 THE PASSIVE VOICE IS A GRAMMATICAL CONSTRUCTION (ESPECIFICALLY, A "VOICE").

 THE NOUN OR NOUN PHRASE THAT WOULD BE THE OBJECT OF AN ACTIVE SENTENCE APPEARS
AS THE SUBJECT OF A SENTENCE WITH PASSIVE VOICE.
 THE USE OF THE ENGLISH PASSIVE VOICE VARIES WITH WRITING STYLE AND FIELD.
 SOME PUBLICATIONS' STYLE SHEETS DISCOURAGE USE OF THE PASSIVE VOICE, WHILE OTHERS
ENCOURAGE IT.
 THE PASSIVE IS PRESENT FOR A REASON IN WRITING PAPER, HOWEVER, AND ITS PRESENT IS
NOT ALWAYS TO BE DESPISED.

THE PASSIVE VOICE IS ESPECIALLY HELPFUL (AND EVEN REGARDED AS MANDATORY) IN SCIENTIFIC
OR TECHNICAL WRITING OR LAB REPORTS, WHERE THE ACTOR IS NOT REALLY IMPORTANT BUT THE
PROCESS OR PRINCIPLE BEING DESCRIBED IS OF ULTIMATE IMPORTANCE.
THE PASSIVE IS PARTICULARLY USEFULL (EVEN RECOMMENDED) IN TWO SITUATIONS:
1. IF THE ACTION IS MORE IMPORTANT THEN THE AGENT.
o DUMAI MARINE SCIENCE STATION WAS BUILT IN 1990 (THE IMPORTANT
THING WAS WHAT HAPPENED, NO MATTER WHO DID IT)
o THE FISHING BOATS WERE MADE IN THE LAST TWO DECADES. THEY ARE STILL
IN OPERATION PRESENTLY. (WE DIDN'T KNOW WHO MADE THEM).
2. IF THE AGENT IS NOT KNOWN :THE TRAWL WAS SENT TO RONALD (SOMEONE SENT HIM A
SET OF TRAWL
o THE BOAT WAS BROKEN (NO ONE KNOW WHO DID IT)
o A SET BUT WE DID NOT KNOW WHO HE/SHE IS)
3. IF THE AGENT IS IRRELEVANT:
o AN CONSERVATION ZONE WILL BE DEVELOPED IN THE SOUTH BINTAN
WATERS. THE PLAN HAS BEEN SOCIALIZED SINCE 3 YEARS AGO ( WE ARE NOT
INTERESTED IN WHO OR THE AGENT).
4. NOTE!!!, IT IS POSSIBLE TO STATE THE AGENT USING PREPOSISTION “BY”
o RONALD WAS GIVEN A SET OF TRAWL BY IRWANDI OR
o RONALD WAS GIVEN BY IRWANDI, A SET OF TRAWL.
o A SET OF TRAWL WAS GIVEN TO RONALD BY IRWANDY.
4. YOU WANT TO BE VAGUE ABOUT WHO IS RESPONSIBLE:
o MISTAKES WERE MADE AND THE CREW WAS BURNED AT ILLEGAL FISHING OPERATION
[COMMON IN BUREAUCRATIC WRITING! NO ONE WANTED TO BE RESPONSIBLE]
o THE HARD DECISION HAD BEEN ISSUED BY THE COMMITEE (THE PERSON OR THE LEADER OF
THE COMMITEE AVOIDS HIS/HER RESPONSIBILITY ON THAT HARD DECISION)
5. YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A GENERAL TRUTH:
o RULES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN. [BY WHOMEVER, WHENEVER.]
o TRAWL OPERATION IS PROHIBITED IN INDONESIAN WATERS (BY LAW, GOVERNMENT
AGENCY).
6. YOU WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE PERSON OR THING ACTED ON.
o TRAP NET IS COMMONLY USED BY FISHERMEN IN THIS COASTAL AREA, EVEN ITS CATCH
TENDS TO BE DECLINED.
o INSULIN WAS FIRST DISCOVERED IN 1921 BY RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
TORONTO. IT IS STILL THE ONLY TREATMENT AVAILABLE FOR DIABETES.
7. YOU ARE WRITING IN A SCIENTIFIC GENRE THAT TRADITIONALLY RELIES ON PASSIVE VOICE.
PASSIVE VOICE IS OFTEN PREFERRED IN LAB REPORTS AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PAPERS, MOST
NOTABLY IN THE MATERIALS AND METHODS SECTION:
o WATER SAMPLE WAS TAKEN WITH NISKIN BOTTLE. ITS SALINITY WAS MEASURED WITH
REFRACTOMETER ON BOARD.
o ECHOSOUNDER WAS USED TO DETECT THE FISH SCOOLING, THEN A PURSE SEIN WAS SET UP
ENCIRCLING THE AREA WITH A BOAT . THE PURSE SEIN WAS HAULED AFTER THE FIRST MAIN
FLOAT WAS MET. ITS CATCH WAS SORTED ON BOARD AND PUT INTO STORAGE UNDER THE
FRONT DECK.
WHEN WRITING A SENTENCE THAT CAN BE VAGUE ABOUT WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACTION.

o BOTH RONALD AND IRWANDI SYOFYAN KNOW POLARIS VERY WELL. THUS, HE IS PERMITTED

TO COME TO GIS CLASS. (WHO PERMITS POLARIS ? RONALD? SYOFYAN? OR BOTH ?)

o BOTH RONALD AND IRWANDI SYOFIAN LIKE POLARIS. THUS, THEY/ BOTH OF THEM PERMIT

HIM TO COME TO GIS CLASS. (ACTIVE VOICE IS RECOMMENDED).

ACADEMIC WRITING OFTEN DISCUSS THE DIFFERENCES OF YOUR IDEA WITH OTHER RESEARCHERS OR
BETWEEN THE IDEAS OF DIFFERENT RESEARCHERS:

o RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE TO DISCREDIT THE OLD PERFORMANCE OF THE TRAWL
OPERASION IN THE FIELD. (WHO DID THE RESEARCH? YOU? YOUR PROFESSOR? ANOTHER
AUTHOR?).

o THE OLD PERFORMANCE OF THE TRAWL OPERATION IN THE FIELD HAS BEEN DISCREDITED BY
THIS RESEARCH. (RECOMMENDED/ MORE IMPACT AND CLEARER.).
SOME STUDENTS USE PASSIVE SENTENCES TO HIDE HIS LACK OF REFERRENCE IN THEIR RESEARCH:
o THE TRAWL WAS FIRST OPERATED IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY IN TANJUNG PINANG
WATERS. (I COULDN’T FIND OUT WHO OPERATED THE TRAWL IN THE FIRST TIME! IN TANJUNG
PINANG. YOU SHOULD PROVED IT WITH REFERENCE).
PASSIVE SENTENCES SOUND WORDY AND INDIRECT. THEY CAN MAKE THE READER HARD TO
UNDERSTAND. AND THEY ARE USUALLY LONGGER THAN ACTIVE SENTENCES.
o SINCE THE BOAT WAS BEING NAVIGATED BY POLARIS AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT, THE
DAMAGES HAS TO BE PAID BY HIM.
o RECOMMENDED SENTENCE:
POLARIS NAVIGATED THE BOAT AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT. THUS, HE HAS TO PAY THE
DAMAGES.
 PASSIVE VOICE IS FORMED WITH VERB TO BE + PAST PARTICIPLE

 THE USE OF VERB “ TO BE” DEPENDS ON TENSIS OR THE TIME OF ACTION.

 AUXILIARY PAST
TENSE SUBJECT
SINGULAR PLURAL PARTICIPLE

PRESENT THE BOAT/S IS ARE REPAIRED

PRESENT PERFECT THE BOAT/S HAS BEEN HAVE BEEN REPAIRED.

PAST THE BOAT/S WAS WERE REPAIRED.

PAST PERFECT THE BOAT/S HAD BEEN HAD BEEN REPAIRED.

FUTURE THE BOAT/S WILL BE WILL BE REPAIRED.

FUTURE PERFECT THE BOAT/S WILL HAVE BEEN WILL HAVE BEEN REPAIRED.

PRESENT
THE BOAT/S IS BEING ARE BEING REPAIRED.
PROGRESSIVE

PAST PROGRESSIVE THE BOAT/S WAS BEING WERE BEING REPAIRED.

 THE DIFFERENCE IN MEANING BETWEEN THE
SIMPLE AND CONTINUOUS TENSES IN THE
FORM OF PASSIVE VOICE
• THIS FISHING BOAT IS BUILT IN OUR SHIPYARD (THE BUILDING OF FISHING BOAT IS FINISHED)
• THIS FISHING BOAT IS BEING BUILT IN OUR SHIPYARD (THEY ARE BUILDING IT THESE DAYS, BUT IT
IS NOT FINISHED YET)
• THE ILLEGAL CATCHES WERE BEING UNLOADED OUT BOARD WHEN THE NAVY ON DUTY ARRIVED
(THE NAVY ON DUTY ARRIVED IN THE MIDDLE OF UNLOADING CATCHES)
• WHEN THE NAVY ON DUTY ARRIVED, THE ILLEGAL CATCHES WERE UNLOADED OUT BOARD (THE
NAVY ARRIVED FIRST AND THEN THE CATCHES UNLOADED OUT BOARD).

IMPERSONAL FORM AND FORMAL STYLE:
o ENGLISH IS SPOKEN IN THIS ENGLISH CLUB.
o CREWS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SMOKE IN
THIS ENGINE ROOM.
o THE CHOKE MUST BE PULLED BEFOR THE
ENGINE START.
IN A LESS FORMAL, ACTIVE IVOICE IS MORE USUAL
o WE SPEAK ENGLISH IN THIS ENGLISH CLUB.
o YOU DO NOT ALLOW TO SMOKE IN THIS
ENGINE ROOM.
o YOU MUST PULL THE CHOKE BEFOR
STARTING THE ENGINE.
INFINITIF PHRASE & PASSIVE GERUNDS

AN INFINITIF PHRASE CAN BE PERFORM VARIOUS FUNCTION WITHIN A SENTENCE:

o SUBJECT: TO BE ELECTED AS A CAPTAIN BY THE BOAT OWNER, IS A GREAT HONOR.
o OBJECT: RONALD REALLY LIKES TO BE ELECTED AS A CAPTAIN BY THE BOAT OWNER.
o MODIFIER: RONALD WAS THE BEST MAN TO BE ELECTED CAPTAIN IN HIS OWN RIGHT.

PASSIVE GERUND IN A SENTENCE:

o SUBJECT: BEING ELECTED BY THE BOAT OWNER, IS A GREAT HONOR.
o OBJECT: RONALD REALLY DOESN’T LIKE BEING LECTURED TO BY THE BOAT OWNER.
o OBJECT OF PREPOSITION: I AM SO TIRED OF BEING LECTURED TO BY MY BOSS.

WITH PASIVE PARTICIPLES, PART OF PASIVE CONSTRUCTION IS OFTEN OMITTED:

o HAVING BEEN TRAINED FOR EXTREEM BAD WHEATHER CONDITION, RONALD DOES’NT
ALWAYS CONFIDENCE TO SAIL IN THE OPEN SEA.
 • Make one or two pragraphs with passive voice sentences.
• Use the verbs or the words below:

• Catch = • Sinker = • Fishing ground = daerah

menangkap pelampung tangkapan
(verb); hasil • Haul = hasil • Fish schooling =
tangkapan (noun) tangkapan gerombolan ikan
• Go = pergi (noun); • Deck = geladak
• Leave = menarik/meng- • On board = di kapal
meninggalkan hela (verb) • Put = meletakkan
• Stern = buritan/ • Set up = • Sort = memisahkan (kkt);
bagian belakang memasang/ sorting = penyortiran
kapal mengatur/ • Drift = menghanyutkan
• Hull = lambung mengoperasikan • Wait = menunggu
kapal (dlm konteks alat • Crew = awak kapal
• Gillnet = jaring tangkap) • Captain = kapten
insang • Pull =tarik
• Main float = • Main rope = tali
pelampung utama
utama • Mesh size =
ukuran mata
jaring