Active Passive Verb Form

I.       Active Form

In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing receiving the action is the object. Most sentences are active.

§  Examples:

a. The professor teaches the students

            (subject)        (verb)      (object)

       b. John          washes     the dishes

            (subject)    (verb)        (object)

II.      Passive Form

In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing doing the action is optionally included near the end of the sentence. You can use the passive form if you think that the thing receiving the action is more important or should be emphasized. You can also use the passive form if you do not know who is doing the action or if you do not want to mention who is doing the action.

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.

• §             The form  of Passive Voice:

be + past participle

§                                Examples :

a. The students are taught by the professor

     (subject)         (verb)

b. The dishes are washed by John

      (subject)        (verb)

III.     Passive Voice Formation

            A.         Tenses Overview

Tense	Active	Passive
Simple Present	Tom cleans the house	The house is cleaned by Tom
Present Continuous	Tom is cleaning the house	The house is being cleaned by Tom
Simple Past	Tom cleaned the house	The house was cleaned by Tom
Past Continuous	Tom was cleaning the house	The house was being cleaned by Tom
Present Perfect	Tom has cleaned the house	The house has been cleaned by Tom
Present Perfect Continuous	Tom has been cleaning the house	The house has been being cleaned by Tom
Past Perfect	Tom had cleaned the house	The house had been cleaned by Tom
Past Perfect Continuous	Tom had been cleaning the house	The house had been being cleaned by Tom
Simple Future will	Tom will clean the house	The house will be cleaned by Tom
Simple Future be going to	Tom is going to clean the house	The house is going to be cleaned by Tom
Future Continuous will	Tom will be cleaning the house	The house will be being cleaned by Tom
Future Continuous be going to	Tom is going to be cleaning the house	The house is going to be being cleaned by Tom
Future Perfect will	Tom will have cleaned the house	The house will have been cleaned by Tom
Future Perfect be going to	Tom going to have cleaned the house	The house is going to have been cleaned by Tom
Future Perfect Continuous will	Tom will have been cleaning the house	The house will have been being cleaned by Tom
Future Perfect Continuous be going to	Tom is going to have been cleaned the house	The house is going to have been being cleaned by Tom
Used to	Tom used to clean the house	The house used to be cleaned by Tom
Would Always	Tom would always clean the pies.	The house would always be cleaned by Tom
Future in the Past Would	Tom would clean the house	The house would be cleaned by Tom
Future in the Past Was Going to	Tom was going to clean the house	The house was going to be cleaned by Tom

            B.         Sentence Overview

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
The house is cleaned by Tom	The house is not cleaned by Tom	Is the house cleaned by Tom?
The houses were built in 1990	The houses were not built in 1990	Were the houses built in 1990?

            When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

•      The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
•           The finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
•      The subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped)

IV.     Verbals in Passive Structures

            Verbals or verb forms can also take on features of the passive voice. An infinitive phrase in the passive voice, for instance, can perform various functions within a sentence (just like the active forms of the infinitive).

·         Subject: To be elected by my peers is a great honor.

·         Object: That child really likes to be read to by her mother.

·         Modifier: Grasso was the first woman to be elected governor in her own right.

The same is true of passive gerunds.

·         Subject: Being elected by my peers was a great thrill.

·         Object: I really don't like being lectured to by my boss.

·         Object of preposition: I am so tired of being lectured to by my boss.

With passive participles, part of the passive construction is often omitted, the result being a simple modifying participial phrase.

·         [Having been] designed for off-road performance, the Pathseeker does not always behave well on paved highways.

V.      Indirect Object as Passive Subject

            A.         Active Voice With Two Objects

The passive can also be used in sentences that have two objects--a direct object and an indirect object. Because many sentences with both a direct and an indirect object can be written in two different ways (with and without to or for), the corresponding passive sentences can also be written in two different ways:

Subject	Verb	Direct Object	Indirect Object
They	Gave	an award	to Spielberg

Subject	Verb	Indirect Object	Direct Object
They	Gave	Spielberg	an award

            B.         Passive Voice Sentences

Subject	Verb	Indirect Object	Agent
An award	was given	to Spielberg	by them

Subject	Verb	Direct Object	Agent
Spielberg	was given	an award	by them

VI.     Exercises

            Check the correct answer!

1. They were interviewing her for the job. 
She ________________ for the job.
  was being interviewed
  was interviewed
  has been interviewed

2. Tom is writing the letter. 
The letter ________________ by Tom.
  was written
  is being written
  has been written

3. Everyone understands English. 
English ________________ by everyone.
  is understood
  has been understood
  was understood

4. The employees brought up this issue during the meeting. 
This issue ________________ by the employees during the meeting.
  has been brought up
  is brought up
  was brought up

5. The professor told him not to talk in class. 
He ________________ by the professor not to talk in class. 
  has been told
  was told
  was being told

6. They say that women are smarter than men. 
Women ________________ to be smarter than men.
  were being said
  were said
  are said

7. The fire has destroyed the house. 
The house ________________ by the fire. 
  has been destroyed
  was being destroyed
  is destroyed

8. She would have told you. 
You ________________ by her. 
  would have been told
  would be told
  were being told

9. She would reject the offer. 
The offer ________________ by her.
  will have been rejected
  would be rejected
  will be rejected

10. This surprises me. 
I ________________ by this.
  would have been surprised
  will be surprised
  am surprised

Sources:

https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/activepassive.html

https://www.seattlecentral.edu/faculty/dloos/Grammar/Passive%20Voice/passive_voice_direct&indirectobjects_grammarincontext3_page67.htm

http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar/using_passive_voice05.html

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/passive.htm

http://www.edufind.com/english-grammar/passive-voice/

http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/passive.html

http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/esl-passive-voice-exercise2.html