THE PASSIVE VOICE in English | with LOTS of examples!

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through understanding and using the passive voice in English. The passive voice is an important grammatical structure that can enhance your writing and speaking by emphasizing the action rather than the subject. This guide is ideal for intermediate to advanced English learners looking to refresh their grammar skills.

Step 1: Understand the Basic Idea of Passive Voice

• The passive voice is used when the focus is on the action or the recipient of the action rather than who performs it.
• Example:
  • Active voice: "The chef cooks the meal."
  • Passive voice: "The meal is cooked by the chef."
• Use passive voice when:
  • The doer is unknown (e.g., "The window was broken.")
  • The doer is less important than the action (e.g., "The project was completed.")

Step 2: Learn the Grammatical Structure

• The passive voice is formed using the verb "to be" + past participle of the main verb.
• Structure:
  • Subject + form of "to be" + past participle + (by + agent)
• Examples:
  • Present Simple: "The book is read by many."
  • Past Simple: "The book was read by many."
  • Future Simple: "The book will be read by many."

Step 3: Review the 12 Tenses in Passive Voice

• Each tense has a corresponding passive form. Here’s how to structure them:
  1. Present Simple: "is/are + past participle"
  2. Present Continuous: "is/are being + past participle"
  3. Present Perfect: "has/have been + past participle"
  4. Past Simple: "was/were + past participle"
  5. Past Continuous: "was/were being + past participle"
  6. Past Perfect: "had been + past participle"
  7. Future Simple: "will be + past participle"
  8. Future Continuous: "will be being + past participle"
  9. Future Perfect: "will have been + past participle"
  10. Conditional: "would be + past participle"
  11. Modal Verbs: "modal + be + past participle"
  12. Perfect Modal: "modal + have been + past participle"

Step 4: Differentiate Between Intransitive and Transitive Verbs

• Transitive verbs require an object (e.g., "The teacher taught the lesson."), making them suitable for the passive voice.
• Intransitive verbs do not take an object (e.g., "The baby sleeps."), and cannot be passive.

Step 5: Use Passive Voice with Modal Verbs

• Passive constructions can be combined with modal verbs.
• Structure: "modal + be + past participle"
• Example: "The project should be completed on time."

Step 6: Use Passive Voice with Infinitives and Gerunds

• Infinitive form: "to be + past participle"
• Example: "The project is expected to be finished soon."
• Gerund form: "being + past participle"
• Example: "Being watched can be uncomfortable."

Step 7: Distinguish Between Adjectives and Past Participles

• Understand that past participles can function as adjectives in the passive voice context.
• Example: "The broken vase was expensive." (Here, "broken" describes the state of the vase.)

Step 8: Apply Passive Voice to Be Polite

• Using passive voice can soften requests or statements, making them more polite.
• Example: Instead of saying, "You made a mistake," you can say, "A mistake was made."

Step 9: Test Your Knowledge

• Practice by converting active sentences to passive voice. Check your understanding by testing yourself with examples and answers provided in the video.

Conclusion

Mastering the passive voice is crucial for effective communication in English. It allows you to focus on the action and can enhance the politeness of your statements. Practice by identifying sentences in both active and passive forms, and try creating your own examples. For further improvement, consider exploring additional resources on English tenses and related grammar topics.