How to change sentences into passive voice. English sentences in passive voice
06.11.2013The very presence of a form of passive voice (sometimes called passive) is not a peculiar feature characteristic only of English syntax. However, the passive voice in English is more widespread than in Russian, and the models for constructing sentences with it are somewhat more diverse.
In what cases is it preferable to use the passive voice? When it is not very important for the speaker who exactly performs the action, but what is important is that it is performed and what object is directed at.
What is the difference between active and passive voices
To understand this issue, let's start with our native language.
Consider the difference between “I keep the rings in this box” and “The rings are kept in this box”? In the first case, in the center of attention and in the role of the subject is the one who acts - I. In the second case, the speaker is only interested in the fact itself: the rings are here, in this box. And it doesn’t matter who put them there, it’s not worth mentioning this subject, he’s so insignificant. This sentence is constructed in the passive voice, and its subject is a word that names not the subject of the action, but its object - the rings.
In English, this semantic difference between the examples remains:
- I keep my rings in this jewelry-box.
- The rings are kept in the jewelry-box.
The active voice emphasizes the subject of the action, while the passive voice emphasizes the action itself and the object with which it is performed.
Constructing a sentence in the passive voice
To “turn” an active structure into a passive one, you need to perform several steps:
- make the addition a subject: in our example it is rings,
- subject to be omitted (or translated into object),
- formulate the predicate verb in the passive: instead of keep – are kept.
Considering how many verb tenses there are in English, it is very useful to learn the very principle of forming the passive form. It consists of several words: the auxiliary verb to be in the appropriate tense, person and number (in our example it is are), followed by the main verb in the form Participle II (kept). For some times, quite heavy combinations are obtained, this is clearly visible in the summary table.
Formation of passive voice forms
| Present | Past | Future | Future in the Past | |
| Simple | The ring is kept. | The ring was kept. | The ring will be kept. | The ring would be kept. |
| Continuous | The ring is being kept. | The ring was being kept. | ||
| Perfect | The ring has been kept. | The ring had been kept. | The ring will have been kept. | The ring would have been kept. |
The semantic verb remains unchanged; all grammatical information (person, number, tense) is carried by the auxiliary verb to be: it is this verb that gives such cumbersome forms. The table also shows that Future Continuous, Future Continuous in the Past and all tenses of the Perfect Continuous group do not have a passive voice at all.
If a modal verb is used in the passive voice, then the model on which the sentence is constructed is greatly simplified: modal verb + be + main verb. For example, The rings can be kept in the jewelry-box.
To form a negative sentence, we place the particle not in its usual place after the auxiliary verb: The ring is not kept. If it itself consists of several words, then after the first: The ring is not being kept. As always, the abbreviation is acceptable: The ring isn’t being kept.
Negative sentences with passive voice
| Present | Past | Future | Future in the Past | |
| Simple | The ring is not kept. | The ring was not kept. | The ring will not be kept. | The ring would not be kept. |
| Continuous | The ring is not being kept. | The ring was not being kept. | ||
| Perfect | The ring has not been kept. | The ring had not been kept. | The ring will not have been kept. | The ring would not have been kept. |
In a general question, we put the auxiliary verb (or only its first part) first: Is the ring kept? Is the ring being kept?
In a special question, this structure remains intact, and we place a question word in front of it: Where is the ring kept?
Common Passive Questions
| Present | Past | Future | Future in the Past | |
| Simple | Is the ring kept? | Was the ring kept? | Will the ring be kept? | Would the ring be kept? |
| Continuous | Is the ring being kept? | Was the ring being kept? | ||
| Perfect | Has the ring been kept? | Has the ring been kept? | Will the ring have been kept? | Would the ring have been kept? |
English sentences in the passive do not always “lose” the subject performing the action. At the request of the speaker, it can be named; language provides the necessary means for this. Let's return to our example and add a small clarification to it: The rings are kept in the jewelry-box by me. The object of the preposition by indicates who is doing the action.(keeps rings in a box): in the active voice it was the subject I, now it is a prepositional object, used in the instrumental case: by me.
Additions to Passive Sentences
In such sentences, additions are often used that name those tools or means with the help of which the action is performed. The preposition is used with them with: The rings are cleaned with toothpaste.
Pretext of in such cases they use to designate the material: The rings are made of silver.
Features of the use of passive voice
1. The prevalence of passive and active voice varies in different languages. In particular, a number of English verbs can be used in the passive as a predicate with a direct object, although similar Russian words cannot.
For example, a sentence I show Maria the ring transforms into two different sentences in the passive:
- The ring was shown to Maria (The ring was shown to Maria).
- Maria was shown the rings (Maria was shown rings).
To translate such sentences into Russian, you have to use impersonal sentences without naming the person performing the action. If the subject is known, it can be translated in the active voice: Tom was told by his teacher to sit down (The teacher told Tom to sit down).
2. Another difficulty is English verbs with so-called postpositions, used in the passive. Postpositions retain their place after the verb: The rings were sent for (They sent for the rings). In translation, we put the word for (for the Russian language this is a preposition) before the noun - the subject.
"" is used to express an obligation coming from the speaker. Those. when the speaker says that he understands what he needs to do.
“ ” is an indispensable modal verb used in situations where we are talking about present or future obligations that cannot be violated.
“” is a well-known and frequently used verb that means “to be able to”, “to be able to”.
“ ” is a synonym for the verb “should”, its more polite version.
« Be supposed to" is a modal verb whose function is to tell what people need to do in accordance with the rules. Moreover, it is used when we talk about what is expected to happen.
Passive voice formula
What is the above mentioned: (to) be + V3? The answer is simple. When we change a sentence from "active" to "passive", we must change the predicate of the sentence. First, you need to put the verb “ to be" at the time used in the main sentence. Secondly, put the main verb in the third form (Past Participle).
So, to compose a sentence with a modal verb, we need to put the verb “ be" in combination with a modal verb. It will look like this:
Must be(it should be)
Have to be(it should be)
Ought to be(should be)
Can be(May be)
Should be(should be)
Be supposed to be(it is believed that; it is assumed that;)
The second stage is the same placement of the main verb into the third form.
A little practice
The secretary must write a letter. / Secretary must write letter.
The letter must be written by the secretary. / Letter must be written secretary.
He has to do this test. / He must perform this test.
This test has to be done by him. / This test must be completed them.
He was supposed to send an email an hour ago. /It was assumed, What He will send letter hour back.
The email was supposed to be sent by him an hour ago. / It was assumed, What electronic letter will sent hour back.
Try to change the sentences given in the article yourself from active voice ( Active Voice) to passive voice ( Passive Voice). This will allow you to remember the rule, as well as work out its transformation scheme in practice step by step.
Greetings, my dear readers.
Isn’t it true that the “passive voice” sounds scary? Questions immediately arise: what has he done to make him “suffer” so much? In reality, behind the proud name there is simply hidden the grammatical phenomenon “passive”.
Okay, so be it, so that you understand the topic better and don’t get confused in all these names - we’ll give it a separate lesson called the passive voice in English, or “passive” in common parlance. Today we are waiting for the rules with examples and education of this time. And then you can consolidate the theory and.
What it is
Let's immediately understand what the “passive voice” is with examples.
I cooked the dinner.- I prepared dinner.
From this sentence it becomes clear that the action is performed by a certain person, that is, me. It turns out that this is the active voice, or all those sentences and that we usually use.
The passive voice in our case will look like this:
The dinner was cooked.- Dinner has been prepared.
Please note that now in the first place we have the very fact that dinner has been prepared. That is, there is no need to mention who did it.
This is the phenomenon when you completely no need to specify who is doing the action, or you need to put the action itself first, and the passive is used.
How to translate
Of course, many people immediately have a question: how to translate such sentences. And my answer to you is the same as usual, we just don’t indicate the character.
The walls were painted yesterday.- Yesterday we painted the walls.
New sports center will be opened next month.- A new sports center will open next month.
The dinner hadn’t been made by the time I got home.- By the time I arrived home, dinner was not ready yet.
How is it formed
- In short, the structure of the passive voice is as follows:
Subject + auxiliary verb (to be) + verb in the third form (V3) + object.
Depending on the tense in which the sentence is constructed, the verb “to be” will change its form. Below in the table you will see how this is done.
The car was broken in an accident.- The car crashed in an accident.
The meeting is being held in room 13.- The meeting is taking place in room 13.
The car has been repaired.- The car was repaired.
- A particle is added to the structure of a negative sentence not to the auxiliary verb.
Subject + auxiliary verb (to be) + not + verb in the third form (V3) + object.
The room wasn’t (was not) cleaned.- The room was not cleaned.
The house wasn’t (was not) decorated yet. - The house hasn't been decorated yet.
The thieves weren’t (were not) caught yet.- The thieves have not been caught yet.
- In interrogative sentences, the auxiliary verb and the subject change places.
Auxiliary verb (to be) + subject + verb in the third form (V3) + object?
Was the television repaired?- Was the TV fixed?
Was the report written?- Have you written a report?
Have the photos been printed?- Were the photographs printed?
You may have noticed that even the passive voice must be used correctly, so I have a table for you that will help you remember and quickly navigate the use of tenses (click on the picture to enlarge).
I think you noticed that there is no Future Continuous form for the passive. If there is still a need to express duration in the future, then the usual Future Simple will be used.
The same applies to complex tenses: Present Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect Continuous and Future Perfect Continuous. There are no passive constructions in them! Use Perfect tenses instead!
Rules of use and examples
The use of the passive can be characterized by the following rules:
- When the person performing the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious.
Mr. Samson's jewelry was stolen last night.- Mrs. Samson's jewelry was stolen yesterday.
Feel the difference:
The thieves stole Mr. Samson's jewelry last night.- Thieves stole Mrs. Samson's jewelry last night.
In the passive, it is already obvious to us who did it, and there is no need to say obvious things. Let's look at another example.
The brakes of the car were tested.- The car's brakes were checked.
Compare:
The mechanic tested the brakes of the car.- The mechanic checked the car's brakes.
After all, it was already obvious that the car’s brakes were being checked by a mechanic. That is why the passive looks much more relevant here.
Mercedes cars are made in Germany. - Mercedes cars are produced in Germany.
Mercedes Benz make their cars in Germany.- The Mercedes Benz company produces its cars in Germany.
A completely similar situation when naming the character makes no sense.
If you like to learn English in a fun and effective way, then register with Lingualeo — there is a lot of interesting and free material (simulators, dictionaries, lessons). By the way, you can also take paid specialized courses there for various needs. For example, course « Irregular Verbs» will help you quickly and spontaneously remember the forms of basic and frequently used irregular verbs in the English language and learn about some of the features of their use.
- When the action itself is more important than the person performing it.
Two families were seriously injured in a car accident last night.-Last night, two families were seriously injured in a car accident.
Besides, the passive voice is very often used in formal English, but the active voice is in both versions.
If you want to learn more about the grammatical aspects of the English language in theory and practice, go to mine - there you will find the basic rules and practical part for each of them.
This, my dears, is where we will end our lesson. You can find even more information in the video tutorial. But still remember that the best tactic for memorizing new topics is lots and lots of practice. Therefore, we have ahead of you, as well as even more materials and useful things.
Until next time, my loves;)
Passive Voice is used if the subject does not perform the action, but experiences an influence directed at it from the predicate. It is clear from the context who is performing the action, or whether it is not significant. The emphasis is on the result of the action.
To form a verb in the form passive voice, you need to learn some rules. First, you need to pay attention to the rule of forming participle II (participle II) for verbs in the correct form. must be learned by heart. To form a verb in the form of the passive voice, you need the necessary form of the verb “to be” (tense, person, number), and the past participle (Participle II) of the main significant verb. Below are the verbs “to ask / to take” in the form passive voice tables in English:
Table of 8 passive forms of English verb
| Present simple tense | Present Indefinite | am / is / are + taken / asked |
| Present continuous tense | Present Continuous | am / is / are + being + taken / asked |
| Present perfect tense | Present Perfect | have / has + been + taken / asked |
| Past simple tense | Past indefinite | was / were + taken / asked |
| Past continuous tense | Past Continuous | was / were + being + taken / asked |
| Past perfect tense | Past Perfect | had + been + taken/ asked |
| Future simple tense | Future Indefinite | will + be + taken/ asked |
| Future continuous tense | Future Continuous | not used |
| Future perfect tense | Future Perfect | will + have + been + taken/ asked |
Now we understand How is the passive voice formed? in English sentences. How is it used correctly? IN active voice the proposal looks like this: “Mary often asks questions. “Mary often asks questions.” .
The same sentence in the passive voice looks different: Mary is often asked questions. Mary is often asked questions.
In this case, using the passive voice is possible and even recommended, since it is absolutely not important who performed the action.
To form an interrogative sentence, you need to put before the subject:
Was your bag stolen? – Was your bag stolen?
The negative form of the passive voice is formed using the particle “not”, which must be placed after the first auxiliary verb:
Tom has not been seen anywhere. - Tom was nowhere to be seen.
How to correctly translate the passive voice of English?
There is a rule that is used not only in English, but also in Russian: a noun that is an object in a sentence with an active voice, in a sentence passive or passive voice becomes the subject, and vice versa. If a passive sentence refers to who is doing the action, in English there must be a "by" before that object/subject. It will be translated into Russian in the instrumental case form.
How can you translate the passive voice (examples):
— Using the short form of the passive participle — This house was built many years ago. – This house was built many years ago.
— Using a verb ending in “s” or “sya” — The dinner is being cooked - Dinner is being prepared.
- If there is no one who performs the action in the sentence, you can use an indefinite personal sentence - She was given an interesting magazine. – She was given an interesting magazine.
Despite the difficulty of learning the passive voice in English, learning theme "Passive Voice" it is necessary, since it is used very often both in oral and written speech.
💡 Are you sure you understand the topic? Go ahead. 💡
There is an active and passive voice - Active Voice and Passive Voice, respectively. In the first option, you perform an action or someone else performs it, that is, an active action. For example: Masha goes to school - Masha goes to school. Petya drives a car - Petya drives a car.
-
In the passive voice it would be different - Masha is taken to school. That is, an action is performed on a subject or inanimate object. I was invited - I was invited - that is, I did not invite, but I was invited.
How is Passive Voice formed?
Let's see how the Passive voice is formed according to the scheme: Creatures. + Be (am, is, are) + V3. That is, the verb to be and the third form of the verb are placed.
Examples
Affirmative sentences
-
I'm invited- action above animate object and Present Simple time. In English it would be like this: I am invited.
You are invited— You are invited.
She's invited— She is invited.
He is invited— He is invited.
Important to remember that in Passive Voice only the third form is always used - V3. Or the ending –ed is added to the verb if it falls into the category of regular ones. For convenience, we have a table of irregular verbs - Irregular Verbs, which you can view here:. The third form, V3, is located in the Participle II column.
Also important that in the passive voice the pronouns do not change. For example, her invite - she is invited. That is, here it is not HER, but SHE.
Interrogative sentences
To ask a question in the passive voice, you need to use the following formula:
To be + Creatures. + V3 ?
Are the houses built every year? – Are houses built every year?
Are you invited everywhere? Are you invited everywhere?
Negative sentences
Creatures + Be + not + V3
German is (to be) not spoken (V3) everywhere. German is not spoken everywhere.
It is important to know that Future Perfect Continuous Passive, Present Perfect Continuous Passive and Past Perfect Continuous Passive do not exist - Perfect forms are used instead. And instead of Future Continuous Passive, Future Simple is used.
Table of tenses in Passive Voice
For convenience, we suggest you look at the table using tenses in the passive voice.
Lots of examples to reinforce:
Present Simple Passive
He is called every day. They call him every day.
Homework is done. Homework done
Tickets are bought. Tickets are being reserved.
Present Progressive Passive: to be (is, are, am) + Ving + V3
A new big house is being built now. A new large house is currently under construction.
I am being given a glass of milk now. Now they give me a glass of milk.
Present Perfect Passive: Have/has + been + V3
This work has just been started - The work has just begun
I have just been invited - I have just been invited
Past Simple Passive: Was/were + V3
The book was written by Alisa. – The book was written by Alice.
These apples were bought by Julia. These apples were bought by Julia.
Past Continuous Passive: Was/were + being + V3
I was being asked a question when you came home - I was asked a question just
when you came home.
The car was being washed when I arrived. The car was washed just when I arrived.
Past Perfect Passive: Had + been + V3
When we came home breakfast had been cooked already. When we got home, tomorrow was already ready.
Had the song been sung by the time she returned? Was the song written by the time she arrived?
Future Passive: Will + have/has + V3
They will be met by me. They will be met by me.
I will be thinking. I'll be surprised.
Future Perfect Passive:
By the time we return the shop will have been opened yet. - By the time we arrive, the store will already be open.
Will everything have been prepared by 7 p.m.? – Will everything be ready by 7 pm?
Loading...
