How many voices

are there in
English?
There are ____ voices.
A writers voice

Do you know the difference between

the active and the passive voice Lei?

No, Im not sure. But I bet

you dont know either Max!

Well youre clearly not a

passive person Lei! Why dont
we actively learn them together
instead of arguing

3 of 20 Boardworks Ltd 2006

 What are active and passive voice?

Like people, verbs can be

active pasive
or

Billy kicks the The ball is kicked

ball. (by Billy).

Josie played the The instrument was

instrument. played (by Josie).
 What are active and passive voice?

Like people, verbs can be

active or passive

Kim is bothered by
The headache a headache.
bothers him.

A friend has
hurt Jen. Jen has been hurt
by a friend.
 Noun Verbs in Direct
Subject different Object
pronoun tenses Indirect
Names (present, past object
Countries or future)
Subject
Verbs in
different
tenses

Object
Object

= Complement
 Complement

two objects
Direct Indirect
object object
 TWO OBJECTS
Direct
object
How can we
recognize
Indirect them?
object
The passive voice
 What is the passive voice?
a) The passive voice is the structure we use when we DO
NOT SAY WHO or WHAT performs an action.
The table was robbed. (WHO, we dont know)

b) Normal sentences are called active.

Someone robbed him.
 When do we use the passive?
1) When we do not know who does
something.

2. When it is not important who does

something.
 When do we use the passive?
3) When it is obvious who does
something.
HE
OBVIOUSLY
DID IT!

4) When we want to hide who does something

(to not show blame).
 The verb to be in the passive

BASIC STRUCTURE:

BE + participle
English IS SPOKEN here.
The cake WAS EATEN.
The house HAS BEEN BUILT.
 Passive voice

There are 2 passive voice

Personal Impersonal
passive passive
Personal
passive
 What happens to be?
The verb be follows the main rule of the tense in active.
For example:
ACTIVE PASSIVE
Present Simple Present Simple Passive
The PRESENT SIMPLE conjugatse the verb TO BE in present simple but PASSIVE

I eat an apple. An apple is eaten eaten

by me.

The PRINCIPAL VERB transforms in PARTICIPLE

 What happens to be?
The verb be follows the main rule of the tense in active.
For example:
ACTIVE PASSIVE
Present Perfect Present Perfect Passive
The PRESENT PERFECT conjugates the verb TO BE in present perfect but PASSIVE

I have eaten An apple has been eaten

an apple. by me.

The PRINCIPAL VERB transforms in PARTICIPLE

 What happens to be?
The verb be follows the main rule of the tense in active.
For example:
ACTIVE PASSIVE
Simple Future Simple Future Passive
The SIMPLE FUTURE conjugates the verb TO BE in future simple but PASSIVE

I will eaten an An apple will be eaten by

apple. me.

The PRINCIPAL VERB transforms in PARTICIPLE

 OBJECTS

They have different roles.

ACTIVE ACTIVE agent
complement (direct or indirect
(direct or indirect object)
object)
 Active-Passive Voice ANALYZE IT!!
Active Voice

The boy is carrying the girl.

The boy = subject

is carrying = verb
the girl = object of the verb (C)
INDIRECT OBJECT

Who is doing the action of carrying? = The boy

 Active-Passive Voice ANALYZE IT!!
Passive Voice
The girl is being carried by the boy.

The girl = subject

is being carried = verb
by = preposition
the boy = INDIRECT object by
AGENT

Who is doing the action of carrying?

= Not the girl, the subject, but the boy, the object
 PASSIVE VOICE RULES
(Interrogative)

Auxiliary verb to be (am, is, are) before the suject

Examples: Is the model photographed by the

photographer?
How often is a model photographed by the
photographer?
 SPECIAL CASES
A) We dont use the passive agent when the subject of
the active sentence is :
people, one, someone, somebody, they
B) When the subject of the active sentence is a subject pronoun you must
change it to an equivalent object pronoun as the passive agent.
I me
You you
He him
She her
It its
We us
You you
They them
 ITS YOUR TURN NOW

I read fashion magazines.

The magazines is READ by me.
 CHANGING from ACTIVE to
PASSIVE
Your father took that photography
Subject Verb Direct Object = COMPLEMENT

That photography was taken by your father

Subject Passive Agent = INDIRECT OBJEC
verb
 1.- Indirect Object passive
The headmaster will give her a trophy
Subject verb IO DO

A trophy will be given to her by the headmaster

Subject p. verb iO Agent

She will be given a trophy by the headmaster

subject p. verb dO Agent
1

2
 (Continued)

e.g. The teacher teaches you a lesson. Active

you object of the verb / a lesson object of the verb

(A) You are taught a lesson by the teacher. Passive

(B) A lesson is taught to you by the teacher. Passive

46
 Lets practice!!
The potatoes are grown.
Farmers grow the potatoes
The potatoes are dug up.
Tractors dig up the potatoes
They are stored.
Farmers store the potatoes.
The potatoes are washed.
Machines wash the potatoes
They are peeled.
Machines peel the potatoes
Impersonal
passive
 Pasiva refleja
Se deca que el invierno en vila era muy fro
They said that winter in Avila was very cold

1. It was said that winter in Avila was very cold

2. Winter in Avila was said to have been very cold

 Para el 2 verbo
To + infinitive

Presente

Pasado

To have + participle
If you are using the passive voice with
something singular, the verb will always
have which conjugation?
l/ella/Ud
If you are using the passive voice with
something plural, the verb will have which
conjugation?

ellos/ellas/Uds.
The pronoun se
In Spanish, you use the pronoun se followed by the
verb to make the passive voice.
Ejemplos:
Se vende pescado en el mercado.
Fish is sold at the market
 If you are using the passive voice with
something singular, the verb will
always have the l/ella/Ud conjugation.
Example: Se habla espaol.

singular- one thing

l/ella/Ud. ending

Spanish is spoken.
Translate to English

Se venden boletos aqu.

Tickets are sold here.
Translate to English

Se aprende espaol en la clase de espaol.

Spanish is learned in Spanish Class.

Translate to English

Se comen huevos y tocino aqu.

Eggs and bacon are eaten here .

Translate to Spanish

Cars are sold here.

Se venden carros aqu.
 IMPRESONAL PASSIVE ANALYZE IT!!
Active Voice

Fluffy is the largest snake in captivity. =

Fluffy es la serpiente ms larga en cautiverio.

It is said that Fluffy is the largest snake in captivity.

= Fluffy is said to be the largest snake in captivity.

Se dice que Fluffy es la serpiente ms larga en cautiverio.

 IMPRESONAL PASSIVE ANALYZE IT!!

In this impersonal passive, you can use different verb to

change It is said that , for instance:
Say believe It is said THAT
Think understand It is found
Assume claim Se dice que
Suppose hope Se encuentra que
Declare know
It was said
Find expect It was found
Agree mention Se dica que
Consider announce Se encontraba que
 Lets practice!!

1. You have many friends

Se dice que tienes muchos amigos.
It is said THAT you have many friends.
You are said TO have many friends.

2. You were sad yesterday.

Se supone que t estabas mal ayer.
It is said THAT you were sad yesterday.
You are said TO be sad yesterday.