The Passive Voice

1
The Passive Voice

• Carmela Grillone
• FAO International Consultant

2
Use

• The passive voice draws your attention to the
  person or thing affected by an action when you
  want to emphasize the object giving less
  importance to those who perform the action
• Structure
• Passive Subject To Be Past Participle

3
Example

• We have produced over 20 different models in the
  past 2 years
• Changes to
• Over 20 different models have been produced in
  the past 2 years

4
Use of by

• If you consider the agent (the performer of the
  action) important you will use by.
• The agent, therefore, should not be used unless
  relevant.
• Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet
• Changes to
• Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare

5
Some hints

• Only verbs that take an object can be used in the
  passive
• Example
• I walked in the street
• You cannot transform this sentence into passive

6
Exercise

• They make Fords in Cologne. Simple Present
• Fords are made in Cologne.
• Susan is cooking dinner. Present Continuous
• Dinner is being cooked by Susan
• James Joyce wrote "Dubliners". Past Simple
• "Dubliners" was written by James Joyces.
• They were painting the house when I arrived.
  Past Continuous
• The house was being painted when I arrived.
• They are going to build a new factory in
  Portland.
• A new factory is going to be built in Portland
  Future Intention
• I will finish it tomorrow. Future Simple
• It will be finished tomorrow.