In English, verbs can be used in different voices to indicate the relationship between the subject and the action. One of the most common voices is the active voice, where the subject performs the action of the verb. For example, “The cat chased the mouse.” However, another useful and often necessary construction is the passive voice. In passive voice, the subject of the sentence is acted upon by the verb. For instance, “The mouse was chased by the cat.” Understanding how to use passive voice verbs correctly can enhance your writing and communication skills, making your language more versatile and nuanced.
What is the Passive Voice?
The passive voice is a grammatical construction where the object of an action becomes the subject of the sentence. Instead of focusing on who is performing the action, the passive voice emphasizes the action itself and the recipient of the action. For example, the active sentence “The chef cooked the meal” can be transformed into the passive sentence “The meal was cooked by the chef.”
In passive constructions, the verb phrase typically includes a form of the verb “to be” followed by a past participle. This structure shifts the focus from the doer of the action (the agent) to the receiver of the action.
Forming the Passive Voice
To form the passive voice, follow these steps:
1. Identify the object of the active sentence.
2. Move the object to the subject position.
3. Use the appropriate form of the verb “to be” (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been) according to the tense of the original active verb.
4. Add the past participle of the main verb.
5. Optionally, include the agent (the doer of the action) using “by.”
For example, let’s convert the active sentence “The teacher explains the lesson” into passive voice:
1. Identify the object: “the lesson.”
2. Move the object to the subject position: “The lesson.”
3. Determine the correct form of “to be”: “is” (present tense).
4. Add the past participle of “explain”: “explained.”
5. Optionally, include the agent: “by the teacher.”
So, the passive sentence is: “The lesson is explained by the teacher.”
When to Use the Passive Voice
The passive voice is particularly useful in several contexts:
1. **When the agent is unknown or irrelevant:** “The window was broken.” Here, it is not important who broke the window.
2. **When the focus is on the action or the recipient:** “The book was published in 2020.” The emphasis is on the book and its publication date, rather than who published it.
3. **When the agent is obvious or already known:** “The suspect was arrested.” It is understood that the police are usually the ones who arrest suspects.
4. **To maintain a formal tone or avoid assigning blame:** “Mistakes were made.” This is a way to acknowledge errors without directly blaming anyone.
Common Passive Voice Tenses
The passive voice can be used in various tenses. Here are some examples:
Present Simple
Active: “The company produces smartphones.”
Passive: “Smartphones are produced by the company.”
Past Simple
Active: “The team won the match.”
Passive: “The match was won by the team.”
Future Simple
Active: “The manager will announce the results.”
Passive: “The results will be announced by the manager.”
Present Continuous
Active: “They are building a new bridge.”
Passive: “A new bridge is being built by them.”
Past Continuous
Active: “The scientists were conducting an experiment.”
Passive: “An experiment was being conducted by the scientists.”
Present Perfect</h3
Active: "They have completed the project."
Passive: "The project has been completed by them."
Past Perfect
Active: “She had written the report.”
Passive: “The report had been written by her.”
Future Perfect
Active: “They will have finished the work by tomorrow.”
Passive: “The work will have been finished by tomorrow.”
Passive Voice with Modals
Modals (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) can also be used in passive voice constructions. The structure is similar to forming the passive voice in different tenses, but you include the modal before the verb “to be.” Here are some examples:
Present Modal
Active: “You can solve the problem.”
Passive: “The problem can be solved by you.”
Past Modal
Active: “They should have completed the task.”
Passive: “The task should have been completed by them.”
Passive Voice in Different Sentence Types
The passive voice can be used in various sentence types, including questions, negative sentences, and imperative sentences.
Questions
To form questions in the passive voice, invert the subject and the form of “to be.” For example:
Active: “Did the chef cook the meal?”
Passive: “Was the meal cooked by the chef?”
Negative Sentences
To make a passive sentence negative, add “not” after the form of “to be.” For example:
Active: “The team did not win the match.”
Passive: “The match was not won by the team.”
Imperative Sentences
Imperative sentences in the passive voice are used to give instructions or commands. For example:
Active: “Close the door.”
Passive: “Let the door be closed.”
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
While the passive voice is a valuable tool, it can be tricky to use correctly. Here are some common mistakes and tips to avoid them:
1. **Incorrect verb form:** Ensure you use the correct form of the verb “to be” and the past participle of the main verb. For example, “The cake was eat by the children” should be “The cake was eaten by the children.”
2. **Overuse of the passive voice:** While the passive voice is useful, overusing it can make your writing seem vague or impersonal. Use it judiciously and mix it with active voice sentences for balance.
3. **Omitting the agent:** Sometimes, including the agent is necessary for clarity. For example, “The experiment was conducted” might be ambiguous. Adding “by the scientists” clarifies who conducted the experiment.
4. **Misplacing the agent:** Ensure the agent, if included, is correctly placed. For example, “The book was written by an author famous” should be “The book was written by a famous author.”
Exercises to Practice Passive Voice
To master the passive voice, practice is essential. Here are some exercises to help you:
Exercise 1: Identify Passive Voice
Read the following sentences and identify whether they are in the active or passive voice:
1. The letter was mailed by John.
2. She writes a letter.
3. The cake was baked by Mary.
4. The students are studying the lesson.
Exercise 2: Convert Active to Passive
Rewrite the following active sentences in the passive voice:
1. The dog chased the cat.
2. The artist painted a beautiful portrait.
3. The committee will review the proposal.
4. They have completed the project.
Exercise 3: Convert Passive to Active
Rewrite the following passive sentences in the active voice:
1. The book was read by Sarah.
2. The experiment was conducted by the scientists.
3. The results will be announced by the manager.
4. The song was sung by the choir.
Exercise 4: Passive Voice with Modals
Rewrite the following sentences using the passive voice with modals:
1. You can solve the problem.
2. They should have completed the task.
3. The teacher might explain the lesson.
4. We must finish the work by tomorrow.
Conclusion
The passive voice is a powerful and versatile tool in English that allows you to shift the focus of a sentence from the doer of an action to the action itself or its recipient. By understanding how to form and use passive voice verbs correctly, you can enhance your writing and communication skills, making your language more nuanced and effective. Remember to practice identifying and constructing passive sentences, and to use this grammatical structure judiciously to achieve clarity and precision in your writing. With time and practice, you will become proficient in using the passive voice, adding a valuable skill to your language repertoire.
