d e a r: passive voice

Passive Sentence

a. Definition and Function

Definition

The passive voice is that of the verb which represents the subject and the object by the same word and the subject as being acted upon. The passive voice is the form of a transitive verb whose grammatical subject serves as the patient, receiving the action of the verb.

Function

Passive voice verbs are used in writing much more often than in speech and they are used in some types of writing mush more often than in other. Passive are used more in journalism (newspaper, magazine). However passive are very common in all types of scientific and technical writing.

Changing Active into Passive

The passive voice is typically contrasted with the active voice, which is the form of transitive verb whose subject serves as the agent, performing the action of the verb. The subject of a verb in passive voice corresponds to the subject of the same verb in active voice. When we want to talk about someone or something that is the former of an action (the agent), we make them the subject of the verb and you use an active form of the verb. The other person or thing is made the object of the verb. However we may want to focus on the person or thing affected by an action, which would be the object of an active form of the verb. In that case, you make that person or thing the subject of a passive form of the verb.

b. The Form of Passive in Each Tenses

Tenses	Active	Passive
Simple Present	We make butter from milk. Somebody cleans these rooms every day.	Butter is made from milk. These rooms are cleaned every day.
Simple Past	Somebody stole my car last week. They didn’t invite me to the party.	My car was stolen last week. I wasn’t invited to the party.
Present Continuous	They are building a new airport at the moment. (= it isn’t finished) They are building some new houses near the river.	A new airport is being built at the moment Some new houses are being built near the river.
Past Continuous	When I was here a few years ago, they were building a new airport. (= it wasn’t finished at that time)	When I was here a few years ago, a new airport was being built.
Present Perfect	Look! They have painted the door. These shirts are clean. Somebody has washed them.	Look! The door has been painted. These shirts are clean. They have been washed.
Past Perfect	Ann said that somebody had stolen her car.	Ann said that her car had been stolen.
Present Perfect Continuous	Azka has been making a cheese cake.	A cheese cake has been being made by Azka.
Past Perfect Continuous	Nimo had been finding a cute white cat.	A cute white cat had been being found by Nimo.
Simple Future	Somebody will clean the office tomorrow.	The office will be cleaned tomorrow.
Future Continuous	I will be sending the answer of the questions.	The answer or the question will be being sent by me.
Future Perfect	Rifki will have bought an apartement.	An apartement will have been bought by Rifki.
Future Perfect Continuous	Aurelly will have been sending some money.	Some money will have been being sent by Aurelly.