The Passive Voice
Preliminary considerations
Uses
Tense formation
Tense forms
The use of - by
Direct and Indirect objects .
The Passive Voice
Preliminary considerations
Uses
Tense formation
Tense forms
The use of - by
Direct and Indirect objects .
Preliminary considerations
Only transitive verbs ( those which may take an object ) can be used in the passive voice.
In English the passive voice is much more used than in Spanish.
Spanish uses a kind of “passive” with “se” while English uses a normal passive voice.
When the subject is unknown, English – unlike Spanish – uses the passive voice.
When an active verb may take a direct and an indirect object, English uses a passive which is never heard in Spanish.
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Uses of the Passive in English
When the action is more important than the agent .
When the agent is obvious , unknown , or simply not important .
When we don’t want to mention who did the action .
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When the action
is more important than
the agent ,
so that it looks more impersonal .
The room must be cleaned .
The tickects were sold .
Sugar is added after the water has been boiled.
The bridge was eventually built.
When the agent is
obvious ,
unknown
or simply
not important
My house has been painted .(obviously by a painter)
My purse was stolen. (I don’t know who did it)
The letters were typed. (No matter who did it, what matters is that they finally were typed)
When, for some reason,
we don’t want to mention
who did the action;
like, for example,
to avoid pointing out
who is responsible for it.
The boys were punished. (for some reason, what is important is the action, not who punished them)
Our tickets were lost. (like this I avoid saying who lost them)
New ideas have been presented with great success. (By using the passive, the speaker avoids mentioning the author, mainly if it is the speaker himself)
1) Simple Tense Shakespeare wrote Hamlet Hamlet (Simple Past) was The main verb always in the Past Participle written Shakespeare by Aux. Be in the same tense (Simple Past)
2) Perfect Tense The Council has invested a lot of money A lot of money (Present Perfect) has been The main verb always in the Past Participle invested the Council by Aux. Be in the same tense (Present Perfect)
3) With a Modal Auxiliary I should have done the homework The homework (Perfect Infinitive) have been The main verb always in the Past Participle done me ) ( by Aux. Be in the same tense (Perfect Infinitive) Modal Modals remain invariable should Menu
Examples will be kept will keep future had been kept had kept Past perfect have been kept have kept Present perfect was being kept was keeping Past continuous was kept kept Simple past is being kept is keeping Present continuous is kept keeps Simple present PASSIVE VOICE ACTIVE VOICE FORM would be kept would keep Conditional present having been kept having kept perfect participle being kept keeping gerund to have been kept to have kept perfect infinitive to be kept to keep present infinitive would have been kept would have kept Conditional past PASSIVE VOICE ACTIVE VOICE FORM
She keeps her room tidy.
Her room is kept tidy.
He is keeping the change in his pocket
The change is being kept in his pocket .
She kept her money in the wallet.
The money was kept in the wallet.
When the thief came in she was keeping the money in her wallet.
When the thief came in the money was being kept in her wallet .
He has kept all his money in a big hole.
All his money has been kept in a big hole.
By the time the thieves arrived he had already kept all his money safely.
By the time the thieves arrived all his money had already been kept safely.
She has promised her mother she will keep her room tidy at all times.
She has promised her mother her room will be kept tidy at all times.
He promised her he would keep her savings untouched.
He promised her her savings would be kept untouched.
He said he would have kept her savings untouched if he hadn’t been going to the casino.
He said her savings would have been kept untouched if he hadn’t been going to the casino.
She now says she can keep her money herself.
She now says her money can be kept by herself.
If she had known that, she could have kept it.
If she had known that, it could have been kept .
___________________________________
Most film stars hate being interviewed .
He didn’t like having been told about what to do.
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THE USE OF by
a) When the person who does the action, the agent, is important. For example: an inventor, a writer, an artist, etc…
Shakespeare wrote these poems.
These poems were written by Shakespeare .
b) To introduce new information that had been omitted previously.
While we were studying, we were bothered by several students
c) To talk about a plan or method.
These exercises can be improved by adding more information .
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Direct & Indirect objects
Some verbs, like give, lend, offer, send, promise, show are usually followed by two objects, one is a person – indirect – and the other is a thing – direct .
In these cases, the passive in English takes the indirect object as its new subject.
The same pattern follow the verbs: tell, ask.
Direct & Indirect objects
They gave John a warm welcome .
John was given a warm welcome.
My parents have promised me a holiday by the beach if I don’t fail any subjects.
I have been promised a holiday by the ...
They told me not to move or they would kill me .
I was told not to move or I would be killed.
They asked me if I would like to go with them.
I was asked if I …
Menu
Preliminary considerations
Uses
Tense formation
Tense forms
The use of - by
Direct and Indirect objects .
The Passive Voice
Preliminary considerations
Uses
Tense formation
Tense forms
The use of - by
Direct and Indirect objects .
Preliminary considerations
Only transitive verbs ( those which may take an object ) can be used in the passive voice.
In English the passive voice is much more used than in Spanish.
Spanish uses a kind of “passive” with “se” while English uses a normal passive voice.
When the subject is unknown, English – unlike Spanish – uses the passive voice.
When an active verb may take a direct and an indirect object, English uses a passive which is never heard in Spanish.
Menu
Uses of the Passive in English
When the action is more important than the agent .
When the agent is obvious , unknown , or simply not important .
When we don’t want to mention who did the action .
Menu
When the action
is more important than
the agent ,
so that it looks more impersonal .
The room must be cleaned .
The tickects were sold .
Sugar is added after the water has been boiled.
The bridge was eventually built.
When the agent is
obvious ,
unknown
or simply
not important
My house has been painted .(obviously by a painter)
My purse was stolen. (I don’t know who did it)
The letters were typed. (No matter who did it, what matters is that they finally were typed)
When, for some reason,
we don’t want to mention
who did the action;
like, for example,
to avoid pointing out
who is responsible for it.
The boys were punished. (for some reason, what is important is the action, not who punished them)
Our tickets were lost. (like this I avoid saying who lost them)
New ideas have been presented with great success. (By using the passive, the speaker avoids mentioning the author, mainly if it is the speaker himself)
1) Simple Tense Shakespeare wrote Hamlet Hamlet (Simple Past) was The main verb always in the Past Participle written Shakespeare by Aux. Be in the same tense (Simple Past)
2) Perfect Tense The Council has invested a lot of money A lot of money (Present Perfect) has been The main verb always in the Past Participle invested the Council by Aux. Be in the same tense (Present Perfect)
3) With a Modal Auxiliary I should have done the homework The homework (Perfect Infinitive) have been The main verb always in the Past Participle done me ) ( by Aux. Be in the same tense (Perfect Infinitive) Modal Modals remain invariable should Menu
Examples will be kept will keep future had been kept had kept Past perfect have been kept have kept Present perfect was being kept was keeping Past continuous was kept kept Simple past is being kept is keeping Present continuous is kept keeps Simple present PASSIVE VOICE ACTIVE VOICE FORM would be kept would keep Conditional present having been kept having kept perfect participle being kept keeping gerund to have been kept to have kept perfect infinitive to be kept to keep present infinitive would have been kept would have kept Conditional past PASSIVE VOICE ACTIVE VOICE FORM
She keeps her room tidy.
Her room is kept tidy.
He is keeping the change in his pocket
The change is being kept in his pocket .
She kept her money in the wallet.
The money was kept in the wallet.
When the thief came in she was keeping the money in her wallet.
When the thief came in the money was being kept in her wallet .
He has kept all his money in a big hole.
All his money has been kept in a big hole.
By the time the thieves arrived he had already kept all his money safely.
By the time the thieves arrived all his money had already been kept safely.
She has promised her mother she will keep her room tidy at all times.
She has promised her mother her room will be kept tidy at all times.
He promised her he would keep her savings untouched.
He promised her her savings would be kept untouched.
He said he would have kept her savings untouched if he hadn’t been going to the casino.
He said her savings would have been kept untouched if he hadn’t been going to the casino.
She now says she can keep her money herself.
She now says her money can be kept by herself.
If she had known that, she could have kept it.
If she had known that, it could have been kept .
___________________________________
Most film stars hate being interviewed .
He didn’t like having been told about what to do.
Menu
THE USE OF by
a) When the person who does the action, the agent, is important. For example: an inventor, a writer, an artist, etc…
Shakespeare wrote these poems.
These poems were written by Shakespeare .
b) To introduce new information that had been omitted previously.
While we were studying, we were bothered by several students
c) To talk about a plan or method.
These exercises can be improved by adding more information .
Menu
Direct & Indirect objects
Some verbs, like give, lend, offer, send, promise, show are usually followed by two objects, one is a person – indirect – and the other is a thing – direct .
In these cases, the passive in English takes the indirect object as its new subject.
The same pattern follow the verbs: tell, ask.
Direct & Indirect objects
They gave John a warm welcome .
John was given a warm welcome.
My parents have promised me a holiday by the beach if I don’t fail any subjects.
I have been promised a holiday by the ...
They told me not to move or they would kill me .
I was told not to move or I would be killed.
They asked me if I would like to go with them.
I was asked if I …
Menu