Passive voice

1. PASSIVE VOICE
Manoli López Álvarez

2. Use of the passive voice:
We use the passive voice in two situations:
1. When we don´t know who had realised the action.
Example:
– A civilian has been killed. (Un civil ha sido asesinado.)
2.When we want give more importance to it that
happened, that to who realised the action or when we
don´t want say who realised the action.
Example :
-A mistake was made. (Un error fue cometido.)

3. Grammatical rules:
1.The direct object of the active sentence proceed to be the
subject of the passive sentence.
2. The main verb is replaced for the “TO BE” verb, conjugated in
the same time that main verb of the active sentence, followed
of main verb in past participle.
3. The subject of the main sentence is agent complement of the
passive sentence.
4. If we mention in the sentence the subject, it will go precede
for the preposition “by”.
5. Too we must know that can´t use the passive voice with
intransitive verbs, like: "die", "arrive" or "go“.

4. We need know some rules:
-We have that know conjugate the verb “TO BE” in every the verbal times.
-The participle of the regular verbs, we it form with the Past Simple (-ed), and the
irregular verbs we use the verbs of third column.
- Structure to follow depending on verbal time of main verb.
MAIN VERB
STRUCTURE TO FOLLOW
Present Simple
Subject + Am, Are ó Is + past participle.
Past Simple
Subject+ Was ó Were + past participle.
Future
Subject+ Will be + past participle.
Going to
Subject + Am, Are ó Is + going to be + past participle.
Present Perfect
Subject + Have ó Has + been+ past participle.
Past Perfect
Subject + Had been + past participle.
Must
Subject+ must + be + past participle.
Can
Subject+ could + be+ past participle.
May
Subject + might + be + past participle.

5. Sentence one:
Active voice: He built the house.
S
V
DO
S
Passive voice: The house was built by him.
V
AGENT
COMPLEMENT

6. Sentence two, Going To:
Active voice : John is going to write the letter.
S
VERB
DO
Passive voice:The letter is going to be written by John.
S
VERB
AGENT
COMPLEMENT

7. Sentence three, Past Perfect:
Active voice : John had written the letter.
S
VERB
DO
Passive voice:The letter had been written by John.
S
VERB
AGENT
COMPLEMENT

8. Sentence four, Present Continuos:
Active voice John is writing the letter.
S
VERB
DO
Passive voice: The letter is being written by John.
S
VERB
AGENT
COMPLEMENT

9. Sentence five, Present Perfect:
Active voice John has written the letter.
S
DO
VERB
Passive voice: The letter has been written by John.
S
VERB
AGENT
COMPLEMENT