The active voice is the usual voice in English. This is the voice that we use most of the time. In the active voice the action of the verb falls on the object. They make cars in SEATHowever, the passive voice is less usual. In the passive voice, the action of the verb falls on the subject: Cars are made in SEAT.Let's begin with the passive voice in the present simple tense.
1. Paco's things are exhaustively checked at the airport
Actividad de lectura
Paco has arrived at Miami International Airport, which is the main international airport in Miami and it is considered one of the busiest international airports in the world, the seventh-largest gateway in the world. The airport is located eight miles northwest of Downtown Miami.
Paco is exhaustively checked at the airport. He is asked by the police to take all his personal objects out. Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks many tourists are required to open their hand luggage and show it to the police.
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| Imagen de Jason Walsh. Licencia CC. |
The question of increasing security aboard aircraft arose after these terrorist attacks. A controversial decision in the United States has been to allow pilots to carry handguns for personal safety.
Paco is asked what he is doing in the Unites States, why he intends to visit Miami and how long he is going to stay there.
Baggage is scanned using X-ray machines and passengers are told to walk through metal detectors, so Paco does so and then leaves the airport. He takes a taxi to the hotel. He feels tired and he wants to get there and relax.
Can you identify all the passive sentences in the present tense above? Of course you can.There are 6 of them.
Importante
Why do we use passive sentences?
- We use the passive voice when the receiver of the action is more important than the one who did it:
The new video game was published today.(We are interested in the video game, not the company that published it)
- We can use the passive when we don't know who did the action:
The jewels were stolen yesterday.(It was a robber but we don't know who)
- We use the passive when we don't need to say who did the action:
The prisoners were taken into prison after the trial. (We know that the police did it)
STEP BY STEP: Formation of the Passive Voice
Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle
A valuable painting was stolen from the Museum by a famous thief (passive)
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A famous thief stole a valuable painting from the Museum (active)
A valuable painting was stolen from the Museum by a famous thief (passive)
Note the following changes when rewriting active sentences in the passive voice:
- the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence (A valuable painting)
- the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle) (stole→ was stolen).The tense doesn't change (stole= Simple Past, was=Simple Past
- If we want to say who does an action the subject of the active sentence becomes the object using "by"(a famous thief →by a famous thief
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But if the subject of the active sentence is a generic expression (people, they, someone), we never use it in the passive.
They publish this newspaper daily → This newpaper is published daily.
Someone stole my car yesterday → My car was stolen yesterday.
Comprueba lo aprendido
Solución
Solución
Solución
Ejercicio Resuelto
1) The police stopped Paco in Miami.
2)They speak English in New Zealand.
3) Isabel waters the flowers every day.
4) Isaac Peral invented the submarine.
5) Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin.
Rewrite the given sentences in the passive voice.
Curiosidad
Passive in English
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| Imagen de café. Licencia Pixabay. |
The passive voice may be used for advertising. If we find in a shop or in a bar a noticeboard with the text English Spoken means that English is spoken here, that is to say, that the shop assistant or the waiter speaks English.
Wanted in the picture on the left implies that These girls are wanted. There is a passive sentence hidden behind the simple word wanted.
Para saber más
Click here to learn more about the form and uses of the passive voice in English.
Need further practice with exercises about the passive in simple present? Have a look here.
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Passive with simple present |
Active or passive? |
Rewriting in passive |
Would you like to follow this tour about the Florida State? Have a look at it.
Once we have studied the simple present in the passive voice, let's take a look at the simple past.