|
TENSE |
ACTIVE |
PASSIVE |
|
Present Simple |
He writes articles. |
Articles are written. |
|
Present Continuous |
He is writing articles. |
Articles are being written. |
|
Present Perfect |
He has written articles. |
Articles have been written. |
|
Past Simple |
He wrote articles. |
Articles were written. |
|
Past Continuous |
He was writing articles. |
Articles were being written. |
|
Past Perfect |
He had written articles. |
Articles had been written. |
|
Future Simple |
He will write articles. |
Articles will be written. |
|
Infinitive |
He has to write articles. |
Articles have to be written. |
|
Modal |
He should write articles. |
Articles should be written |
FROM ACTIVE TO PASSIVE
1. The object of the active verb becomes the subject in the passive sentence.
2. We add the verb “to be” in the SAME tense as the active verb.
3. We add the past participle of the active verb.
4. We add BY + AGENT (the doer of the action) only if this adds information. When the agent is unknown, unimportant or obvious, it is omitted.
EXAMPLES
1. Active: Bell invented the telephone.
Passive: The telephone was invented by Bell.
2. Active: The children have eaten the cake.
Passive: The cake has been eaten by the children.
3. Active: Someone stole my car.
Passive: My car was stolen.
4. Active: The police arrested the thief.
Passive: The thief was arrested.
THE PASSIVE IS USED:
(a) When the action is more important than the agent as in processes, instructions, reports, news items, headlines, advertisements.
Thirty people were killed in the earthquake.
Mobile phones are forbidden during lectures.
Two men were seen breaking into a house yesterday.
(b) To make more polite or formal statements.
My room hasn’t been cleaned yet.
I’m so sorry. I was given the wrong address.
