Passive Voice

Passive Voice Structure (The order of words in the sentence)

WHAT RECEIVES THE ACTION + Passive Voice Verb + by + WHAT DOES THE ACTION

WHAT RECEIVES THE ACTION + Passive Voice Verb + by + AGENT

Psst….WHAT DOES THE ACTION is sometimes called the AGENT

The Passive Voice Verb Structure (How to form the Passive Voice Verb….not the whole sentence)

Psst… In both ACTIVE and PASSIVE the verb structure is conjugated according to the correct tense and the verb structure (both active and passive, agrees with the subject)

Psst...In ACTIVE, the subject does the action. In PASSIVE, the subject receives the action but does not do the action.

was/were + Vpast participle

(simple past passive voice verb structure, use this when the action happened in the past)

ACTIVE: I ate a pineapple

PASSIVE: A pineapple was eaten by me.

am/is/are + Vpast participle (simple present

(simple present passive voice verb structure, use this when the action is a routine, happens from time to time)

ACTIVE: I check my plants every morning.

PASSIVE: My plants are checked by me every morning.

will be + Vpast participle

(simple future passive voice verb structure, use this when the action will happen in the future)

ACTIVE: This afternoon I will buy some apples.

PASSIVE: Some apples will be bought by me this afternoon.

had been + Vpast participle

(past perfect) passive voice verb structure, use this when the action will happen in the future)

ACTIVE: I have lived in this house for a year and a half.

PASSIVE: This house has been lived in by me for a year and a half.

have been/has been + Vpast participle

(present perfect passive voice verb structure, use this when the action will happen in the future)

ACTIVE: Ale’s sister has been sneezing.

PASSIVE: There is no passive form! Nobody received the sneezing!

ACTIVE: The sun has been shining on my head all day!

PASSIVE: My head has been shone on by the sun all day!

will have been + Vpast participle

(future perfect passive voice verb structure, use this when the action will happen in the future)

was/were being + Vpast participle

(past progressive passive voice verb structure, use this when the action will happen in the future)

ACTIVE: I was sleeping in my bed at midnight last night.

PASSIVE: My bed was being slept in by me at midnight last night

am/is/are being + Vpast participle

(present progressive passive voice verb structure, use this when the action is in progress right now)

ACTIVE: I am listening to my human physiology lectures.

PASSIVE: My human physiology lectures are being listened to by me.

will be being + Vpast participle

(future progressive passive voice verb structure, use this when the action will be in progress in the future when another future action happens.)

ACTIVE: Hector will be swimming in the pool at this time tomorrow.

PASSIVE: The pool will be being swum in by Hector at this time tomorrow.

So, en otras palabras….The passive voice verb structure MANY FORMS!

If you you are given the ACTIVE sentence, look at the verb tense. That will be the same verb tense used for the “be” form in the PASSIVE sentence.

Example:

ACTIVE: I am listening to my human physiology lectures. (verb tense is present progressive, right?)

PASSIVE: My human physiology lectures are being listened to by me. (so you need the present progressive passive voice verb structure)

In all cases you will use the past participle. And in all cases you will you the CORRECT form of “be.” The table below show you that there are more than possiblities!! Wow!

AFFIRMATIVE

NEGATIVE

SIMPLE PAST

was/were + Vpast participle

wasn’t/weren’t + Vpast participle

SIMPLE PRESENT

SIMPLE FUTURE

PAST PERFECT

PRESENT PERFECT

FUTURE PERFECT

PAST PROGRESSIVE

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

FUTURE PROGRESSIVE

PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

FUTURE PERFECT PROGRSSIVE