Passive Voice

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Passive Voice
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• We will, of course, have to start with an
  explanation of the passive voice in English.
• Both English and Spanish have two voices active
  and passive.
• Active is when the subject is acting
• John hit the ball.
• Passive is when the subject is being acted upon
• John was hit by the ball.
• In the latter, the subject isnt doing anything
  something is happening to him.

3

• Your English teachers have told you to avoid
  using passive voice. Its weak, if its
  avoidable.
• For example, dont say,
• The cake was eaten by the children.
• Say,
• The children ate the cake.
• But if you want to say,
• Your cake was popular every last crumb was
  eaten.
• thats actually OK, because the subject isnt
  important. Who ate every last crumb? How would
  you reword that to be active voice? The people
  ate every last crumb? Thats really not what
  you want to emphasize here.

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• At any rate, the purpose here is for you to learn
  how to form the passive voice in Spanish.
• Its actually very easy. You use ser and the
  past participle
• La torta fue comida. The cake was eaten.
• The books were written. Los libros fueron
  escritos.
• Note that the past participle MUST agree in
  number and gender with the subject.
• Also remember that the past participle CANT
  change if you use a form of haber with it
• La torta fue comida.
• María ha comido la torta.

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• Click here to go to the Power Point on past
  participles if you need a review.
• Another important note although its usually in
  the preterit, the passive voice can be in any
  tense
• La torta será comida. The cake will be eaten.
• La torta ha sido comida. The cake has been
  eaten.
• La torta es comida. The cake is eaten.

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• Click here to go to a review of the past
  participle (along with the present perfect tense).

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• Now, dont let the way the homework is set up
  fool you.
• Make this sentence passive voice
• Juan abrió la puerta.
• La puerta fue abierta (por Juan).
• You go from
• John opened the door.
• to
• The door was opened (by John).
• Thats not hard, when you understand what youre
  doing. The homework sentences are not actually
  the greatest sentences, because if you can say
  who did the action, you really shouldnt use the
  passive voice. But the exercise is just to get
  you to practice forming the passive voiced.

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• Click here to go to your homework.