1. PASSIVE VOICE (pv)
VERSUS
ACTIVE VOICE (av)
Revised version by Nur Garriga NGS

2. http://www.justin-fisher.com

3. ACTIVE PASSIVE
present simple: He feeds the dogs twice a day. The dogs are fed twice a day.
Present continuous: He is feeding the dogs now. The dogs are being fed now.
past simple: He fed the dog yesterday. The dog was fed yesterday.
Past continuous: She was brushing my hair. My hair was being brushed (by her).
present perfect simple: He has fed the dog. The dog has been fed.
future simple: He will feed the dog. The dog will be fed.
modal: He should feed the dog. The dog should be fed.

4. NGS:
Passive
Voice
4
PASSIVE VOICE (PV) Basics
The Auxiliary TO BE + the main Verb in Past Participle
Passive Voice (PV) v. Active Voice (AV)
Preposition BY (to express who carries out the action).
*the auxiliary (to be) in the PASSIVE VOICE USES THE SAME VERB TENSE
THAN THE main verb in the ACTIVE VOICE (AV)
As you can see in the example above:
eats (present simple) = are (present simple)
*Wacth out! IN THE REPORTED SPEECH:
THE MAIN VERB GOES A STEP BACK INTO THE PAST.
AV: Subject + Verb + (Direct Object) She eats apples.
PV: Subject + Aux. to Be + Verb in
past participle + (BY + Indirect
Object) or + WITH + Object
1. Apples are eaten (by her).
2. The chicken is stuffed with apples.

5. CONTRAST
ACTIVE VOICE
Main Verb
PEOPLE ALWAYS DRINK WATER.
(main verb: present simple)
PEOPLE MUST DRINK WATER.
(modal verb: STAYS THE SAME)
(main verb: infinitive)
A THIEF STOLE THE CAR.
(main verb: past simple)
SHARP WAS GIVING ME LOTS
OF OPPORTUNITIES when…
(main verb: past continuous)
PASSIVE VOICE
Auxiliary To BE [in the verb tense of
the main verb (AV)] + Past Participle
(of the main verb of the AV)
WATER IS ALWAYS DRUNK (BY PEOPLE ).
WATER MUST BE DRUNK (BY PEOPLE).
A CAR WAS STOLEN (BY A THIEF).
LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES WERE BEING
GIVEN TO ME BY SHARP, when …

6. WHY do we need PV?
•To emphasize the action rather than who or what carries it out.
•To bring forward the most important idea.
•We omit BY when THE AGENT is:
–Unknown
–Not important
–Obvious
Some Sentences need BY + AGENT such as
This car is manufactured by Mercedes.
NGS: Passive Voice 6

7. Process from Active to Passive
1. Identify the Direct Object (DO) in AV
2. Put this DO at the beginning of the PV as the
Subject
3. Identify the Vb Tense in the AV
4. Use the same Vb tense with the auxiliary in the
PV
Vb to Be + Past Participle of the main Vb of the Active Sentence
1. Decide whether we need to use BY + AGENT
NGS: Passive Voice 7

8. VERBS with TWO OBJECTS
•Many Sentences only have one O.
•Some Sentences two: DO & IO such as
give, lend, offer, pay, promise, teach, tell, send
Someone sent us this ad.
When the AV has: DO + IO Two Subjects in the PV
This ad was sent to us. We were sent this ad.
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NGS: Passive Voice

9. Passive with REPORTING VERBS
•To report feelings and beliefs
Verbs: accept, believe, expect, hope, know, say, think
IMPERSONAL SENTENCES
1.Subj + PASSIVE reporting Vb + to + infinitive + (O)
Advertising is thought to be effective.
2.IT + PASSIVE reporting Vb + that + S
It is thought that advertising is effective.
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NGS: Passive Voice

10. HAVE / GET something DONE
•GET is more informal
•Structure: have /get (in any verb form) + DONE or any Vb in past participle
USE:
Causative: actions we are unable to do ourselves or prefer not to do ourselves.
•I haven’t had my house decorated yet.
•Are you going to get your ears pierced?
•We are having our house painted. (by a painter)
Note: When someone (so) does something (sth) unusual, we can add a reflexive
pronoun (like myself) for emphasis.
We are building our house ourselves.
They are building their house themselves.
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NGS: Passive Voice

11. FOR NOW
THE END