The Passive Voice
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
Preliminary considerations
Uses
Tense formation
Tense forms
The use of -by
Direct and Indirect objects.
The Passive Voice
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
Preliminary considerations
Uses
Tense formation
Tense forms
The use of -by
Direct and Indirect objects.
Preliminary considerations
Only transitive verbs (those which may take an
object) can be used in the passive voice.
► In English the passive voice is much more
used than in Spanish.
►
 Spanish uses a kind of “passive” with “se” while
English uses a normal passive voice.
 When the subject is unknown, English – unlike
Spanish – uses the passive voice.
 When an active verb may take a direct and an
indirect object, English uses a passive which is
never heard in Spanish.
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Uses of the Passive in English
 When the action is more important than the
agent.
 When the agent is obvious, unknown, or
simply not important.
 When we don’t want to mention who did the
action.
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
When the action
is more important than
the agent,
so that it looks more impersonal.
• The room must be cleaned.
• The tickects were sold.
• Sugar is added after the water has been
boiled.
• The bridge was eventually built.
When the agent is
obvious,
unknown
or simply
not important

My house has been painted.(obviously by a
painter)

My purse was stolen. (I don’t know who did
it)

The letters were typed. (No matter who did
it, what matters is that they finally were typed)
When, for some reason,
we don’t want to mention
who did the action;
like, for example,
to avoid pointing out
who is responsible for it.
The boys were punished. (for some
reason, what is important is the action, not who
punished them)
Our tickets were lost. (like this I avoid saying
who lost them)
New ideas have been presented with
great success. (By using the passive, the
speaker avoids mentioning the author, mainly if
it is the speaker himself)
1) Simple Tense
(Simple Past)
Shakespeare
wrote
Hamlet
The main verb
always in the Past
Participle
Aux. Be in the
same tense
Hamlet
was
written by Shakespeare
(Simple Past)
2) Perfect Tense
(Present Perfect)
The Council
has invested
a lot of money
The main verb
always in the Past
Participle
Aux. Be in the
same tense
A lot of money
has been invested
(Present Perfect)
by
the Council
3) With a Modal Auxiliary
Modal
(Perfect Infinitive)
should have done
I
the homework
Aux. Be in the
same tense
The homework
should
Modals remain
invariable
have been done
(by
me)
(Perfect Infinitive)
The main verb
always in the Past
Participle
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FORM
ACTIVE
VOICE
PASSIVE
VOICE
FORM
ACTIVE
VOICE
PASSIVE
VOICE
Simple
present
keeps
is kept
Conditional
present
would keep
would be kept
Present
continuous
is keeping
is being kept
Conditional
past
would have
kept
would have been
kept
Simple past
kept
was kept
to keep
to be kept
Past
continuous
was keeping
was being kept
present
infinitive
to have kept
Present
perfect
have kept
perfect
infinitive
to have been
kept
gerund
keeping
being kept
perfect
participle
having kept
having been kept
Past perfect
future
had kept
will keep
have been kept
had been kept
will be kept
Examples
She keeps her room tidy.
► Her
room is kept tidy.
He is keeping the change in his pocket
► The
change is being kept in his pocket.
She kept her money in the wallet.
► The
money was kept in the wallet.
When the thief came in she was keeping the
money in her wallet.
► When
the thief came in the money was
being kept in her wallet.
He has kept all his money in a big hole.
► All
his money has been kept in a big hole.
By the time the thieves arrived he had already
kept all his money safely.
► By
the time the thieves arrived all his
money had already been kept safely.
She has promised her mother she will keep
her room tidy at all times.
► She
has promised her mother her room will
be kept tidy at all times.
He promised her he would keep her savings
untouched.
► He
promised her her savings would be kept
untouched.
He said he would have kept her savings
untouched if he hadn’t been going to the
casino.
► He
said her savings would have been kept
untouched if he hadn’t been going to the
casino.
She now says she can keep her money
herself.
► She
now says her money can be kept by
herself.
If she had known that, she could have kept it.
► If
she had known that, it could have been
kept.
___________________________________
► Most
film stars hate being interviewed.
► He
didn’t like having been told about what
to do.
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THE USE OF by
a) When the person who does the action, the agent, is
important. For example: an inventor, a writer, an
artist, etc…
Shakespeare wrote these poems.
These poems were written by Shakespeare.
b) To introduce new information that had been omitted
previously.
While we were studying, we were bothered by
several students
c) To talk about a plan or method.
These exercises can be improved by adding
more information.
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Direct & Indirect objects



give, lend, offer,
send, promise, show are usually
Some verbs, like
followed by two objects, one is a person –
indirect – and the other is a thing – direct.
In these cases, the passive in English takes the
indirect object as its new subject.
The same pattern follow the verbs: tell,
ask.
Direct & Indirect objects




They gave John a warm welcome.
John was given a warm welcome.
My parents have promised me a holiday by the
beach if I don’t fail any subjects.
I have been promised a holiday by the ...
They told me not to move or they would kill me.
I was told not to move or I would be killed.
They asked me if I would like to go with them.
I was asked if I …
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