Passive Voice

Definition
▶ The passive voice is used to show interest in the person or object that experiences an action
rather than the person or object that performs the action. In other words, the most
important thing or person becomes the subject of the sentence.

Executes Affects

Subject Object

ACTIVE
VOICE

VERB

The workers build the house

 Definition
▶ The passive voice is used to show interest in the person or object that experiences an action
rather than the person or object that performs the action. In other words, the most
important thing or person becomes the subject of the sentence.

Executes Affects

Subject Object

PASSIVE
VOICE
VERB

The house is built

Formation
They built the house in 1654.
SUBJ V OBJ

The house was built in 1654 (by them).

OBJ BE V Past
SUBJ
Participle
 Uses
▶ If we want to say who or what performs the action while using the passive voice, we use
the preposition by.

Object Subject

The house was built in 1654 by them

▶ To focus on the performer of the action, it is always better to switch to the
active voice instead
 Uses
▶ Sometimes we use the passive voice because we don't know or do not want to
express who performed the action.

I noticed that a window had been left open.

All the cookies have been eaten.

Uses
▶ The passive voice is often used in formal texts. Switching to the active voice will
make your writing clearer and easier to read.

It is thought that Mars will

People think we will colonize VS be colonized in a couple of
Mars in a couple of years
years
Structure

Any tense can switch between passive and active voice

Verb Patterns

You have to be tested on your English I remember being taught to drive.

grammar.
Have something done
▶ Another use of the passive voice is to announce that the action of the action of the
object, was made by someone else

She had her dress done by I have my meal cooked by

foreingners my mother every day

Mark won’t have his hair cut

tomorrow