The Passive Voice

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• The Passive Voice

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• (A.) The teacher returned the exams on Monday.
• (B.) The exams were returned on Monday.
• The two sentences have basically the same
  meaning, but the emphasis changes according to
  which subject the writer uses. In sentence (A),
  the writer focuses on the teacher, while in
  sentence (B) the focus is on the exams.

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• Forming the Passive Voice
• The passive voice is formed with the verb be
  past participle. The tense is shown by the form
  of the verb be. The verb be must agree with the
  subject.
• An outstanding student is awarded the
  scholarship every year.
• Shannon was awarded the scholarship last night.
• This is not a past tense ed.

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• The Simple Present
• am / is / are past participle
• The newspaper is read throughout the world.

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• The Present Progressive
• am / is / are being past participle
• The new library is being built.

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• The Present Perfect
• has / have been past participle
• The house has been painted recently.

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• The Simple Past
• was / were past participle
• The books were returned to the library on time.

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• The Past Progressive
• was / were being past participle
• By the time I got to the plane, the doors were
  being closed.

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• The Past Perfect
• had been past participle
• The dinner had been prepared before we arrived.

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• The Simple Future
• will be past participle
• We will be tested on this material.

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• Be going to
• am / is / are going to be past participle
• The show is going to be held next month.

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• The Future Perfect
• will have been past participle
• We will have been given the assignment details by
  then.

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• Using Modals in the Passive Voice
• Present/future
• modal be past participle
• The computer can be upgraded.
• Past modals
• modal have been past participle
• The traffic delays must have been caused by
• snow.

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• Using Infinitive Gerunds with the Passive Voice
• verb infinitives
• verb to be past participle
• The children like to be kissed before going to
  bed.
• verb gerunds
• gerund being past participle
• He dislikes being treated like a child.

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• The verb be is followed by ing (the present
  participle) to form the progressive.
• We are planning our next vacation.
• They were living in Guadalajara last year.
• The verb be is followed by ed (the past
  participle) to form the passive.
• Essays are turned in every Monday.
• My essay was turned in yesterday.

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• Using the Passive Voice
• Use the passive voice in the following
  circumstances
• When the person or thing doing the action is
  obvious, unknown, or unimportant.
• Many trees were planted to replace those lost in
  the fire.
• The house was built in 1850.
• Tobacco is grown in the South.

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• 2. When you dont want to mention the person
  doing the action.
• Several failing grades were received in ESL 184.
• The information was given to the police
  investigator.
• The new law was passed without our knowledge.

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• 3. When you want to emphasize the receiver of
  the action or the result of the action.
• International students are housed in the homes of
  local families.
• A new computer system is being installed to
  improve our computers speed.
• Children can be taught good manners at an early
  age.

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• 4. When you are describing a process.
• The specimens were collected and placed on a
  slide.
• The eggs are beaten until they are creamy.
• The wheel is attached to the axle before the nuts
  are tightened.

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• Only transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct
  object) can be used in the passive voice.
  Intransitive verbs cannot be made passive. Do not
  use these verbs in the passive voice.
• appear belong exist seem
• arrive come happen sleep
• be die occur rise

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• Correct the errors in the passive voice.
• I was transfer to another math class.
• Bacterial infections were existed before man.
• Many new books are writing every year.
• The award will be gave at the ceremony.
• I hope to accept at this university.