Power of the passive voice - 53

           Power of Passive Voice -53                                                                                                                                    

Prior information

Subject

Verb

Object

Past participle verb form

Transitive verb

To view the explanation of the above terms please click grammarmail

 

Most of the sentences we use in English are in active voice form, but in certain circumstances when the doer of the action is not known passive voice form is used .

The lion killed the deer (Lion is the subject = doer of the action, deer is the object = receiver of the action) - Active voice

Deer was killed by the lion ( Subject becomes object and object becomes subject) – Passive voice

NOTE: The verb killed in active voice is called active verb and the verb was killed in passive voice is called passive verb.

We use passive voice to give more importance to the object (sufferer of the action) -   by + Subject is used in passive voice.

In passive voice the verb is always in past participle form.

Only transitive verb can be used in passive voice ( She went to  Texas  last week) – This sentences can’t be changed into passive voice as the verb went  is intransitive)

More model sentences

Someone took my book – Active

My book was taken by someone. – Passive

She opened the door. – Active

The door was opened by her - Passive

Clara is driving a car. – Active

The car is being driven by Clara. – Passive

The President has called the guards. – Active voice

The guards have been  called by the president. - Passive voice    

RULE TO CHANGE ACTIVE VERB TO PASSIVE VERB.

We have taken give as a sample verb (base)

Tenses/Models + Base verb	Active voice	Passive voice
Simple Present	Give/gives	Am/is/are + given
Present continuous	Am /is/are + giving	Am/is/are + being + given
Present perfect	Have/has + given	Have/has + been + given
Past simple	took	Was/were + taken
Past continuous	Was/were + giving	Was/were + being + given
Past perfect	Had + taken	Had + been + given
Future simple	Will/shall + give	Will/shall + be + given
Can	Can give	Can + be + given
May/might	May/might give	May/might + be + given
Must	Must give	Must + be + given
Should etc.	Should give	Should + be + given

NOTE:

1. Continuous tense also called a progressive tense.

2. With have/has/had, always use past participle verb even in active voice.

3.  Shall is less common when compared to will. Shall should be used only with the subject I and we.