Intermediate English Grammar for ESL Learners - Robin Torres-Gouzerh 2016

Using the passive
9 The passive voice

In English, most sentences can be written in two ways: in the active voice or in the passive voice. Active-voice sentences can contain a subject, a transitive verb, and an object.

Paul wrote the essay.

My sister reads my diary.

In a passive-voice sentence, the subject and object of an active-voice sentence switch positions; the active object becomes the subject of the passive sentence, and the active subject becomes the object of the preposition by. The verb from the active sentence is changed to a past participle and is used with the auxiliary be.

The essay was written by Paul.

My diary is read by my sister.

The meaning of these active and passive examples is essentially the same. They are simply two different ways of expressing the same action. Although the active voice is the way you learn to write correct complete sentences, the passive voice is common in written English, especially in formal academic writing, and in newspapers and magazines.

Exercise 9.1 Write A next to the sentences that are in the active voice; write P next to the sentences in the passive voice.

1. The loan interest will be increased by the bank next month.

2. The United States is divided into many states.

3. English is studied by many people in the world.

4. George Orwell was writing a new novel.

5. That class was so boring.

6. Architecture is very interesting to me.

7. I was so surprised by his sudden decision to leave.

8. He was pushed by the man in the trench coat.

9. The tsunami happened in Southeast Asia.

Using the passive

The passive voice occurs in all tenses and can even be used in a progressive tense. The following examples show active sentences and their corresponding passive formations.

When a sentence is changed from active to passive, the tense of the active sentence is retained in the passive sentence.

Exercise 9.2 Rewrite each active sentence as a passive sentence, retaining the tense of the original sentence.

1. Maria found a hundred dollars.

2. The students will memorize the Preamble to the Constitution.

3. Did you purchase the tickets?

4. They have discovered some ancient ruins.

5. Bill is measuring the room.

Sentences that cannot be written in the passive voice

Only transitive verbs—verbs followed by an object—can be used in the passive. It is not possible to use intransitive verbs, such as happen, sleep, come, go, live, occur, rain, rise, depart, walk, and seem, in the passive.

Forming the passive voice without a by phrase

The passive is often used when it is unimportant to know who or what performs the action. In the sentence “Coffee is grown in Colombia,” we are informed where coffee is grown. Yet the coffee could be grown by villagers, by children, by immigrants, or by any other group of people. Following are examples that illustrate the most common ways of using the passive voice without a prepositional phrase introduced with by.

Rice is grown throughout Asia.

That car was built in the 1930s.

This watch was imported from Geneva, Switzerland.

Poor Mr. Lowry is going to be fired!

When the subject of an active sentence is some vague entity (they, someone, people), it is common to avoid using a by phrase in the passive.

ActiveThey cultivate grapes in southern France.

Passive Grapes are cultivated in southern France.

By is used in the passive when it is important to inform the reader or listener who is responsible for the action: “Perfume was written by Patrick Suskind.” In this case, it is important to know that a specific author (and not just any author) wrote this particular book.

As a general rule, if the writer knows who performs the action, it’s preferable to use the active voice: “My neighbor made the strawberry pie.” Stylistically, the writer could use the passive, but it would mean that he or she is trying to direct the reader’s attention to the new subject: “The strawberry pie was made by my neighbor.”

Exercise 9.3 Rewrite each active sentence as a passive sentence. Don’t use a prepositional phrase with by.

1. They manufactured a thousand cars at that plant.

2. Many people are developing theories about that.

3. Someone will buy that painting today.

4. They have postponed the opening of the new store.

5. No one respects his work.

Exercise 9.4 Rewrite each active sentence as a passive sentence.

Example Two horses were pulling the princess’s carriage.

The princess’s carriage was being pulled by two horses.

1. Kevin has suggested a new design for the logo.

2. The professor is going to explain the formula.

3. Bartenders serve people at the bar.

4. Noam Chomsky is preparing a speech.

5. Alex will invite Marie to the party.

6. Neil Gaiman wrote the novel American Gods.

Exercise 9.5 Complete the second sentence of each pair with the correct passive form of the verb phrase in the first sentence. Retain the tense of the original sentence.

Example William was driving the car.

The car was being driven by William.

1. William will have driven the car.