passıve voice grammar rules
Although passive voice is less common than the active voice,there are several good reasons to use the passive.On this page,we look at how to construct the passive voice ,and when and why to use it.The active voice show what something does.The passive voice shows what happens to something.We meake the passive with a form of the verb be + past participle.
how do we make the passive ?
The basic structure of a passive clause is very simple.
SUBJECT +MAİN VERB ( BE )+MAİN VERB (PAST PARTİCİPLE) +BY ( OPTİONAL) +THE AGENT.
The auixliary verb be is conjugated in all tenses. The main verb is always the past participle.The agent is the original ''doer'' of the action.
SUBJECT +MAİN VERB ( BE )+MAİN VERB (PAST PARTİCİPLE) +BY ( OPTİONAL) +THE AGENT.
The auixliary verb be is conjugated in all tenses. The main verb is always the past participle.The agent is the original ''doer'' of the action.
ıf you want extra information ,download this file.
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agentless passive
The subject of an active sentence ''does'' the action.In a passive sentence ,we express the doer ( or agent) through a by phrase ( the long passive),or very often we remove it completely ( the short passive ) .In the following example , the agent is the allies :
- Active The allies firebombed dresden
- The long passive Dresden was firebombed by the Allies.
- The short passive Dresden was firebombed.
NEGATIVE AND QUESTIONS
use of the passive
When an why do we use passive voice ?
There are several times when the passive voice is useful,and usually the decision has to do with the doer,or the receiever of the action.For example,we use the passive:
The active voice is more direct and personal:
I advise you to return the application form wthin three days.
No ,the union is run by seven executive officers
who are elected by the students each year.
The executive officers are held accountable by the union council.
The council is also elected by the student population.
There are several times when the passive voice is useful,and usually the decision has to do with the doer,or the receiever of the action.For example,we use the passive:
- When the object is more important than the subject and the agent is either obvious ,nor important ,or unknown:
- In formal writing to make it lesss personal:
The active voice is more direct and personal:
I advise you to return the application form wthin three days.
- When we descripe a process:
- We don't usually use the passive for natural (or biological) processes .where people are not involved.
- Notice how if we want to repeat the ending of the previous clause or sentence at te beginning of the next ,we may need to use the passive:
No ,the union is run by seven executive officers
who are elected by the students each year.
The executive officers are held accountable by the union council.
The council is also elected by the student population.
- Have something done
you will need to have your foto taken .(=someone else will take your photography)
In informal English get+past participle canbe used in the same way:
I got my photo taken yesterday.
- Need +-ing
Some facilities need improving around the campus.(=it is necessary to improve some facilities.)
reporting wıth passıve verbs
¨ Sometimes when you are reporting what people say or believe, you don´t know, or you don´t want to say, who exactly the `people´ are. So you use an impersonal construction:
People believe that thousands of birds died.
The same idea can be expressed by using the passive in two different ways:
say, show, think, understand, etc.
Johnson is thought to be in Cardiff.
Johnson is believed to have left Cardiff last month.
The forger is thought to be living in Florence.
People know that the suspect has been dealing with drugs.
The suspect is known to have been dealing with drugs.
The portrait is believed to have been painted by Vermeer.
They think that the staff are given a bonus whenever they have to work overtime.
The staff are thought to be given a bonus whenever they have to work overtime.
The government was considered to have paid too much.
People believe that thousands of birds died.
The same idea can be expressed by using the passive in two different ways:
- subject + passive of reporting verb + `to´ infinitive
- It + passive of reporting verb + that + clause
- Some other reporting verbs that can be used in this way are:
say, show, think, understand, etc.
- With present reference, the passive is followed by the present infinitive:
Johnson is thought to be in Cardiff.
- With past reference, the passive is followed by the past infinitive:
Johnson is believed to have left Cardiff last month.
- Present and past continuous infinitives are also used:
The forger is thought to be living in Florence.
People know that the suspect has been dealing with drugs.
The suspect is known to have been dealing with drugs.
- Passive infinitives can also appear:
The portrait is believed to have been painted by Vermeer.
They think that the staff are given a bonus whenever they have to work overtime.
The staff are thought to be given a bonus whenever they have to work overtime.
- The reporting verb can also be past:
The government was considered to have paid too much.
passive_reporting_verbs.pdf | |
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