ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE
Voice
is the form of a verb that shows whether the subject of a sentence performs the
action (the active voice) or is affected by it (the passive voice). A sentence
is said to be in active voice when we are interested in the doer of an action.
In passive voice on the other hand, we are interested in the person or thing
that receives the action. Use ‘by’ in the passive voice to introduce the doer
of the action.
For
example;
Ø I wrote a letter.
(A.V)
Ø A letter was written by me. (P.V)
ACTIVE SENTENCES
In
an active sentence, the subject of the sentence acts. It emphasizes the doer of
the action. It establishes a clear, strong relationship between the subject and
the verb.
ü The teacher lost my book.
(The
loss is clearly due to the teacher’s carelessness)
Using
an active or passive verb allows a subtle but significant shift in meaning and
emphasis.
PASSIVE SENTENCES
In
a passive sentence, the subject of the sentence is acted upon. A passive verb
requires auxiliaries. In some cases a passive sentence does not specify the
person or thing completing the action, when it does; the person is named in a
prepositional phrase beginning with by. When the results of the action are more
important than the doer or when the doer is unknown, passive sentences
effectively express the meaning.
For example
ü The teacher was challenged to prove his thesis.
ü The teacher was challenged to prove his thesis (by students).
Some guidelines in changing active voice into passive
voice.
1. The object is turned into a subject and a subject into object.
Marwa wrote a book.
S V O
A book was written by Marwa
S V O
2. The form of the verb to “be” is used followed by past participle.
A shirt was stolen.
3. Preposition ‘by’ can be added.
A letter was written by Jane.
OMISSION OF THE OBJECT IN PASSIVE VOICE.
In
some sentences the object of the verb is omitted since the agent of the action
is either a well known person or unidentified. It is not mandatory therefore to
mention the agent of the action. The passive form is more effective when we
want to emphasize on the activity not the agent.
Example;
Ø The robbers have been arrested. (by the police)
Ø The student was punished. (by the teacher)
(Here the agents are
well known)
Ø My book was stolen. (by someone)
Ø His leg was hurt. (by something)
(Here the agents are
unidentified or not recognised)
TRANSITIVE VERBS IN PASSIVE VOICE: TWO OBJECTS
A
transitive verb may sometimes followed by two objects. In such cases, the
sentence may have two passive forms.
1. Jane gave me the book.
The book was given to me by Jane.
I was given the book by Jane
2. The manager offered him the job.
The job was offered to him by the manager.
He was offered the job by the manager.
3. She cooked them a nice food.
A nice food was cooked for them by her.
They were cooked a nice food by her.
PREPOSITIONS IN PASSIVE VOICE
Certain
verbs are always followed by prepositions. So a preposition after the verb must
be retained in passive voice.
1. They laughed at the visitor.
The visitor was laughed
at by them.
2. She cares for the poor.
The poor are cared for
by her.
3. Europeans scrambled for Africa.
Africa was scrambled for
by Europeans.
4. We are waiting for the president.
The president is being waited for by us.
PASSIVE VOICE IN IMPERATIVE SENTENCES.
The
passive structure is rarely used in spoken English to express command, request,
and orders. But the passive structure may be used to make indirect orders,
requests and advice. However, various ideas such as commands/ orders/ requests
may be expressed in Passive voice.
The formula
You
are + asked/ requested/ begged/ implored/ ordered/ commanded/ told/ advised +
to + verb.
|
Active
|
Passive
|
|
Please
help him drinking water!
|
You
are requested to help him drinking water.
|
|
Don’t
forget to tell him
|
You
are asked not to forget to tell him
|
|
Apply
for the bank loan.
|
You
are advised to apply for the bank loan.
|
|
Leave
her alone.
|
You
are ordered to leave her alone.
|
|
Take
care of your health.
|
You
are advised to take care of your health.
|
Alternatively,
imperative sentences can be turned into passive constructions by using “let”
The formula:
Let
+ Object + Be +_Past Participle.
|
Active
|
Passive
|
|
Buy
the book
|
Let
the book be bought
|
|
Give
him the punishment
|
Let
him be given the punishment
Let
the punishment be given to him
|
|
Return
the book to the library
|
Let
the book be returned to the library
|
|
Clean
the blackboard
|
Let
the blackboard be cleaned.
|
PASSIVE VOICE IN INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES
Questions
are rarely made in passive construction although all questions can be changed
into passive voice. It is advised that active voice should be used when making
questions.
|
Active
|
Passive
|
|
Do
you love your wife?
|
Is
your wife loved by you?
|
|
Have
you written the letter?
|
Has
the letter been written by you?
|
|
Has
she beaten the child?
|
Has
the child been beaten by her?
|
|
Did
you draw the picture?
|
Was
the picture drawn by you?
|
|
Are
they helping him?
|
Is
he being helped by them?
|
PASSIVE VOICE IN
DIFFERENTTENSES
|
TENSE
|
ACTIVE VOICE
|
PASSIVE VOICE
|
|
SIMPLE PRESENT
|
He
drives a car.
|
A
car is driven by him.
Am/is/are + past participle
|
|
SIMPLE
PAST
|
He
drove the car.
|
The
car was driven by him.
Was/were + past participle
|
|
SIMPLE FUTURE
|
He’ll
drive the car.
|
The
car will be driven by him.
Will/shall +be + past participle
|
|
PRESENT PERFECT
|
He
has driven the car.
|
The
car has been driven by him.
Have/has + been+ past participle
|
|
PAST PERFECT
|
He
had driven the car
|
The
car had been driven by him.
Had + been + past participle
|
|
FUTURE PERFECT
|
He’ll
have driven the car
|
The
car will have been driven by him.
Will/shall +have been
+ past participle
|
|
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
|
He
is driving the car
|
The
car is being driven by him.
Is/am/are + being+ past participle
|
|
PAST CONTINUOUS
|
He
was driving the car
|
The
car was being driven by him.
Were/was+ being+ past participle
|
|
FUTURE CONTINUOUS
|
He’ll
be driving the car
|
The
car will be being driven by him.
Will/shall + be being+ past participle
|
|
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
|
He
has been driving the car
|
The
car has been being driven by him.
Has/have+been+ being+ past participle
|
|
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
|
He
had been driving the car
|
The
car had been being driven by him.
Had+ been being+ past participle
|
|
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
|
He’ll
have been driving the car
|
The
car will have been being driven by him.
Will/shall+ have+ been being+ past participle
|
USES OF THE PASSIVE VOICE
1. When we don’t want to know who or what did the action. (This is done by
purposely leaving out the agent).
She has been impregnated (by
whom?)
The food has been eaten (by?)
2. When we don’t know the doer of the action.
The book was taken (by someone)
The picture has been stolen (by somebody)
3. When talking about scientific explanations/reports.
ü A Few drops of Sulphuric acid were added and heated for ten minutes.
ü It was concluded that, when the mixture of iron and sulphur is heated in
a test tube it glows and a black solid iron (II) sulphide is formed.
4. When we don’t want to take responsibility for something.
ü You will be informed soon. (by?)
ü It will be solved next week. (By?)
5. When we want to bring the shocking information at the end of the
sentence.
ü My daughter has been impregnated by your
son.
ü She was raped yesterday by her
own father
ü She was killed by her husband
|
EXERCISE
|
|
Fill in the blank spaces by choosing the suitable phrase from the list
below.
1) A decision needs to ……… soon
about the future of our college.
2) I was upset when I opened the parcel of books. Some of them…….in the
post.
3) The name of the new sales director will……….next month.
4) A: Who wrote this article about our town?
B: I don't know, but it must……….by someone who lives here, because
they know so much about it.
5) After our party, there were plates and glasses everywhere. One plate ……..on top of the big bookcase – by somebody
tall probably.
6) The winner of the competition should…………last week, but one of the
judges was ill, so it wasn't.
7) We stopped outside a tiny restaurant to look at the menu in the window
but we couldn't read it. It……….in pencil and in very small handwriting.
8) Some scientists believe that the climate of the world………by the burning
of oil, gas, coal and wood.
9) While the film……., two actors quarreled with the director and left.
10)
These pills aren't
aspirins. The wrong label …….on the
bottle.
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have been announced, be announced, had been damaged,
is being damaged, be made, was being made, have been organized, has been put,
had been put, have been written, had been written, is being organized.
|
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