1. Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action.
2. Passive voice consist of a form of the verb "be" and "past participle"
Problems with the passive voice:
- it is vague, because no actor is identified
- it is wordier than the active voice because, especially if the writter names the actor in a prepositional phrase at the end of the sentence.
example: 1. the speech was made. (who made it?)
2. The speech was made by Ryan (this is wordy and less direct than the active voice version of the same meaning: Ryan made the speech).
1. Simple Present
active: Tom cleans the house once a week
Passive: The house is cleaned by Tom once a week.
2. Present Continuous
active: Sarah is Writting the letter right now
passive: The letter is written by sarah right now.
3. Simple past
active: Sam repaired the car
passive: The Car was repaired by Sam
4. Past Continous
active: The salesmen was helping the customer when the thief came into the store
passive: The customer was being helped by the salesman when the thief came into the store.
5. Present Perfect
active: Many Tourist have visited that castle
passive: That castke has been visited by many tourist
6. Present Perfect continuous
active: Recently, John has been doing the work.
passive: Recently, the work has been being done by John.
7. Past Perfect
active: George has repaired many cars before he received his mechanic's license.
passive: Many cars has been repaired by George he received his mechanic's license.
8. Past Perfect Continuous
active: Chef John had been preparing the restaurant's fantastic dinners for two months before he moved to Paris.
passive: The restaurant's fantastic dinner had been being prepared by Chef John for two months before he moved to Paris.
9. Simple Future
(will)
active: I will do the Housework.
passive: The housework will be done by me.
(going to)
active: Sally is going to make a dinner tonight
passive: The dinner is going to be made by Sally tonight.
10. Future Continuous
(will)
active: I will be watching television at 8 PM.
passive: The television will be being watched by me at 8 PM.
(going to)
active: i am going to be studying mathematics when she arrives tonight
passive: when she arrives tonight, mathematics is going to be being studied by me.
11. Future Perfect
(will)
active: They will have completed the project before the deadline.
passive: The project will have been completed by them before the deadline.
(going to)
active: They are going to have learned mathematics before they have final examination.
passive: Mathematics is going to have been learned by them before they have final examination.
12. Future Perfect Continuous
(will)
active: i will have been studying english for more than hours when you finally come
passive: english will have been being studied by me for more than hours when you finally come.
(going to)
active: She is going to have been learning james blunt's song for one hour
passive: James Blunt's song is going to have been being learned by her for one hour.
13. Used to
active: Jerry used to sing this song
passive: this song used to be sung by Jerry
14. Would Always
active: My father would always make the pies
passive: The pies would always be made by my father
15. Future in the past
(would)
active: I knew you would finished the work by 5 PM.
Passive: I knew the work would be finished by you by 5 PM.
(was going to)
active: I thought Dina was going to make a dinner tonight.
passive: I thought a dinner was going to be made by Dina tonight.
