Using passive voice. Passive voice

There are two voices in English: Active voice (active voice) and Passive voice (passive voice). How these pledges differ from each other is most easily explained using an example:

The storm uprooted the tree. The storm uprooted the tree.

The tree was uprooted by the storm. The tree was uprooted by a storm.

In the first sentence, the subject "storm" itself performed some action, in this case it is "uprooted". Here " storm" is subject – « agent», who performed the action.

In the second case, the action occurred on the subject. Here the subject is " tree" is object (« bearer») on which the action was performed.

Here are more examples:

So, in what cases is it customary to use the passive voice in English?

The method of forming the passive voice in English:

Verb to be (in the appropriate tense) + V3 (Participle II):

The Passive Voice

Formation of the passive voice form

The passive voice of verbs in various tense forms is formed using the verb be + past participle (Past Participle). The rules for choosing tenses in the passive voice are the same as in the active voice. For example, if the sentence is about an action happening at the present moment, then the verb will be used in the form of the present continuous tense Present Continuous in both the active and passive voice.

Forms of the passive voice depending on tense:

Present Simple: am/are/is + Past Participle

The bestseller is sold in many countries.
This bestseller is sold in many countries.

Present Continuous: am/are/is + being + Past Participle

The museum is being reconstructed now.
The museum is currently being restored.

Past Simple: was/were + Past Participle

The documents were stolen last week.
The documents were stolen last week.

Past Continuous: was/were + being + Past Participle

The museum was being reconstructed in Decembe r.
Reconstruction took place in December museum.

Present Perfect Simple: have/has + been + Past Participle

The prediction rules have already been defined.
The principles of forecasting were already defined.

Past Perfect Simple: had + been + Past Participle

The sushi had been delivered when we came back home.
The sushi had already been delivered when we got home.

Future Simple: will + be + Past Participle

The contract will be signed tomorrow. The contract will be signed tomorrow.

Future Simple in the Past: would + be + Past Participle

He said that the contact would be signed tomorrow.
He said that the contract would be signed tomorrow.

Future Perfect: will + have been + Past Participle

The food will be delivered by 10 o’clock. The products will be delivered by 10 o'clock.

Future Perfect in the Past: would + have been + Past Participle

He said that the food would have been delivered by 10 o’clock.
He said that the food would be delivered by 10 o'clock.

Perfect Continuous tenses are not used in the passive voice. They try to replace them with the Perfect group or use them in the active voice, using the formal subject they/one:

By the next month they will have been Invest i gating the murder for over a year.
Next month it will be almost a year since theinvestigation of this murder.

The passive voice is used when the speaker's attention is concentrated on the person or thing on which the action is performed, and not on the person or thing that performs the action:

Someone locks the office every evening. Someone closes the office every evening. (Active voice)

The office is locked every evening. The office is closed every evening. (Passive voice)

Some one has invited Tom to the party. Someone invited Tom to a party. (Active voice)

Tom has been invited to the party. Tom was invited to a party. (Passive voice)

It should be noted that the object of a verb in the active voice (the office, Tom) becomes the subject in the passive form.

Using the Passive Voice

1. The passive voice is used when it is not known which person or thing is the producer of the action:

His house was robbed two days ago. His house was robbed two days ago.
(The speaker does not know who robbed the house.)

1. The passive voice is used when there is no need to mention the person or thing that performs the action, or when the performer of the action is not of interest:

Them in eral water side livered to the hotel every morning.
Mineral water is suppliedto the hotel every morning.
(There is no need to mention who the mineral water supplier is).

1. The passive voice is used when it is clear from the context who or what is performing the action:

Football is played allover the world. Football is played all over the world.
(Everyone understands that football players play football).

After modal verbs, as well as after other constructions (for example, going to; have to; want to; would like to) be + Past participle is used:

The work cannot be done. This work cannot be done.

He does not want to be disturbed. He doesn't want to be bothered.

To express the past tense, the passive Perfect Infinitive form is used:

We should have been to ld about the danger.
We should have been told about the danger.

There is also an –ing form in the passive voice: being + Past Participle

I don't like being cheated. I do not like being fooled.

He hates being shouted at. He hates being yelled at.

Verbs with two objects in the passive voice

Some verbs can have two objects after them. These include the verbs offer, send, pay, promise, teach, tell, show, give.

In such cases, you can form two different sentences in the passive voice:

Someone showed me the way. Someone showed me the way.
(me and the way are two additions)

1. I was shown the way. They showed me the way.
2. The way was shown to me. The path was shown to me.

In English, it is preferable to start a sentence with a person, so the first sentence sounds more natural.

If there is a need to mention in a sentence a person or thing performing an action, then a preposition is used to introduce it into the sentence by:

‘Imagine’ was composed and sung by John Lennon.
Composed and sang the song “Imagine” John Lennon.

If there is a need to mention an object in a sentence, such as a tool necessary to perform an action or a material with which the action is performed, a preposition is used with:

He was hit with an umbrella. He was hit with an umbrella (weapon)

The safe was blown with dynamite. The safe was blown up with dynamite (gun)

The cake was made with dried fruit Cake made from dry fruits (material)

The garage was painted with a new kind of paint. The garage was painted with a new type of paint (material).

When it comes to what people think, say, believe, you can use two forms in the passive form. For example,

Active voice:

People say that Mr Ross is a good producer.
People

Passive 1: It + passive + that + clause:

It is said that Mr Ross is a good producer.
They say that Mr. Ross is a good director.

Passive 2: Subject+ passive+ to infinitive:

Mr Ross is said to be a good producer.
They say that Mr. Ross is a good director.

Usually these forms in the passive voice are used in formal style

With the following verbs: say, think, report, expect, believe, claim, know, understand,

It is reported that the president is seriously ill.
The President is reported to be seriously ill.

A new law is expected to be introduced next year.
The new law is expected to be adopted next year.

He is supposed to have been married before. It is believed that he was previously married.

Construction “Havesomethingdone"

This construction is used to express a situation in which other people are involved in performing some action.

It is formed as follows:

Have + object (direct object) + Past Participle:

I must have my glasses mended.
My glasses need to be fixed.

We had our computer serviced last week.
Our computer was repaired last week.

I’m having a garage built at the moment.
They are building my garage now.

However, this construction can be used when no one is involved in performing the action, but when something unpleasant or unexpected happens to someone:

I had my leg broken when I fell off the ladder.
I broke my leg when I fell down the stairs.

Peter had his flat burgled while he was out at work.
Peter's apartment was robbed while he was at work.

Today we will learn how to construct phrases in such a way as to emphasize the impact on any animate or inanimate object.

The article contains explanations of the rules and exercises.

Active, Passive Voice in English: definition

What are active and passive voices? Active and Passive Voice - grammatical forms that determine how an object relates to an action, or how the effect produced relates to the object in a phrase. Present in any language. Known in English as:

• Active Voice.
• Passive Voice.

The active, or so-called active, voice is used most often: the author of the act performed is the subject, and the action itself is the predicate. The noun is active because it itself makes an impact on someone or something.

Mike is doing his homework at the moment. - Mike is doing homework at the moment.

Passive Voice - passive, or so-called The noun is used as an object, and the action is used as a predicate, the influence is exerted on someone or something.

The homework is being done by Mike at the moment. - Mike is doing his homework at the moment.

Usage options

The passive voice complicates the perception of the statement too much, so the excessive use of such a grammatical form is not very welcome. However, there are certain options when it is impossible to do without using the passive voice:

• The author of the act carried out is unknown (the act was carried out anonymously, it is unclear who or what caused the impact):

This book was ripped yesterday. - This book was torn yesterday.

• The author of the impact is not significant (the person who performed the impact is not important):

The project will be finished by tomorrow. - The project will be finished tomorrow.

• The author of the action is already clear (obvious from the context):

The burglar was arrested last month. - The burglar was arrested last month.

• We care about the action itself, but not about the author (in news headlines and announcements, when we are interested in what happened, and not who arranged it):

The jazz concert will be held on Tuesday. - The jazz concert will be held on Tuesday.

• The action can be carried out by anyone (in recipes, instructions):

The milk is heated and added to the dough. - Milk is heated and added to the dough.

• In documents (in official announcements, abstracts):

This article is meant as an example of a research paper. - This article is presented as an example of a research paper.

Active and Passive Voice: Exercises

Task 1. Determine which rules of use are found in the following phrases, connect the number of the sentence with the letter of the rule. There may be several options, as can be seen from the picture.

Passive forms

Let us next consider the forms of the Passive Voice. The passive form of the predicate uses a part of speech denoting the action “to be” (“to be”) in the third person singular or plural of a specific tense (for example, “is”, “are”) and the main (semantic) part of speech denoting the effect exerted, in the third form.

The part of speech denoting the action “to be” changes to the corresponding form when the time in which the act of action is carried out changes. The semantic part of speech denoting the effect remains unchanged: it is always used as In English, this form of the part of speech denoting the action is called Past Participle or Participle II.

Parts of speech denoting the action performed are divided into two types: regular and incorrect. The latter are exceptions to the grammatical rule for the formation of certain tense forms.

The third form of regular parts of speech denoting action looks similar to the past tense: - ed is added at the end:

• to love - loved;
• to play - played.

Irregular parts of speech denoting action have a special third form that must be remembered in each particular case. At the initial stage, you can use a special exclusion table. But the most frequently occurring parts of speech, denoting the action performed, which are quickly remembered, are incorrect:

• to drink - drunk;
• to eat - eaten.

The part of speech denoting the action “to be” in the passive voice goes through the same changes as the predicate in the active voice. A good clue for determining the time of impact is adverbs of time (including adverbs of frequency).

When constructing questions, the part of speech denoting the action performed is placed before the subject. When asking a question, think first about the effect being carried out, and then about the object or subject on which it is being carried out.

In negatives, the particle “not” follows the auxiliary part of speech, denoting the action “to be”. Under no circumstances should you make the most common mistake and put the main part of speech denoting impact before “not”! In this case, “not” comes before the main verb, it divides auxiliary and main verbs.

Passive voice and tenses

As we can observe, only the part of speech that denotes the action “to be” changes. The main part of speech denoting action does not change.

Another important observation is that not all tense groups are present in the passive voice. In the following cases they need to be replaced:

• Present Perfect Continuous is replaced by:

He has been cooking this meal since 5 p.m. - This meal has been cooked since 5 p.m.

Translation: He has been preparing this food since 5:00 pm. - The food was prepared from 17:00.

• Past Perfect Continuous is replaced by Past Perfect:

Peter had been doing the research for 3 months. - The research had been done for 3 months.

Translation: Peter conducted the study for 3 months. - The study was carried out over 3 months.

• Future Continuous is replaced by Future Simple:

Tomorrow at 2 o’clock Helen will be cleaning this apartment. - This apartment will be cleaned tomorrow at 2 o’clock.

Translation: Helen will be cleaning this apartment at two o'clock tomorrow. - This apartment will be cleaned tomorrow at two o'clock.

• Future Perfect Continuous is replaced by Future Perfect:

Mike will have been driving the truck for 2 years by next week. - The truck will have been driven for 2 years by next week.

Translation: Mike will have been driving the truck for two years by next week. - The truck will have been in use for two years by next week.

Task 2. Put the verb “do” in the correct form.

Replacement of collateral

If you want to replace Active Voice - Passive Voice, that is, convert a phrase in the active voice to the passive form, you need to remember the features of the grammatical construction of voices.

In an active voice phrase, the subject comes first, the predicate comes second, and the object comes at the end. In the passive voice, the object takes the place of the subject.

Replacing Active Voice - Passive Voice is carried out in several stages:

• Determine which noun is the subject and which is the object:

Someone broke into their apartment yesterday.

• Determine at what time the impact occurs:

In our version - Past Simple.

• At the beginning of the phrase, put an object (instead of a subject), use the semantic part of speech denoting the effect in the third form, and place the part of speech denoting the action “to be” in front of it in the necessary tense form:

Their apartment was broken into yesterday.

The presence of two additions increases the number of options for constructing a phrase in the passive voice:

Nick brought Kate a book. - Nick brought Kate a book.

• Kate was brought a book. - A book was brought to Kate.
• A book was brought to Kate. - The book was brought by Kate.

Both options are acceptable, but it is better to use a form where the subject is an animate pronoun.

Task 3. Which voice is preferable to use in the following cases: Active Voice, Passive Voice?

Prepositions “by” and “with”

Additions are used in combination with these prepositions when it is necessary to mention who the author of the action is and in what ways the influence is carried out.

Sherlock Holmes was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. - Sherlock Holmes was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The preposition “with” indicates by what means (auxiliary materials or tools) the influence is performed:

The soup is stirred with a spoon. - Stir the soup with a spoon.

The use of these prepositions is optional, with the exception of questions beginning with the words “who” (by whom?) and “what” (with what?).

Who was Hercule Poirot created by? - Who created it

What was the fire caused by? - What caused the fire?

In the formal style of speech, prepositions are often placed at the beginning of the phrase:

By what was the fire caused? - What caused the fire?

By whom was Hercule Poirot created? - Who created Hercule Poirot?

With what is the soup stirred? - What do you use to stir the soup?

Task 4. Put the verbs in the correct form Active and Passive Voice.

Modal verbs

How they work the Passive Voice and modal verbs - we will analyze further. Modal verbs are never used independently, but only in combination with a part of speech denoting the effect produced, in the indefinite mood. If they are present in the description of the impact made, in the passive voice the part of speech denoting the impact produced is transformed:

modal verb + “be” + Participle II

She might start research in July. (She can start research in July.) - Her research might be started in July.

We should fill in that form by hand. (We must fill out this form by hand.) - That form should be filled in by hand.

If the phrase contains the following parts of speech indicating impact:

• to hear (hear);
• to help (help);
• to make (meaning “to force”);
• to see (to see),

after the main and auxiliary verbs there is one more in the indefinite mood (with the particle “to”):

I was made to clean the house. - I was forced to clean the house.

Mary will be helped to bake this cake. - Mary will be helped to bake this cake.

In this lesson we will examine a very complex grammatical topic - Active and Passive Voice in English. Simply put, voice is an indicator of whether the subject is performing the action or the action is being performed on it.

There are two forms of voice in English: the Active Voice and the Passive Voice.

In the active voice, the verb denotes an action that is performed by the subject:

• I read twenty pages yesterday.
• Yesterday I read twenty pages.

In the passive voice, the verb denotes an action that is performed on the subject:

• Twenty pages were read by me yesterday.
• Yesterday I read twenty pages.

Compare the following examples:

• They usually sing such songs in class. (Active Voice)
• They usually sing such songs in class.

• Such songs are usually sang by them in class. (Passive Voice)
• Such songs are usually sung by them in class.

• Has the manager checked up your report? (Active Voice)
• Did the manager check your report?

• Has your report been checked up by the manager? (Passive Voice)
• Has your report been reviewed by the manager?

If you have reached the topic of voices in English, then by now you have already learned the tense forms of the verb in Active Voice. You already know that there are a total of 12 main active tenses in the English language. Each tense is formed in its own way, using endings and auxiliary verbs. What does the system of tenses in the passive voice look like?

The passive voice also has a tense system. But unlike the active voice, there are only 8 tense forms in it. All Perfect Continuous tenses, as well as the Future Continuous tense, are not used in Passive Voice.

To form tenses of the passive voice, we need the auxiliary verb to be, which must have the appropriate form of the active voice, and the past participle of the semantic verb. You already know that the past participle is formed using the -ed ending for regular verbs, or use the III form of irregular verbs from the table, which you need to know by heart.

The passive voice formation scheme for all tenses is as follows: How are tense forms of the passive voice formed?

Below, as examples, are tables of conjugation of the verbs to promote and to choose in the passive voice (affirmative form).

Simple Tenses in the Passive Voice −
Simple tenses in passive voice

Continuous Tenses in the Passive Voice -
Long tenses in passive voice

Perfect Tenses in the Passive Voice -
Perfect tenses in passive voice

What verbs form Passive Voice forms?

All verbs in English have Active Voice forms. Not all verbs can form Passive Voice forms, mainly only Transitive Verbs.

Transitive verbs express an action directed at some object and take a direct, indirect or prepositional object.

Examples of transitive verbs in active and passive voices:

• Active: The pioneers have done much useful work on the collective farm.
• Passive: Much useful work has been done by the pioneers on the collective farm.

• Active: Jane’s friends gave her many presents for her birthday.
• Passive: Jane was given many presents for her birthday.

• Active: We shall build Communism in this country within the next twenty years.
• Passive: Communism will be built in this country within the next twenty years.

• Active: Everybody listened to the lecturer with great attention.
• Passive: The lecturer was listened to with great attention.

Intransitive Verbs express an action that characterizes the subject, but is not directed at any object. Intransitive verbs do not take objects. As a rule, they do not have passive voice forms or have them only in some cases.

Examples with intransitive verbs:

• We live in Russian Federation.
• I am a teacher.

There are verbs in English that, depending on their meaning, can be either transitive or intransitive. For example, the verb to grow meaning “to grow” is intransitive and does not form a passive voice form. In the meaning of “to grow” it is transitive and forms forms of the passive voice. Compare:

• Barley grows very fast - Barley grows very quickly (intransitive meaning, Active Voice)
• We grow many beautiful flowers in our small garden - We grow many beautiful flowers in our small garden (transitive meaning, Active Voice)
• Many beautiful flowers are grown in our garden - Many beautiful flowers are grown in our garden (transitive meaning, Passive Voice)

Constructions with verbs in Passive Voice

If a verb in Active Voice takes direct and indirect objects, then any of these objects can act as the subject of a sentence with a verb in Passive Voice.

Compare the following sentences:

1. My parents told me many interesting facts about our family’s past. (verb to tell in Active Voice; indirect object - me, direct object - facts)
2. I was told many interesting facts about our family’s past by my parents. (verb to tell in Passive Voice; the subject in sentence 2 corresponds to the indirect object in sentence 1 (I − me)
3. Many interesting facts about our family’s past were told to me by my parents. (verb to tell in Passive Voice; the subject in sentence 3 corresponds to the direct object in sentence 1 (facts - facts)

Type 2 sentences in Passive Voice use the following verbs: to allow - to allow, to ask - to ask, to award - to assign, to forbid - to prohibit, to forgive - to forgive, to give - to give, to offer - to offer, to pay - to pay, to present - to give, to show - to show, to teach - to teach, to tell - to speak.

• My big brother was given many presents for his birthday - My older brother was given many gifts for his birthday
• They were asked some questions at the enter-exams - They were asked a couple of questions at the entrance exams
• We will be taught Spanish next year - We will be taught Spanish next year
• I was shown the way by a small girl - The little girl showed me the way

In Russian, sentences of type 2 are not used in Passive Voice. Instead, indefinite personal sentences or personal sentences with a verb in Active Voice are used. Compare:

• We were told many interesting stories − We were told many interesting stories (vaguely personal sentence)
• We were told many stories by our teacher − Our teacher told us many stories (personal sentence with a verb in Active Voice)

If a verb in Active Voice takes a prepositional object, then the prepositional object can act as the subject of a sentence with a verb in Passive Voice (with the preposition placed after the verb). Compare:

• People speak much about that film - People talk a lot about that film (Active Voice)
• That film is much spoken about - They talk a lot about that film (Passive Voice)
• Olga liked to wear very short dresses, and she was often made fun of by her classmates - Olga liked to wear very short dresses, which is why her classmates often laughed at her

Sentences of this type are not found in Russian. Instead, indefinite personal sentences or personal sentences with a verb in Active Voice are used:

• He is waited for − They are waiting for him
• He is waited for by his friends − His friends are waiting for him

Using Passive Voice Forms

Sentences with a Passive Voice predicate are used in English when the main interest is the object undergoing the action (the object of the action) rather than the one doing the action (the subject of the action), as in sentences with the Active Voice verb.

In sentences with Passive Voice, the object of the action is the subject, and the subject of the action is either expressed by a prepositional object with the prepositions by/with, or is not mentioned at all.

Examples of sentences with a verb in Passive Voice, in which the subject of the action is not mentioned:

• Tennis is played all over the world − Tennis is played all over the world
• The wounded were flown to hospital − The wounded were sent to the hospital by plane
• I am told you’re a bad player − I was told that you are a bad player
• Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14 - Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14
• A new building is being built in my street - A new building is being built on my street

As you have probably already noticed, sentences of this type are translated into Russian as indefinite-personal sentences, or less often, sentences with a verb in the passive voice.

Examples of sentences with a verb in Passive Voice, in which the subject of the action is expressed by a prepositional object with the prepositions by/with:

• Many flowers were planted by our children last spring - Our children grew many flowers last spring
• The sky wasn’t covered with dark clouds - The sky was not covered with dark clouds
• The radio was invented by Popov In 1895 - Popov invented the radio in 1895

Tenses in the passive voice have the same meanings as the corresponding tenses in the active voice. The passive voice is used much more often in English than in Russian, where the same meaning is conveyed by indefinitely personal, impersonal or personal sentences with a verb in the active voice.

No matter how difficult the topic “Active and Passive Voice in English” may seem to you, you simply must master it, because The passive voice is very often used in both spoken and written English.

Watch the following video lessons on the topic: “Active and Passive Voice in English” (9 Votes: 4,11 out of 5)

IN active voice the subject denotes the performer of the action, the person or thing performing the described action, and the one to whom the action is directed, the so-called. The “receiver of the action” in a sentence is an object.

Most sentences have an active voice.

Offers active voice in English

performer of the action + I form of the verb + recipient of the action

For example:

The professor teaches the students.
The professor teaches to the students.

John washes the dishes.
John is washing the dishes.

Passive Voice

IN passive voice the subject is the person or thing being affected by another person or thing. In other words, the doer and recipient of the action are swapped, although the doer of the action may not be specified.

Offers passive voice in English are formed as follows:

action recipient + be + past participle

For example:

The students are taught.
Students are taught.

The dishes are washed.
The dishes are washed.

The passive voice is used:

1. Mainly in cases where the performer of the action is not mentioned in the sentence; it is either unknown, or the speaker does not consider it necessary to report it.

For example:

Is English spoken in many countries?
Is English spoken in many countries?

That book was written a few years ago.
This book was written several years ago.

2. When the performer of the action, although mentioned in the sentence, is not in the center of the speaker’s attention; a noun or pronoun expressing the given performer of the action is introduced by a preposition by. Please note that in the active voice the performer of the action was the subject, while in the passive voice he becomes the object.

For example:

The students are taught by the professor
A professor teaches students.

The dishes are washed by John.
John washes the dishes.

Also, in a passive voice sentence, another object can be used, attached by a preposition with, and describing how the action is performed, for example:

The dishes are washed with a bar of soap.
Dishes are washed with a bar of soap.

In English, the scope of use of verbs in the passive voice is much wider than in Russian. Thus, any verb that takes a direct or indirect object can be used in the passive voice.

For example:

I gave him a book. (I gave him the book.)
A book was given to him. (The book was given to him.) = He was given a book. (He was given a book.)

They showed me a beautiful picture. (They showed me a beautiful picture.)
A beautiful picture was shown to me. (A beautiful picture was shown to me.) = I was shown a beautiful picture. (I was shown a beautiful picture.)

In English, verbs that take a prepositional object can be used in the passive voice (for example: to attend to, to send for, and etc.). The proposed object is used as the subject of the passive phrase, and the preposition comes immediately after the verb.

For example:

She went after him. – He was gone after.
She followed him. - Let's go get him.

Ways to translate the passive voice into Russian

There are three ways to translate the passive voice into Russian:

1. Using the verb “ be” + short form of participle, for example:

Were his books translated into Russian?
Were are his books translated into Russian?

2. Verbs ending in –xia, For example:

Letters are delivered by mailmen.
Letters are delivered postmen.

3. Vaguely personal phrase (this method of translation is possible in cases where the performer of the action is not mentioned in the English sentence), for example:

They were taught French last year.
Their taught French last year.

Examples of active and passive voice

The table below shows examples of active and passive voice in all possible tenses. Please note that the passive voice is not used in the Present Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect Continuous, Future Perfect Continuous and Future Continuous.