Passive Voice
How to make the Passive in English
We make the passive by putting the verb 'to be' into whatever
tense we need and then adding the past participle.
The key was found.
Mistakes were made.
The rooms were cleaned.
Verbs that have two objects can make two different active
sentences, and so two different passive sentences too:
Active: He gave me the book / He gave the book to me.
Passive: I was given the book (by him)/ The book was given to me
(by him).
Other verbs like this are: ask, offer, teach, tell, lend, promise, sell,
throw.
When should we use the Passive?
1. When we want to change the focus of the sentence:
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci. (We are more interested in the painting
than the artist in this sentence)
2. When who or what causes the action is unknown or unimportant or obvious or
'people in general':
He was arrested (obvious agent, the police).
My bike has been stolen (unknown agent).
The road is being repaired (unimportant agent).
The form can be obtained from the post office (people in general).
3. In factual or scientific writing:
The chemical is placed in a test tube and the data entered into the computer.
4. In formal writing instead of using someone/ people/ they (these can be used in
speaking or informal writing):
The brochure will be finished next month.
5. In order to put the new information at the end of the sentence to improve style:
Three books are used regularly in the class. The books were written by Dr. Bell.
Tense Active Passive
Present Simple I make a cake. A cake is made (by me).
Present Continuous I am making a cake. A cake is being made .
Past Simple I made a cake. A cake was made.
Past Continuous I was making a cake. A cake was being made.
Present Perfect I have made a cake. A cake has been made .
Past Perfect I had made a cake. A cake had been made.
Future Simple I will make a cake. A cake will be made .
Future-in the Past I would have made a cake. A cake would have been
Perfect made.
Future-in the Past I would make a cake A cake would be made.
simple
A cake will have been
Future Perfect I will have made a cake. made.
Change these sentences from active to passive:
1. People speak Portuguese in Brazil.
2. The Government is planning a new road near my house.
3. My grandfather built this house in 1943.
4. Picasso was painting Guernica at that time.
5. The cleaner has cleaned the office.
6. He had written three books before 1867.
7. John will tell you later.
8. By this time tomorrow we will have signed the deal.
9. Somebody should do the work.
10. The traffic might have delayed Jimmy.
11. Everybody loves Mr. Brown.
12. They are building a new stadium near the station.
13. The wolf ate the princess.
14. At six o’clock someone was telling a story.
15. Somebody has drunk all the milk!
16. I had cleaned all the windows before the storm.
17. A workman will repair the computer tomorrow.
18. By next year the students will have studied the passive.
19. James might cook dinner.
