the post. (Active) was delivering is verb The post was being delivered by the postman. (Passive) was being delivered is verb

Past Perfect Tense

Had + Verb(participle) -> Had + Been + PastParticiple Example: She had eaten several peas before she offered him any. (Active) had eaten is verb

Several peas had been eaten by her before she offered him any. (Passive) had been eaten is verb

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

According to the traditional grammar rules, the past perfect continuous tense is not used in Passive form; however, in the contemporary English, there are occasions where the past perfect continuous tense is used in the Passive Form, too! Example: He had been writing letters for half an hour before somebody called him out. (Active)

Letters had been being written for half an hour (by him) before somebody called him out. (Passive)

Simple Future Tense

- Will + MainVerb -> Will +be + Past Participle Example: They will give the beggar some money. (Active) will give is verb The beggar will be given some money by them. (Passive) will be given is verb

FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE

According

to the traditional grammar rules, the future continuous tense in the Active is not used in Passive Voice Form. Example: They will be playing with fireworks by the time their father reaches home. (Active) will be playing is verb

NO PASSIVE

Example: Sue will have sewn two dresses by 12 O clock. (Active)

will have sewn is verb

Two dresses will have been sewn by 12 O clock by Sue. (Passive) will have been sewn is verb

Future Perfect Tense

According to the traditional grammar rules, the future perfect continuous tense is not used in the Passive Voice Form: Example: You will have been working on the course material for 2 hours by 6 in the evening. will have been working is verb

NO PASSIVE

Modal + Verb(participle) -> Modal + Be + past participle Example: They can pick a number. (Active) A number can be picked by them. (Passive)
We must finish this job. (Active) This job must be finished by us. (Passive) The Modal Auxiliary (helping)

 Modal + Have + Verb(participle) ~> Modal + Have + Been + PastParticiple

Example: Somebody should have cleaned this room. (Active) This room should have been cleaned. (Passive)

 Examples: (Active): I do not like people telling me what to do. (Passive): I do not like being told what to do.

(Active): They dont like people asking them questions. (Passive): They dont like being asked questions.

It is said that -> He is said to

Examples: Jane works very hard It is said that Jane works 16 hours a day. (Active)
Jane

works very hard She is said to work 16 hours a day. (Passive)

Get
It describes the subject of the sentences. Examples: -The window was broken by some kids who were playing ball. The window got broken.

-The glass was shattered by a baseball. The glass got shattered.

BE SUPPOSED TO
Used to talk about an activity or event that is expected to occur. Examples: It is supposed to rain today. (idea: people expect it to rain today) Alice was supposed to be home at ten. (idea: someone expected Alice to be home at ten)

 Sometimes the passive voice is appropriate in a story because it is used to describe a person being affected by events, just like in this passage:

Example: In the middle of the night Sebastian was woken by the most hideous scream. He jerked upright and his eyes sprang open. He was even more terrified by what he saw then. His flesh turned to goose bumps and his very blood curdled. His body was gripped by a paroxysm of horror.

NOTE 1

When there are two objects of the verb in the active voice sentence, we can change that active sentence into passive in two way : using the first object in one sentence and the second object in the other.

Note 2
In writing the Passive Voice, in most cases, the preposition by or with and its object are not used, because they are understood: Example: The cook made me an omelette. (Active) An omelette was made for me .

(Passive)

Example:
The teacher teaches you a lesson. (Active) you object of the verb / a lesson object of the verb (A)You are taught a lesson by the teacher. (Passive) (B)A lesson is taught to you by the teacher. (Passive)

Note 3

Transitive and Intransitif

Transitive verbs: only transitive verb can be used in the passive. A transitive verb is a verb that is followed by an object. Example: S V O Bob mailed the letter. (active) The leter was mailed by BOB. (passive)

 Intransitive verbs: An intransitive verb is a verb that is not followed by an object. An intransitive verb CANNOT be used in the passive. Example: S V An accident happened. (active) Not possible (passive)