the passive voice

Time for super grammar!

The passive voice

start

index

1. active voice

2. passive voice

Let's have a look at the first point: the active voice!

3. comparing active and passive

4. From active to Passive sentences

5. the tense

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

Exercise 4

01

subject

Look at this sentence:

verb

Gustave Eiffel built the Eiffel tower in 1881.

object

time adverbial

This sentence is in the active voice. Click on each word group to discover its function in the sentence.

Next

02

subject

Look at this sentence:

verb

This tower was built by Gustave Eiffel in 1881.

agent

time adverbial

This sentence is in the passive. Click on each word group to discover its function in the sentence.

Next

active voice

Passive voice

• When we use a passive verb, we say what happens to the subject.

• When we use an active verb, we say what the subject does.

Example: The Metropolis bank was broken into yesterday evening, and $5 million was stolen.

Example: The Joker broke into the Metropolis bank yesterday evening and stole $5 million.

• If we know who did the action, we use an agent ("by the Joker"). If we don't know that, we don't mention the agent.

Next

From active to passive

Follow these steps

1. Find the object in the active sentence
2. This will become the subject of the passive sentence.
3. Use "be + past participle" to add the verb. Respect the tenses (here, "be" must be used in the past simple)
4. the subject of the active sentence becomes the agent in the passive sentence

Batman stopped the Joker.

The Joker ...

The Joker was stopped ...

The Joker was stopped by Batman.

Next

Tense

02

Past simple passive

Past simple active

01

These computers were produced by Lenovo.

Lenovo produced these computers.

Next

No!

Try again...

Exercise 1

1) 200 people were employed by the company. 2) Somebody cleans this room every day. 3) The thief was finally arrested last week. 4) The ennemy was defeated. 5) The White House was built in 1792. 6) I am tall and I have blond hair. 7) Many accidents were caused by careless driving. 8) We were woken up by a loud noise during the night. 9) The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling, was a best seller. 10) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone was published in 1997.

Do you recognise the passive voice? Tick only on the passive sentences!

check

-> next

Well done!

Exercise 2

Choose the correct proposition for each sentence.

QUESTION 1 OF 4

These smartphones ..... in Hong Kong

were made

didn't make

made

RIGHT ANSWER!

NEW SUPERPOWER!

NEXT

QUESTION 2 OF 4

The book ... by all the students.

were read

was reading

has been read

RIGHTANSWER!

NEW SUPERPOWER!

NEXT

QUESTION 3 OF 4

His office ... yesterday morning.

has been cleaned

was cleaned

doesn't be cleaned

RIGHTANSWER!

NEW SUPERPOWER!

NEXT

QUESTION 4 OF 4

How ... this word ...?

was... translate

have... been translated

was...translated

RIGHTANSWER!

NEW SUPERPOWER!

NEXT

RIGHTANSWER!

NEW SUPERPOWER!

NEXT

WRONGANSWER!

TRY AGAIN?

CONGRATULATIONS!

YOU HAVE Gathered ALL THE POWERS in this exercise!

Next

No!

Try again...

Exercise 3

Complete the missing verb in the right tense (do not use weak forms) so that the passive sentence has the same meaning as the active sentence.

check?

1) In the USA, elections for president in 2020. 2) ... we by a lot of cars. 3) ... it by trees. 4) Most of the house's surface by water. 5) The situation was serious. Something before it is too late. 6) I didn't realise that we ! 7) A new hospital near the airport. 8) My bike yesterday! 9) When we got to the stadion, we found that the game 10) Our roof by a storm

1) In the USA, they hold elections for president in 2020. 2) Although we were driving fast, a lot of cars overtook us. 3) You couldn't see the old house from the road: trees hid it. 4) Water covered most of the house's surface. 5) The situation was serious. We did something before it was too late! 6) I didn't realise that somebody recorded us! 7) They built a new hospital near the airport. 8) Somebody stole my bike yesterday! 9) When we got to the stadion, we found that they had cancelled the game. 10) A storm damaged our roof last night.

Next

Well done!

thanks!