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Structure of passive sentences



Passive Voice

The passive voice is less usual than the active voice. The active voice is the "normal" voice. But sometimes we need the passive voice. In this lesson we look at how to construct the passive voice, when to use it and how to conjugate it.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE PASSIVE VOICE

The structure of the passive voice is very simple:

subject + auxiliary verb (be) + main verb (past participle)

The main verb is always in its past participle form.

Look at these examples:

subject auxiliary verb (to be) + main verb (past participle)

- Water is drunk by everyone.
- 100 people are employed by this company.
- I am paid in euro.
- We are not paid in dollars.
- Are they paid in yen?
- He was killed with a gun.

We can form the passive in any tense. In fact, conjugation of verbs in the passive tense is rather easy, as the main verb is always in past participle form and the auxiliary verb is always be. To form the required tense, we conjugate the auxiliary verb. So, for example:

- Present simple: It is made
- Present continuous: It is being made
- Present perfect: It has been made

Here are some examples with most of the possible tenses:



Direct and indirect objects

If there are both direct and indirect objects in the active voice, the indirect object becomes the subject in the passive voice.
Active: My friend sent me a letter.
Passive: I was sent a letter by my friend. (Not: A letter was sent to me by my friend. This sentence does not sound natural in English.)
Similarly: They offer Trevor a place. - Trevor is offered a place.

The infinitive without to

In the active voice some verbs are followed by the infinitive without to. In the passive we use most such verbs with the infinitive with to.
Active: We saw them come. She made him do it.
Passive: They were seen to come. He was made to do it.
But: They let us go. - We were let go.

Use
The passive is used:
1. If the action is more important then the agent.
A demonstration has been held. This theatre was built in 1868.
The important thing is what happened, not who did it.

2. If the agent is not known.
He was offered a job. (someone offered him the job)
They are supposed to be good students. (some teachers suppose that)

The difference in meaning between the simple and continuous

A new house is built in our street. (The house is finished.)
A new house is being built in our street. (They are building it these days, it is not finished.)

I was being introduced to Mrs. Jones when her husband arrived. (Her husband arrived in the middle of the introduction.)
When her husband arrived I was introduced to Mrs. Jones. (Her husband arrived first and then she introduced me.)

Notes

This form is typical of an impersonal and formal style, that is why you can often find it in public notices, announcements, instructions or scientific articles.
English is spoken in this shop. Visitors are not allowed to smoke. The seal must be removed.

In a less formal style the active voice is more usual.
English is spoken in this shop. - We speak English in this shop.
He was seen in Dover. - They saw him in Dover.
The seal must be removed. - You must remove the seal.

In the English language this form is more frequent than in many other languages. Moreover, you can find some stuctures in English which are not possible in some languages.
I am told that you are going to have a baby. It is thought that the crises will end soon.

- Infinitive: to be washed
- Simple present: It is washed.
- Past: It was washed.
- Future: It will be washed.
- Conditional: It would be washed.
- Continuous present: It is being washed.
- Past: It was being washed.
- Future: It will be being washed.
- Conditional: It would be being washed.
- Perfect simple present: It has been washed.
- Past: It had been washed.
- Future: It will have been washed.
- Conditional: It would have been washed.
- Perfect continuous present: It has been being washed.
- Past: It had been being washed.
- Future: It will have been being washed.
- Conditional: It would have been being washed.