Passive Sentence

PASSIVEEE SENTENCE 

¢  A sentence is written in active sentence when the subject of the sentence performs the action in the sentence.

¢  A sentence is written in Passive Sentence when the subject of the sentence has an action done to it by someone or something else. One can change the normal word order of many active sentences (those with a direct object) so that the subject is no longer active, but is, instead, being acted upon by the verb - or passive.  Note in these examples how the subject-verb relationship has changed. Because the subject is being "acted upon" (or is passive), such sentences are said to be in the passive sentence.

RULES TO REMEMBER  

When rewriting active sentences in passive sentence, note the following:

¢  the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence

¢  the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)

¢  the subject of the active sentence becomes by Agent in the passive sentence (or is dropped)

¢  Only active sentence containing object which can be changed into passive form

¢  The two forms should have the same tenses

When to Use Passive Sentences

¢  In general, the passive is less direct, less forceful, and less concise than the active voice. 

¢  Use the passive in the following situations:

o   Use passive when you do not know or do not want to reveal the performer of an action.

o   Use passive when you want to emphasize the receiver of an action.

PASSIVE FORM

¢  Simple Present

Once a week, Tom cleans the house.

Once a week, the house is cleaned by Tom.

¢  Present Continuous

Right now, Sarah is writing the letter.

Right now, the letter is being written by Sarah.

¢  Simple Past

Sam repaired the car.

The car was repaired by Sam.

¢  Past Continuous

The salesman was helping the customer when the thief came into the store.

The customer was being helped by the salesman when the thief came into the store.

¢  Present Perfect

Many tourists have visited that castle.

That castle has been visited by many tourists.

¢  Present Perfect Continuous

Recently, John has been doing the work.

Recently, the work has been being done by John.

¢  Past Perfect

George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanic's license.

Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his mechanic's license.

¢  Past Perfect Continuous

Chef Jones had been preparing the restaurant's fantastic dinners for two years before he moved to Paris.

The restaurant's fantastic dinners had been being prepared by Chef Jones for two years before he moved to Paris.

¢  Simple Future
will

Someone will finish the work by 5:00 PM.

The work will be finished by 5:00 PM.

¢  Simple Future
be going to

Sally is going to make a beautiful dinner tonight.

A beautiful dinner is going to be made by Sally tonight.

¢  Future Continuous
will

At 8:00 PM tonight, John will be washing the dishes.

At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes will be being washed by John.

¢  Future Continuous
be going to

At 8:00 PM tonight, John is going to be washing the dishes.

At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes are going to be being washed by John.

¢  Future Perfect
will

 They will have completed the project before the deadline.

The project will have been completed before the deadline.

¢  Future Perfect
be going to

 They are going to have completed the project before the deadline.

The project is going to have been completed before the deadline.

¢  Future Perfect Continuous
will

The famous artist will have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is finished.

The mural will have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the time it is finished.

¢  Future Perfect Continuous
be going to

The famous artist is going to have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is finished.

The mural is going to have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the time it is finished.

¢  Future in the Past
Would

I knew John would finish the work by 5:00 PM.

I knew the work would be finished by 5:00 PM.

¢  Future in the Past
Was Going to

 I thought Sally was going to make a beautiful dinner tonight.

I thought a beautiful dinner was going to be made by Sally tonight.

¢  Used to

Jerry used to pay the bills.

The bills used to be paid by Jerry.

¢  Would Always

My mother would always make the pies.

The pies would always be made by my mother.

¢  Present modals

(Active) The boys can eat the pie

(Passive) The pie can be eaten by the boys

¢  Past modals

(Active) The boys could have eaten the pie

(Passive) The pie could have been eaten by the boys

¢  If you want to change an active sentence which has two objects into its passive forms, there are two ways:

—  Make its indirect object into the subject of the passive sentence.

—  Make its direct object into the subject of the passive sentence

¢  John  is giving  his girl-friend  a bunch of flower.

            indirect object   direct object

¢  Passive: The indirect object as the subject

John’s girl-friend is being given a bunch of flower

¢  Passive: The direct object as the subject

¢  A bunch of flower  is being given  to John’s girl-friend

Take a look at the followings:

Negative

¢  People don’t use bikes anymore ( active )

¢  Bikes are not used anymore ( passive )

Interrogative

¢  Did the students play the cards in the class yesterday? ( active )

¢  Were the cards played in the class yesterday?

                ( passive )

1. People eat millions of bars of chocolate every day!

Millions of bars of chocolate are eaten  every day!

2. We plant hundreds of trees every year.

 Hundreds of trees are planted  every year.

3.Nowadays people cut down many trees for no reason.

                 Nowadays many tree are cut down for no reason.