1. THE PASSIVE VOICE
BY JOSÉ MANUEL BRITO KOCH

2. WHEN WE SPEAK OR WRITE, WE CAN USE ACTIVE
VOICE OR PASSIVE VOICE.

3. IN THE ACTIVE VOICE THE MOST
IMPORTANT IS WHO MAKES THE
ACTION.
PETER PAINTS THE DOOR.
PETER AS SUBJECT IS WHO MAKES THE ACTION.

4. IN THE PASSIVE VOICE THE MOST
IMPORTANT IS THE ACTION.
THE DOOR IS PAINTED BY PETER.

5. TO CHANGE ACTIVES SENTENCES TO
PASSIVES SENTENCES.

6. RULES
WHEN WE MAKE PASSIVES SENTENCES, WE
MUST USE THE CORRECT FORM VERB TO BE
(AM, ARE, IS, WAS, WERE…) PLUS PAST
PARTICIPLE. TO FORM PAST PARTICIPLE WE
ADD “ED” TO THE INFINITIVE (REGULAR
VERB). WHEN THE VERB IS IRREGULAR WE
USE THE THIRD COLUMN.

7. PETER PAINTS THE DOOR
PETER= SUBJECT
PAINTS = VERB
THE DOOR= OBJET
FIRST WE PUT THE OBJET AS SUBJECT.
THE DOOR …………………………

8. THE DOOR IS…………………
SECOND WE PUT THE VERB TO BE IN THE CORRECT FORM. IN THIS EXAMPLE,
THE ACTIVE VOICE IS IN PRESENT SIMPLE, WE PUT THE VERB TO BE IN
PRESENT SIMPLE TO THE PASSIVE VOICE.

9. THE DOOR IS PAINTED………
NOW WE MUST PUT THE MAIN VERB IN PAST PARTICIPLE.
REGULARS VERBS = +ED
IRREGULARS VERBS = THIRD COLUMN

10. THE DOOR IS PAINTED BY PETER.
FINALLY WE CAN SAY WHO MAKES THE ACTION. BUT IT ISN’T IMPORTANT.

11. TO CHANGE ACTIVE VOICE TO PASSIVE
VOICE WE MUST SEE THE TENSE.
NOW, WE ARE GOING TO SEE DIFFERENT
FORMS.

12. PRESENT SIMPLE ACTIVE : PAINT(S) ------- AM/IS/ARE PAINTED
PRESENT CONTINUOUS ACTIVE : AM/IS/ARE PAINTING ------- AM/IS/ARE BEING
PAINTED.
PRESENT PERFECT ACTIVE : HAVE/HAS PAINTED ------ HAVE/HAS BEEN PAINTED.
PAST SIMPLE ACTIVE : PAINTED ------- WAS/WERE PAINTED.
PAST PERFECT ACTIVE : HAD PAINTED ----- HAD BEEN PAINTED.
PAST CONTINUOUS ACTIVE : WAS/WERE PAINTING ------- WAS/WERE BEING
PAINTED.

13. FUTURE I ACTIVE :WILL PAINT ----- WILL BE PAINTED.
FUTURE II ACTIVE : WILL HAVE PAINTED ---- WILL HAVE BEEN PAINTED.
CONDITIONAL I ACTIVE : WOULD PAINT ----- WOULD BE PAINTED.
CONDITIONAL II ACTIVE : WOULD HAVE PAINTED ---- WOULD HAVE BEEN PAINTED.
MODAL VERB ACTIVE : CAN/ MUST/NEED TO/ ETC. PAINT ----- CAN/ MUST/NEED TO/ ETC.
BE PAINTED

14. EXAMPLES

15. SIMPLE PAST ACTIVE : PETER PAINTED THE DOOR --- THE DOOR WAS PAINTED
BY PETER.
PAST PERFECT ACTIVE : PETER HAD PAINTED THE DOOR --- THE DOOR HAD
BEEN PAINTED BY PETER.
PAST CONTINUOUS ACTIVE : PETER WAS PAINTING THE DOOR --- THE DOOR WAS
BEING PAINTED BY PETER.
FUTURE I ACTIVE : PETER WILL PAINT THE DOOR --- THE DOOR WILL BE PAINTED
BY PETER.
CONDITIONAL I ACTIVE : PETER WOULD PAINT THE DOOR --- THE DOOR WOULD
BE PAINTED BY PETER.
MODAL VERB ACTIVE : PETER CAN PAINT THE DOOR --- THE DOOR CAN BE
PAINTED BY PETER.

16. THE END