The passive voice is used to show interest in who or which experiences the action, rather than who or which performs the action
The important thing or person becomes the subject of the sentence:
This road is used frequently ➬interest in the road, not in who uses it
The house was built in 1900 ➬interest in the house, not in who built it
Kira will be adopted soon ➬interest in the dog, not in who will adopt her
The passive voice is used because:
➫ the subject of the verb is the recipient of the action of the verb, not the agent
➫The subject is unknown or unimportant or common knowledge
ACTIVE VOICE
⇘SUBJECT – VERB – DIRECT OBJECT⇙
Humans- enslave- animals
PASSIVE VOICE
DIRECT OBJECT⇗ – VERB TO BE – PAST PARTICIPLE – BY – ⇖SUBJECT
Animals- are- enslaved- by- humans
PRESENT ➫ English is spoken all over the world
PAST ➫ French was studied everywhere
FUTURE ➫ Spanish will be accepted as an international language
PRESENT continuous ➫ Animals are being mistreated
PAST continuous ➫ Animals were being mistreated
FUTURE continuous ➫ Animals will be being mistreated
PRESENT perfect ➫ Animal abuse has been banned
PAST perfect ➫ Animal abuse had been banned
FUTURE perfect ➫ Animal abuse will have been banned
CONDITIONAL ➫ Zoos would be closed if there were no visitors
CONDITIONAL continuous ➫ Zoos would be being closed if there were no visitors
CONDITIONAL perfect ➫ Zoos would have been closed if there were no visitors
MODALS
Birds can be saved
Bees have to be saved
Insects must be saved
Birds mustn’t be shot
Birds shouldn’t be put in a cage
Hunters ought to be punished
MODAL PERFECT
Nightingales might have been shot
A goldfinch may have been shot
Larks should have been saved
Geese could have been saved
Ducks must have been saved
Passive with phrasal verbs
ACTIVE
They called off the meeting
His grandma looked after him
They will send him away to school
His aunt brought him up
PASSIVE
The meeting was called off
He was looked after by his grandmother
He will be sent away to school
He was brought up by his aunt
The indirect object can be the subject of a passive verb:
ACTIVE
They offered me a new job
Someone told us an amazing story
I gave my son a book
Someone sent her flowers for her birthday
PASSIVE
I was offered a new job
We were told an amazing story
My son was given a book
She was sent flowers for her birthday
These verbs are frequently used in the passive and followed by the infinitive
| be supposed to | be expected to | be asked to | be told to |
| be allowed to | be invited to | be ordered to |
You are supposed to protect animal lives
We are expected to take care of animals
I have been asked to volunteer
They were told not to go to the aquarium
NOW… SOME PRACTICE
CHANGE ACTIVE SENTENCES INTO PASSIVE…
with the video
REVIEW THE LESSON AND DO THE EXERCISES IN THE VIDEO