2nd Bac
Grammar Reference
Grammar: The Passive Voice
Use:
When the focus is on the action or the receiver of the action, not the person performing it (the agent). Used when the agent is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from the context.
Transformation from Active to Passive
Form:
Subject + form of "to be" + Past Participle (V3)
Active:
Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.
Passive:
Hamlet
was written
by Shakespeare.
Passive Forms Across All Tenses
| Tense | Passive Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | am/is/are + V3 | Cars are made in Germany. |
| Present Continuous | am/is/are + being + V3 | A new bridge is being built. |
| Past Simple | was/were + V3 | The lightbulb was invented by Edison. |
| Past Continuous | was/were + being + V3 | The room was being cleaned. |
| Present Perfect | has/have + been + V3 | New staff have been hired. |
| Past Perfect | had + been + V3 | The work had been finished. |
| Future (Will) | will be + V3 | The contract will be signed. |
| Future (Going to) | am/is/are + going to be + V3 | A book is going to be written. |
| Modals | modal + be + V3 | The form must be completed. |
Verbs with Two Objects (Double Objects)
Some active sentences with two objects can form passive in two ways:
Active
They gave
him
a
gift
.
Passive
1.
He
was given a gift.
2. A
gift
was given to him.
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