(16519023) 1PA05 PASSIVE VOICE In Passive voice the sentence focus on object. who/what is receiving the action and not on who/what is performing the action. In passive voice, the actor of the of the verb (action) is either understood at the end of the sentence or maybe not told. The passive voice is used in writing facts, truth, lab or technical reports in which the actor is not important or unknown, but the action happening on the object is very important. Use of passive voice: 1. It is used if it doesn‘t need to know or we don‘t know the actor performing the job 2. In the end of the clause or sentence “by” is prefixed to know the actor performing the job. 3. It is used if we are more interested in the job than the actors who work. Example : - The letter was written by John. - letter receives the action denoted by the write (verb) How to identify the active / passive voice. Ask who/what performed the action (verb)? If the ‘who or what is at the beginning of the sentence, the sentence is active voice
Example : Jack is eating the apple. Question will be : Who is eating the apple?
Look for the word “by”, if present it is passive voice.
PASSIVE VOICE USING MODAL Tense Passive voice • Simple S + to be + past participle + by object Present Tense Fresh vegetables are sold by the grocer. • Present S + to be (is, am, are) + being + past participle + by Continuous object Tense Many assignments are being given by my boss. • Present S + have/has been + past participle + by object Perfect Tense He has been taken out by me. • Simple Past S + was/were + past participle + by object Tense A large house was built by him. • Past S + was/were + being + past participle +by object Continuous Tense Dinner was being cooked by her. • Past Perfect S + had been + past participle + by object Tense The letter had been posted by her. • Simple S + will + be + past participle + by object Future Tense A present will be given to you by me. S + would + be + past participle + by object • Future Perfect Ten patients will have been examined by 10 O’clock by Tense the doctor. The modal verbs consist of will, would, can, could, shall, should, may, might, must which are used with main verbs to express ability, probability, obligation, advice etc. To convert active voice having modal into passive voice, auxiliary verb “be” is added after modal in sentence. Rules for Pronouns in Passive conversion : me, you, us, them, it.