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Passive Voice 1º Bach

Elena Ramos

Created on March 24, 2025

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Transcript

PASSIVE VOICE

1º BACHILLERATO

CONTENTS

Active vs Passive

Uses

Tenses

Active to Passive Voice

Affirmative, Interrogative, Negative forms

Formal Structure (reporting Verb)

Causative

Practice

ACTIVE vs passive

The Eiffel Tower

was built

Gustave Eiffel

built

the Eiffel Tower

by Gustave Eiffel

in 1881.

in 1881.

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

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

Compare...

ACTIVE VOICE

PASSIVE VOICE

In the passive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb:E.g. The mouse is being chased by the cat. In the passive, the performer of the action is the agent. If we mention it, igt's introduced by "by".

In the active voice, the subject performs the action of the verb.E.g. The cat is chasing the mouse.

VS

We use the passive...

  • to emphasize the action or recepient:
The film was shot here.
  • when the subject of the verb is unknown or irrelevant:
My computer was repaired last week.
  • to make a more polite / formal statement:
Your car hasn't been cleaned.
The passive is formed with the appropriate form of the verb to be + past participle

ACTIVE TO PASSIVE...

ONE OBJECT

TWO OBJECTS

If there are two objects, both can become the subject in the passive voice, however, it is more common for the Indirect Object to become subject: The guide showed the tourists the city. The tourists were shown the city (by the guide). The city was shown to the tourists. (less frequent)

The object in the active becomes the subject in the passive. The cat is chasing the mouse. The mouse is being chased by the cat.

VS

AFFIRMATIVE / NEGATIVE / INTERROGATIVE

NEGATIVE

INTERROGATIVE

AFFIRMATIVE

Subject+negative to be+past participleThe meeting wasn't cancelled (by the manager). The meeting hasn't been cancelled (by the manager).

to be + subject + past participle ? Was the meeting cancelled (by the manager)? Has the meeting been cancelled (by the manager)?

Subject+to be+past participle The meeting was cancelled (by the manager).

FORMAL STRUCTURE (reporting verbs)... with verbs such as believe, think, say, know, report or expect

structure 1

STRUCTURE 2

Subject + Passive verb + infinitive: People believed that witches communicated with the devil. Wirtches were believed / were said to communicate with the devil.

It + passive verb + THAT clause. People believed that witches communicated with the devil. It was believed that witches communicated with the devil.

VS

CAUSATIVE...

HAVE / GET SOMETHING DONE

We use the causative to talk about something that someone did for us or for another person. It is often used for services

1. He's cleaning his car. 2. He's having / getting his car cleaned

TIME TO PRACTICE!

Exercises