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subject
verb
object
>
Cats
eat
fish.
The passive voice is less usual. In the passive voice, the subject receives the
action of the verb:
passive
subject
verb
object
<
Fish
are eaten
by cats.
The object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb:
subject
verb
object
active
Everybody
drinks
water.
passive
Water
is drunk
by everybody.
Passive Voice
The passive voice is less usual than the active voice. The active voice is the
"normal" voice. But sometimes we need the passive voice. In this lesson we look
at how to construct the passive voice, when to use it and how to conjugate it.
subject
Water
is
drunk
by everyone.
100
people
are
employed
by this
company.
am
paid
in euro.
We
are
paid
in dollars.
Are
they
paid
in yen?
not
verb
object
President
Kennedy
was killed
by Lee Harvey
Oswald.
My wallet
has been
stolen.
Note that we always use by to introduce the passive object (Fish are
eaten by cats).
Look at this sentence:
He was killed with a gun.
Normally we use by to introduce the passive object. But the gun is not the active
subject. The gun did not kill him. He was killed by somebody with a gun. In the
active voice, it would be: Somebody killed him with a gun. The gun is the
instrument. Somebody is the "agent" or "doer".
to be washed
simple
continuous
perfect simple
perfect continuous
present
It is washed.
past
It was washed.
future
It will be washed.
conditional
It would be washed.
present
It is being washed.
past
future
conditional
present
past
future
conditional
present
past
future
conditional
Active Form
In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence and the
thing receiving the action is the object. Most sentences are active.
[Thing doing action] + [verb] + [thing receiving action]
Examples:
Passive Form
In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the sentence and the
thing doing the action is optionally included near the end of the sentence. You can use
the passive form if you think that the thing receiving the action is more important or
should be emphasized. You can also use the passive form if you do not know who is
doing the action or if you do not want to mention who is doing the action.
[Thing receiving action] + [be] + [past participle of verb] + [by] + [thing doing action]
Examples:
Active
Passive
Simple Present
Present
Continuous
Simple Past
Past
Continuous
Present Perfect
Present Perfect
Continuous
Past Perfect
Past Perfect
Continuous
Simple Future
BE GOING TO
Future
Continuous
WILL
Simple Future
WILL
Future
Continuous
BE GOING TO
Future Perfect
WILL
Future Perfect
BE GOING TO
Used to
Would Always
Future in the
Past
BE GOING TO
Future Perfect
Continuous
WILL
Future Perfect
Continuous
WOULD
Future in the
Past
WAS GOING TO