2.3 This song is performed very often (Passive voice)

Listening activity

Paco goes on reading the newspaper, but it seems there is not any good news. After a short break thinking, he has made some decisions. On the one hand, he will not visit any other place in Africa except one to have a good time. A possibility could be to travel to Kenya, where he could go on a safari and enjoy himself a lot, as he loves wild animals. On the other hand, he has decided to enjoy some music, so, he turns on the radio. After an hour, he realizes that a song he had never listened to before has been broadcast at least three times. Undoubtedly, people in Sierra Leona like this song because it is asked to be broadcast quite frequently. The song is performed on the radio pretty often, he thinks.

Listen to the song and try to guess a sentence in the passive voice.

Retroalimentación

"Boy I've Been Told", by Sa-Fire

Looking in your eyes
I see a memory
Of how it used to be
Before our world came tumbling down
I try, I did nothing else but try
To keep our love alive
Oh how I loved you so
And you just made me cry
Did you deceive me
Did you do me wrong
Boy, I can't take it
Can't take it anymore
I feel so helpless
Not knowing what to do
Do I keep on crying
Or do I leave you

Chorus:
Boy I've been told leaving you is the thing to do
It would be easy if I didn't want to start anew
Boy I've been told leaving you is the thing to do
It won't be easy 'cause breaking up is hard to do

Touch this lonely heart
As I try to say to you
About the things you do

Now I'm alone dissatisfied
Did you deceive me
Did you do me wrong
Boy, I can't take it
Can't take it anymore
I feel so helpless
Not knowing what to do
Do I keep on crying
Or do I leave you

Chorus

Just like my friend said
You were never good for me
So just go about your way
Don't worry about me
And just forget we ever happened

The time has come
To say goodbye
Don't ask why
Just let it all go
I've made it through
There's someone new

In the song, there is one only sentence in the passive voice: I've been told leaving you is the right thing to do. The singer uses the passive voice here because the doer of the action, that is, the person or people who said that to her is/are not important at all. The important thing is that she has received that information.

This is one of the main reasons why the passive voice is used. However, we use the passive voice in English for other reasons. Do you want to know them? Click the picture below!

Further knowledge

Obviously, there are some other uses of the passive voice. However, the ones above are the main ones and the ones you should know. If you want to learn more about the uses of the passive voice, click here. It is quite useful to improve your knowledge of the topic!

Now, click here to do an amusing exercise on the passive voice.

Self-Assessment

Transform the following sentences into the active or the passive voice. Pay attention to the by-agent!

By allerleirau. C. Commons

1. The singer perfoms the song very often.

Rellenar huecos (1): JXUwMDBjJXUwMDNjJXUwMDBk Rellenar huecos (2): JXUwMDJiJXUwMDFjJXUwMDAxJXUwMDA5 Rellenar huecos (3): JXUwMDMxJXUwMDFh Rellenar huecos (4): Rellenar huecos (5): JXUwMDJlJXUwMDEzJXUwMDE3JXUwMDBi Rellenar huecos (6): .

2. The diamond mine was visited by Paco yesterday.

Rellenar huecos (7): JXUwMDA4JXUwMDMxJXUwMDAyJXUwMDBj Rellenar huecos (8): Rellenar huecos (9): JXUwMDJjJXUwMDFjJXUwMDBk Rellenar huecos (10): Rellenar huecos (11): JXUwMDM1JXUwMDA0JXUwMDA3JXUwMDBi Rellenar huecos (12): .

3. People usually buy newspapers at weekends.

Rellenar huecos (13): Rellenar huecos (14): JXUwMDM5JXUwMDEzJXUwMDE3 Rellenar huecos (15): Rellenar huecos (16): Rellenar huecos (17): JXUwMDM5JXUwMDE1 Rellenar huecos (18): .

4. The General Committee has already pass the bill.

Rellenar huecos (19): JXUwMDBjJXUwMDNjJXUwMDBk Rellenar huecos (20): JXUwMDNhJXUwMDBiJXUwMDA1JXUwMDAw Rellenar huecos (21): JXUwMDMwJXUwMDA5JXUwMDEy Rellenar huecos (22): Rellenar huecos (23): JXUwMDNhJXUwMDA3JXUwMDAwJXUwMDBi Rellenar huecos (24): Rellenar huecos (25): JXUwMDNhJXUwMDFi Rellenar huecos (26): JXUwMDJjJXUwMDFjJXUwMDBk Rellenar huecos (27): .

5. Did Sonia give Paco a present before he left for England?

Rellenar huecos (28): JXUwMDBmJXUwMDM2JXUwMDEy Rellenar huecos (29): JXUwMDA4JXUwMDMxJXUwMDAyJXUwMDBj Rellenar huecos (30): Rellenar huecos (31): JXUwMDM5 Rellenar huecos (32): before he left for England?

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Actividad

Here you have a summary of the passive voice in Spanish:

There are some other frequent structures in English which are quite similar to the passive voice. We are referring to the causative use of have and the meaning of need + gerund. Let's have a look at them in the following section!