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Passive voice

Passive Voice

Posted on February 3, 2019December 13, 2022 By The Lingwist No Comments on Passive Voice

1. Sample

Active voicePassive voice
The government built this hospital in 2013The hospital was built in 2013 ( by the government).
Somebody cleans this classroom every SaturdayThis room is cleaned every Saturday.

2. Form    

The passive of an active tense is formed by putting the verb “to be” into the same tense as the active verb and adding the past participle of the active verb:

Screen Shot 2022 01 03 at 12.30.05 PM

3. The passive form with different tenses

Tense/ verb formActive voicePassive voice
Simple presentHe builds a houseA house is built
Present continuousHe is building a houseA house is being built
Simple pastHe wrote an essay on female educationAn essay was written on female education
Past continuousThey were watering the gardenThe garden was being watered
Present perfectHe has built a houseA house has been built
Past perfectHe had watered the gardenThe garden had been watered
futureShe will build a houseA house will be built
Future continuoushe will be writing an essayThe essay will be being written
Future perfectThey will have built the houseThe house will have been built

4. Passive voice with modals

 modalsPassive
    Present-Can/ can’t do
-Must do
-Should/could/would do
– Ought to do
– Have to do
– Can/can’t be done
– Must be done
– Should/could/would be done
– Ought to be done
– Have to be done
  Past– Can/must have done
– Had to do
– Ought to have done
– Can/must have been done
– Had to be done
– Ought to have been done

5. To say what we or other people feel or believe, we use the following expressions

  • It is said that………..                                                    he/she/they/our country is said + infinitive
  • It is believed that………………..                   Or                                                         is believed + infinitive
  • It is thought that……………………..                                                                           is thought + infinitive

Example:

People said that he was rich                 It was thought that he was rich.      Or                 He was thought to be rich.

EXERCISES

A. Complete the table

Verb TensesActivePassive
Present SimpleI interview the actor. She doesn’t clean the car.___________________________________________ ____________________________________________
Past SimpleWe visited Paris. They didn’t see the car.____________________________________________ ___________________________________________
Present ContinuousMary is writing a book. ______________________________________________
Past ContinuousWe were watching TV. _______________________________________________
Present PerfectElectricity has improved life. They haven’t bought a computer.____________________________________________ ____________________________________________
Future SimpleThey will help people. He won’t find a job._________________________________________ ___________________________________________
Modal VerbsYou should clean your room. _____________________________________________
Past perfectJournalists had written articles. ____________________________________________

B. Rewrite the sentences starting as suggested.

  1. The Egyptians built the Pyramids. (Past Simple)

    The Pyramids ____________________________________________________.

  • Over 400 million people speak English.

    English _________________________________________________________.

  • They must read the messages.

     The messages __________________________________________________________.

  • Edison  invented the electric bulb.

    The electric bulb_______________________________________________________.

  • America attacked Iraq some years ago.

    America _____________________________________________________________.

  • They didn’t take the jewels.

     The jewels ____________________________________________________________.

  • Hassan and Ikram visited all these places.

   All these places______________________________________________________.

  • A fisherman saved his life.

    His life______________________________________________________________.

  • The teacher doesn’t punish the students.

    The students _________________________________________________________.

  1. The storm is causing a lot of damage

      A lot of____________________________________________________________.

  1. Someone has stolen Kate’s new car.

    Kate’s new car_______________________________________________________.

  1. He mustn’t answer the questions.

     The questions___________________________________________________________.

  1. Jasmine haven’t bought a video camera.

    A video______________________________________________________________.

  1. Anne is selling the house.

      The house _____________________________________________________________.

  1. They will wash the dishes.

    The dishes_______________________________________________________________.

  1. They can invite Sarah to the party.

     Sarah________________________________________________________________.

  1. I couldn’t write the letters yesterday.

    The letters ____________________________________________________________.

  1. The teacher collects all the exam papers.

   All the exam papers_________________________________________________________.

  1. They didn’t break the table.

    The table______________________________________________________________.

  • I drank an orange juice this morning.

   An orange juice______________________________________________________.

21) She has answered my question.

    My question____________________________________________________________.

  • The police won’t investigate the murder.

    The murder_____________________________________________________________.

  • Volunteers would clean up the long beach.

   The long beach______________________________________________________.

  • They were writing an essay.

    An essay ____________________________________________________________.

Check Also Descriptive essay

Grammar Tags:English, English Grammar, English Tenses, Grammar, Passive Voice, Tenses

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