The Passive
Voice
Passive and Active Voices
Verbs
are also said to be either active (The executive committee approved
the new policy) or passive (The new policy was approved by the
executive committee) in voice. In the active voice, the subject and verb
relationship is straightforward: the subject is a be-er or a do-er and the verb
moves the sentence along. In the passive voice, the subject of the
sentence is neither a do-er or a be-er, but is acted upon by some other agent or by something
unnamed (The new policy was approved). Computerized grammar checkers can pick
out a passive voice construction from miles away and ask you to revise it to a
more active construction. There is nothing inherently wrong with the passive
voice, but if you can say the same thing in the active mode, do so (see
exceptions below). Your text will have more pizzazz as a result, since passive
verb constructions tend to lie about in their pajamas and avoid actual work.
We
find an overabundance of the passive voice in sentences created by
self-protective business interests, magniloquent educators, and bombastic
military writers (who must get weary of this accusation), who use the passive
voice to avoid responsibility for actions taken. Thus "Cigarette ads were
designed to appeal especially to children" places the burden on the
ads — as opposed to "We designed the cigarette ads to appeal especially
to children," in which "we" accepts responsibility. At a White
House press briefing we might hear that "The President was advised that
certain members of Congress were being audited" rather than "The Head
of the Internal Revenue service advised the President that her agency was
auditing certain members of Congress" because the passive construction
avoids responsibility for advising and for auditing. One further caution about
the passive voice: we should not mix active and passive constructions in the
same sentence: "The executive committee approved the new policy,
and the calendar for next year's meetings was revised" should be
recast as "The executive committee approved the new policy and
revised the calendar for next year's meeting."
Take
the quiz (below) as an exercise in recognizing and changing passive verbs.
The
passive voice does exist for a reason, however, and its presence is not always
to be despised. The passive is particularly useful (even recommended) in two
situations:
- When it is more important to draw our attention to the person or thing acted upon: The unidentified victim was apparently struck during the early morning hours.
- When the actor in the situation is not important: The aurora borealis can be observed in the early morning hours.
The
passive voice is especially helpful (and even regarded as mandatory) in
scientific or technical writing or lab reports, where the actor is not really
important but the process or principle being described is of ultimate
importance. Instead of writing "I poured 20 cc of acid into the
beaker," we would write "Twenty cc of acid is/was poured into
the beaker." The passive voice is also useful when describing, say, a
mechanical process in which the details of process are much more important than
anyone's taking responsibility for the action: "The first coat of primer
paint is applied immediately after the acid rinse."
We
use the passive voice to good effect in a paragraph in which we wish to shift
emphasis from what was the object in a first sentence to what becomes
the subject in subsequent sentences.
The executive
committee approved an entirely new policy for dealing with academic suspension
and withdrawal. The policy had been written by a subcommittee on student
behavior. If students withdraw from course work before suspension can take
effect, the policy states, a mark of "IW" . . . .
The
paragraph is clearly about this new policy so it is appropriate that policy
move from being the object in the first sentence to being the subject of the
second sentence. The passive voice allows for this transition.†
Passive Verb Formation
The
passive forms of a verb are created by combining a form of the "to be
verb" with the past participle of the main verb. Other helping verbs are
also sometimes present: "The measure could have been killed in
committee." The passive can be used, also, in various tenses. Let's take a
look at the passive forms of "design."
Tense
|
Subject
|
Auxiliary
|
Past
Participle |
|
Singular
|
Plural
|
|||
Present
|
The
car/cars
|
is
|
are
|
designed.
|
Present
perfect
|
The
car/cars
|
has
been
|
have
been
|
designed.
|
Past
|
The
car/cars
|
was
|
were
|
designed.
|
Past
perfect
|
The
car/cars
|
had
been
|
had
been
|
designed.
|
Future
|
The
car/cars
|
will
be
|
will
be
|
designed.
|
Future
perfect
|
The
car/cars
|
will
have been
|
will
have been
|
designed.
|
Present
progressive
|
The
car/cars
|
is
being
|
are
being
|
designed.
|
Past
progressive
|
The
car/cars
|
was
being
|
were
being
|
designed.
|
A
sentence cast in the passive voice will not always include an agent of the action. For
instance if a gorilla crushes a tin can, we could say "The tin can was
crushed by the gorilla." But a perfectly good sentence would leave out
the gorilla: "The tin can was crushed." Also, when an active
sentence with an indirect object is recast in the passive, the indirect object
can take on the role of subject in the passive sentence:
Active
|
Professor
Villa gave Jorge an A.
|
Passive
|
An
A was given to Jorge by Professor Villa.
|
Passive
|
Jorge
was given an A.
|
Only
transitive verbs (those that take objects) can be transformed into passive
constructions. Furthermore, active sentences containing certain verbs cannot be
transformed into passive structures. To have is the most important of
these verbs. We can say "He has a new car," but we cannot say "A
new car is had by him." We can say "Josefina lacked finesse,"
but we cannot say "Finesse was lacked." Here is a brief list of such
verbs*:
resemble
|
look
like
|
equal
|
agree
with
|
mean
|
contain
|
hold
|
comprise
|
lack
|
suit
|
fit
|
become
|
Verbals in Passive Structures
Verbals or verb forms can also take on
features of the passive voice. An infinitive phrase in the passive voice,
for instance, can perform various functions within a sentence (just like the
active forms of the infinitive).
- Subject: To be elected by my peers is a great honor.
- Object: That child really likes to be read to by her mother.
- Modifier: Grasso was the first woman to be elected governor in her own right.
The
same is true of passive gerunds.
- Subject: Being elected by my peers was a great thrill.
- Object: I really don't like being lectured to by my boss.
- Object of preposition: I am so tired of being lectured to by my boss.
With
passive participles, part of the passive construction is often omitted,
the result being a simple modifying participial
phrase.
- (Having been) designed for off-road performance, the Pathseeker does not always behave well on paved highways
Passive
Voice
Passive voice is a grammatical construction ( grammatical form ) where the subject in the sentence ( sentence ) or clause ( clause ) does not take action , but rather accept the action or follow-up ( receiver of action ) by the other agent ( DOER of action ) either mentioned or not .
In contrast , the active construction , subject to the sentence or clause directly related to the verb to act as the agent of the action. Active sentence can be transformed into passive , but only transitive verb ( has a direct object ) that can be enforced so .
Formula Passive Voice
The formula is as follows passive voice below .
passive voice
Note :
Auxiliary verb can be either a primary auxiliary verb be ( is , are , am , was , were , be , been , being) or a combination of the two primaries ( is / are being , was / were being , has / have been ) as well as between primary and capital auxiliary verb ( will be , will not have been ) .
The combination of the auxiliary used in the passive form of the tenses . Fuller explanation can be found in the Form of Passive tenses , Infinitive , and Gerund .
Past participle form of the verb used transitive ( has a direct object ) .
example :
She can not drive a car . ( active voice , transitive )
Passive voice is a grammatical construction ( grammatical form ) where the subject in the sentence ( sentence ) or clause ( clause ) does not take action , but rather accept the action or follow-up ( receiver of action ) by the other agent ( DOER of action ) either mentioned or not .
In contrast , the active construction , subject to the sentence or clause directly related to the verb to act as the agent of the action. Active sentence can be transformed into passive , but only transitive verb ( has a direct object ) that can be enforced so .
Formula Passive Voice
The formula is as follows passive voice below .
passive voice
Note :
Auxiliary verb can be either a primary auxiliary verb be ( is , are , am , was , were , be , been , being) or a combination of the two primaries ( is / are being , was / were being , has / have been ) as well as between primary and capital auxiliary verb ( will be , will not have been ) .
The combination of the auxiliary used in the passive form of the tenses . Fuller explanation can be found in the Form of Passive tenses , Infinitive , and Gerund .
Past participle form of the verb used transitive ( has a direct object ) .
example :
She can not drive a car . ( active voice , transitive )
He always come on time . ( active voice ,
Intransitive )
Changes in the shape of the base to form the past tense and past participle of regular or irregular basis .
example :
play ( base form) - > played ( past participle )
Changes in the shape of the base to form the past tense and past participle of regular or irregular basis .
example :
play ( base form) - > played ( past participle )
sing ( base form) - > sung ( past
participle )
Examples of Passive Voice on Auxiliary Verb Be:
Components Passive Voice Example Sentences
Be subject PP
I am paid I am paid in dollars .
( I paid in dollars . )
the red velvet recipe is used the red velvet recipe is used by many people .
( Recipe red velvet they will be used by many people . )
all of my shoes are washed All of my shoes are washed every month .
( All my shoes washed every month . )
large amounts of meat and milk are Consumed Large amounts of meat and milk are Consumed by many people in the countries .
( A large number of meat and milk consumed by many people in the countries they will be . )
The book was edited The book was edited by Beatrice Sparks .
( The book edited by Beatrice Sparks TSB . )
The books were edited The books were edited by Beatrice Sparks .
( The books they will be edited by Beatrice Sparks . )
Exception of Transitive Verbs
Not all transitive verbs , verbs that have a direct object , can be pacified . Some of these verbs are , among others : have , Become , lack , look like , mean , etc. will sound unnatural meaning when pacified . Some example sentences of the verb is as follows .
example :
I have a great new idea. - > Can not be pacified by : A great new idea is had by me .
The snack contains aspartame . - > Can not be pacified by : Aspartame is contained by the snack .
Overview of the Passive Voice
In the passive voice construction , subject to the clause or sentence acts as the receiver of the action ( receiver of action ) of the action ( the action expressed by the combination of the auxiliary verb to past participle ) conducted by DOER of action ( doer of action ) . Fuller explanation can be found in Understanding , Formulas , and Sample Passive Voice .
Active into Passive Voice Transformation
Active "normal " voice can be transformed or converted into a passive form with the following steps .
Active Voice - > Passive Voice
Subject ( DOER of action )
+
action verb
+
Object ( receiver of action ) - > Subject ( receiver of action )
+
auxiliary verb *
+
past participle
+ / -
by ... ( DOER of action )
* Description of the auxiliary verb used to be seen in the introduction .
example :
Julia wrote the report . - > The report was written by Julia
I have made a decision . - > A decision has been made by me .
Usage and Examples
Some examples of the use and changes from active to passive sentences are as follows .
usage Example
Active Voice Passive Voice
used when DOER of action ( action actor ) is unknown .
In the passive voice construction , subject to the clause or sentence acts as the receiver of the action ( receiver of action ) of the action ( the action expressed by the combination of the auxiliary verb to past participle ) conducted by DOER of action ( doer of action ) . Fuller explanation can be found in Understanding , Formulas , and Sample Passive Voice .
Active into Passive Voice Transformation
Active "normal " voice can be transformed or converted into a passive form with the following steps .
Active Voice - > Passive Voice
Subject ( DOER of action )
+
action verb
+
Object ( receiver of action ) - > Subject ( receiver of action )
+
auxiliary verb *
+
past participle
+ / -
by ... ( DOER of action )
* Description of the auxiliary verb used to be seen in the introduction .
example :
Julia wrote the report . - > The report was written by Julia
I have made a decision . - > A decision has been made by me .
Usage and Examples
Some examples of the use and changes from active to passive sentences are as follows .
usage Example
Active Voice Passive Voice
used when DOER of action ( action actor ) is unknown .
·
Active
: Someone knocked on your door last night .
Passive : you door Was knocked on last night .
·
Active
: Somebody has used the computer without the permission.
Passive : The computer has been used
without permission .
used when DOER of action is not necessary to mention .
For example, because the perpetrators
of these acts are clear / predictable or refer to people in general .
·
Active
: You can view the results on the web .
Passive : The final results can be
Viewed on the web .
·
active
: People seldom do physical exercises Regularly .
passive : Physical exercises are seldom done Regularly .
·
active
: The teacher had instructed the students to solve math problems .
passive : The students were had
instructed to solve the math problem .
used to give emphasis to the object
·
active
: Sunmark Press published The Enzyme
Factor at the first time in 2005 . passive : The Enzyme Factor was published at
the first time in 2005 by Sunmark Press .
·
active
: I have to collect more than 20,000 dollars to buy the car .
passive : More than 20,000 dollars
would have to be collected ** to buy the car .
used as a variation on the words .
For example, the perpetrator acts mentioned in
the previous sentence .
·
Active
: KPK Investigators knew that the Commission Neng Sri Wahyu returned to
Indonesia . They Arrested the woman on June 13 .
passive
: KPK Investigators knew that the Commission Neng Sri Wahyu returned to
Indonesia . The woman was Arrested on June 13 .
Formulas and Examples of Passive Voice on tenses
Auxiliary to form the passive construction in the form of auxiliary tenses can be ( is , are , was , were ) , the combination of two primary auxiliary ( is / are being , was / were being , has / have been ) , or between primary auxiliary verb capital ( will be , will not have been ) . Auxialiary is then combined with a past participle to form the passive verb form . The formulas and examples of passive voice in some kind of tenses can be seen in the following table .
Auxiliary to form the passive construction in the form of auxiliary tenses can be ( is , are , was , were ) , the combination of two primary auxiliary ( is / are being , was / were being , has / have been ) , or between primary auxiliary verb capital ( will be , will not have been ) . Auxialiary is then combined with a past participle to form the passive verb form . The formulas and examples of passive voice in some kind of tenses can be seen in the following table .
Tenses Formula Sample
Present Simple : am / is / are + past participle
Example : The crafts are made of
wood .
Continuous : am / is / are + being + past participle
Continuous : am / is / are + being + past participle
Example : The room is being
cleaned .
Perfect : has / have + been + past participle
Perfect : has / have + been + past participle
Example : Your requests have been approved .
Simple Past : was / were + past participle
Simple Past : was / were + past participle
Example : The mansion was built
in 2013.
Continuous : was / were + being + past participle
Continuous : was / were + being + past participle
Example : Your gown was being washed
.
Perfect : had + been + past participle
Perfect : had + been + past participle
Example : The fence had been painted in green .
Simple Future : will + be + past participle
Simple Future : will + be + past participle
Example : The packet will be sent immediately .
Perfect : will + have + been + past participle
Perfect : will + have + been + past participle
Example : The article will not have been read ninety times .
Note :
The shape of the perfect continuous passive should be avoided because of complicated and elegant .
Passive Voice on Infinitive
Passive form of Infinitive phrase ( infinitive phrase ) can serve as subject , object , or modifier in a sentence . Formulas and examples of the passive infinitive form is as follows .
( to ) be + past participle
example :
To be accompanied with him is a bad idea. ( Subject )
Everyone needs to be loved . ( Object )
He is the man to be trusted for all the things. ( Modifier )
Passive Voice on Gerund
Passive form of the gerund can function as subject , object , and object of the preposition in a sentence . The following formulas and examples of passive gerund form .
being + past participle
example :
Being accompanied with him is a bad idea. ( Subject )
My brother enjoyed being taken to the beach . ( Object )
My brother 's happy of being taken to the beach . ( Object of preposition )