Passive form of the verb in English table. Active and passive voice in English
In this lesson, we will analyze a very complex grammar topic— Active and Passive voice in English language. Simply put, the pledge is an indicator of whether the subject performs an action or the action is performed on it.
There are two forms of voice in English: the active voice (the Active Voice) and the passive voice (the Passive Voice).
In the active voice, the verb denotes an action that is performed by the subject:
- I read twenty pages yesterday.
- Yesterday I read twenty pages.
In the passive voice, the verb denotes an action that is performed on the subject:
- Twenty pages were read by me yesterday.
- Yesterday I read twenty pages.
Compare the following examples:
- They usually sing such songs in class. (Active Voice)
- Usually they sing such songs in class.
- Such songs are usually sang by them in class. (Passive voice)
- Such songs are usually sung by them in the classroom.
- Has the manager checked up your report? (Active Voice)
- Did the manager check your report?
- Has your report been checked up by the manager? (Passive Voice)
- Has your report been reviewed by a manager?
If you have reached the topic of pledges in English, then so far, you have already managed to learn tense forms of the verb in Active Voice. You already know that there are 12 main active voice tenses in English. Each tense is formed in its own way, with the help of endings and auxiliary verbs. What does the tense system look like in the passive voice?
The passive voice also has a system of tenses. But unlike the active voice, there are only 8 tense forms in it. All times group Perfect Continuous, as well as the Future Continuous in Passive Voice are not used.
To form the passive voice tenses, we need the auxiliary verb to be, which must have the corresponding form of the active voice, and the past participle of the semantic verb. You already know that the past participle is formed with the ending -ed for regular verbs, or III form is used irregular verbs from a table that you need to know by heart.
The passive voice formation scheme for all tenses is as follows: How are temporary forms of the passive voice formed?
Below are examples of conjugation tables for the verbs to promote and to choose in the passive voice (affirmative form).
Simple Tenses in the Passive Voice −
Simple tenses in the passive voice
| Present Simple Passive | Past Simple Passive | Future Simple Passive |
| I am promoted/chosen You are promoted/chosen He/ She/ It is promoted/ chosen |
I was promoted/chosen You were promoted/chosen He/ She/ It was promoted/ chosen |
I shall/ will be promoted/ chosen You will be promoted/chosen He/ She/ It will be promoted/ chosen |
| We are promoted / chosen You are promoted/chosen They are promoted/chosen |
We were promoted / chosen You were promoted/chosen They were promoted/chosen |
We shall/ will be promoted / chosen You will be promoted/chosen They will be promoted/chosen |
Continuous Tenses in the Passive Voice
Continuous tenses in the passive voice
| Present Continuous Passive | Past Continuous Passive |
| I am being promoted/chosen He/ She/ It is being promoted/ chosen |
I was being promoted/chosen He/ She/ It was being promoted/ chosen |
| We are being promoted / chosen You are being promoted/chosen They are being promoted/chosen |
We were being promoted / chosen You were being promoted/chosen They were being promoted/chosen |
Perfect Tenses in the Passive Voice
Perfect tenses in the passive voice
| Present Perfect passive | past perfect passive | Future Perfect passive |
| I have been promoted/chosen He/ She/ It has been promoted/ chosen |
I had been promoted/chosen He/ She/ It had been promoted/ chosen |
I shall/ will have been promoted/ chosen He/ She/ It will have been promoted/ chosen |
| We have been promoted / chosen You have been promoted/chosen They have been promoted/chosen |
We had been promoted / chosen You had been promoted/chosen They had been promoted/chosen |
We shall/ will have been promoted / chosen You will have been promoted/chosen They will have been promoted/chosen |
What verbs form Passive Voice forms?
All verbs in English have Active Voice forms. Passive Voice forms can form not all verbs, mostly only transitive verbs (Transitive Verbs).
Transitive verbs express an action directed at some object and take a direct, indirect or prepositional object.
Examples of transitive verbs in active and passive voices:
- Active: The pioneers have done much useful work on the collective farm.
- Passive: Much useful work has been done by the pioneers on the collective farm.
- Active: Jane's friends gave her many gifts for her birthday.
- Passive: Jane was given many gifts for her birthday.
- Active: We shall build Communism in this country within the next twenty years.
- Passive: Communism will be built in this country within the next twenty years.
- Active: Everybody listened to the lecturer with great attention.
- Passive: The lecturer was listened to with great attention.
Intransitive verbs express an action that characterizes the subject, but is not directed at any object. Intransitive verbs do not take objects. As a rule, they do not have forms of passive voice or have them only in some cases.
Examples with intransitive verbs:
- We live in Russian Federation.
- I am a teacher.
In English, there are verbs that, depending on the meaning, can be either transitive or intransitive. For example, the verb to grow in the meaning of "grow" is intransitive and does not form a passive form. In the meaning of "grow" it is transitive and forms forms of the passive voice. Compare:
- Barley grows very fast - Barley grows very fast (intransitive, Active Voice)
- We grow many beautiful flowers in our small garden - We grow many beautiful flowers in our small garden(transitional value, Active Voice)
- Many beautiful flowers are grown in our garden - Many beautiful flowers are grown in our garden (transitional value, Passive Voice)
Verb constructions in Passive Voice
If a verb in Active Voice takes direct and indirect objects, then any of these objects can act as the subject in a sentence with a verb in Passive Voice.
Compare the following sentences:
- My parents told me many interesting facts about our family's past. (verb to tell in Active Voice; indirect object - me, direct object - facts)
- I was told many interesting facts about our family's past by my parents. (verb to tell in Passive Voice; subject in sentence 2 corresponds to indirect object in sentence 1 (I − me)
- Many interesting facts about our family's past were told to me by my parents. (verb to tell in Passive Voice; subject in sentence 3 corresponds to direct object in sentence 1 (facts - facts)
Type 2 sentences in Passive Voice use the following verbs: to allow - to allow, to ask - to ask, to award - to assign, to forbid - to forbid, to forgive - to forgive, to give - to give, to offer - to offer, to pay - to pay, to present - to give, to show - to show, to teach - to teach, to tell - to speak.
- My big brother was given many gifts for his birthday - My older brother was given a lot of gifts for his birthday
- They were asked some questions at the enter-exams - They were asked a couple of questions at the entrance exams
- We will be taught Spanish next year - We will be taught Spanish next year
- I was shown the way by a small girl - A little girl showed me the way
In Russian, sentences of type 2 are not used in Passive Voice. Instead, indefinitely personal sentences or personal sentences with a verb in Active Voice are used. Compare:
- We were told many interesting stories - We were told a lot interesting stories(indefinite personal sentence)
- We were told many stories by our teacher − Our teacher told us many stories (personal sentence with verb in Active Voice)
If a verb in Active Voice takes a prepositional object, then the prepositional object can act as a subject in a sentence with a verb in Passive Voice (and the preposition is placed after the verb). Compare:
- People speak much about that film - People talk a lot about that film (Active Voice)
- That film is much spoken about - There is a lot of talk about that film (Passive Voice)
- Olga liked to wear very short dresses, and she was often made fun of by her classmates - Olga liked to wear very short dresses, which is why classmates often laughed at her
In Russian, sentences of this type are not found. Instead, indefinitely personal sentences or personal sentences with a verb in Active Voice are used:
- He is waited for − They are waiting for him
- He is waited for by his friends − Friends are waiting for him
Using Passive Voice Forms
Passive Voice predicate sentences are used in English when the main interest is the object undergoing the action (action object) rather than the action performer (action subject), as in Active Voice verb sentences.
In sentences with Passive Voice, the object of the action is the subject, and the subject of the action is either expressed by a prepositional object with the prepositions by/with, or not mentioned at all.
Examples of sentences with a verb in Passive Voice, in which the subject of the action is not mentioned:
- Tennis is played all over the world − Tennis is played all over the world
- The wounded were flown to hospital - The wounded were sent by plane to the hospital
- I am told you're a bad player - I was told that you are a bad player
- Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14 - Valentine's Day is celebrated on February 14
- A new building is being built in my street - A new building is being built on my street
As you have probably already noticed, sentences of this type are translated into Russian as indefinitely personal sentences, or less often, sentences with a verb in the passive voice.
Examples of sentences with a verb in Passive Voice, in which the subject of the action is expressed by a prepositional object with the prepositions by / with:
- Many flowers were planted by our children last spring - Our children grew many flowers last spring
- The sky wasn't covered with dark clouds - The sky was not covered with dark clouds
- The radio was invented by Popov In 1895 - Popov invented the radio in 1895
Tenses in the passive voice have the same meanings as the corresponding tenses in the active voice. The passive voice in English is used much more often than in Russian, where the same meaning is conveyed by indefinitely personal, impersonal or personal sentences with a verb in the active voice.
No matter how difficult the topic “Active and Passive Voice in English” seems to you, you simply have to learn it, because. the passive voice is very often used in both spoken and written English.
Watch the following video lessons on the topic: "Active and Passive Voice in English" (9
Votes: 4,11
out of 5)
Time passive voice (Passive Voice) are formed using to be(in the appropriate tense form) and past participles: is locked/is being locked etc. The Past Participle of regular verbs is formed by adding the ending to the infinitive –ed: to invite-invite ed. When added to a verb –ed sometimes there are changes in its spelling: to stop - stopp ed. Past Participle of irregular verbs must be remembered: to tell-told-told. Additionally about.
Table of all tenses in the passive voice
| present The present | Past Past | Future Future | future in the Past Future in the past | |
| Simple (indefinite) indefinite | The ball is taken every day. | The ball was taken yesterday. | The ball will be taken tomorrow. | The ball would be taken the next day. |
| Continuous (Progressive) long | The ball is being taken now. | The ball was being taken at 7 o'clock yesterday. | not used | not used |
| Perfect Perfect | The ball has already been taken. | The ball had been taken by 7 o'clock yesterday. | The ball will have been taken by 7 o'clock tomorrow. | The ball would have been taken by 7 o'clock the next week. |
| Perfect Continuous Perfect continuous | not used | not used | not used | not used |
When forming the interrogative form of the passive voice, the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject: Is the ball taken? Would the ball be taken?
In the formation of the negative form of the passive voice, the particle not placed after auxiliary verb: Ball is not taken. The ball would not be taken.
Compare the active and passive sentences and notice that the object in the predicate verb in the active voice (the room) becomes the subject in the passive voice.
Examples:Active Voice:
Someone cleans the room every day.
Someone cleans the room every day.
Passive Voice:
The room is cleaned every day.
The room is cleaned every day.
The use of the passive voice
1. The passive voice is used when the focus of the speaker is on the person/object that is being acted upon.
Examples: He has been stolen my key. He stole my keys.
2. The passive voice is used if the person/thing that performed the action is unknown.
Examples: The shirts have just been ironed. – The shirts have just been ironed (it is not known who exactly ironed the shirts).
3. The passive voice is used if actor/subject, not of interest.
Examples: She has been invited to the restaurant. She was invited to a restaurant. (we are not interested in who exactly invited her to the restaurant, but she is interested in herself)
4. Tenses in the passive voice are used according to the same rules as the corresponding tenses in the active voice. For example, when we are talking about an action that is now in development, the form is used.
Examples: The room is being cleaned at that moment. - The room is being washed at this moment.
5. If the passive turnover indicates face by, and if specified instrument/instrument/means/substance performing an action, then the preposition is used with.
There are two voices in English: active and passive. The passive voice (Passive Voice) in English is otherwise called passive, and the real voice (Active Voice) is called active.
When is it appropriate to use one or the other pledge? It is important to understand the difference between passive and active voice.
How to distinguish between passive and active voice?
If subject refers to the thing or person doing the action , then the verb is used in the active form.
🔊 I write letters to my friend in Moscow.
I writing letters to my friend in Moscow.
If action is performed on the subject , then the verb is used in the passive form.
Prepositions in the passive voice
Exist passive marker words, are suggestions by And with. See Table 1 below for details of their use.
It is worth noting that the passive voice in English is used more often than in Russian. Tenses in the passive voice are chosen according to the same principles as in the real voice.. We will consider the formation of tenses in the following articles.
In what other cases is the passive voice used?
- If the narrator does not know or does not care who performed the action.
🔊 Some sculptures were stolen from an exhibition last weekend.
sculptures were stolen from the show last weekend.
- If the subject of action or process is more important than the actor.
🔊 The forest was destroyed by fire.
Forest was destroyed fire.
- If you intentionally do not want to point out the one who performed the action.
🔊 The balloon has been burst.
The balloon burst.
Greetings, my dear readers.
Doesn't it sound scary - "passive voice"? Questions immediately arise, what did he do that made him “suffer” so much? In reality, behind the proud name lies simply the grammatical phenomenon of "passive".
Okay, so be it, so that you better understand the topic and do not get confused in all these names - we will single out a separate lesson for it called the passive voice in English, or “passive” in the common people. Today we are waiting for the rules with examples and the education of this time. And then you can consolidate the theory and.
What it is
Let's immediately understand what a "passive voice" is with examples.
I cooked the dinner.- I cooked dinner.
From this sentence, it becomes clear that the action is performed by a certain person, that is, me. It turns out that this is a valid voice, or all those sentences and that we usually use.
The passive voice in our case will look like this:
The dinner was cooked.- Dinner is ready.
Notice that now in the first place we have the very fact that dinner was prepared. That is, there is no need to mention who did it.
This is the phenomenon when you completely no need to specify who is doing the action, or it is necessary to put the action itself in the first place, and the passive is used.
How to translate
Of course, many immediately have a question: how to translate such sentences. And my answer to you is - like the usual ones, we just do not indicate the actor.
The walls were painted yesterday.- The walls were painted yesterday.
New sports center will be opened next month.- A new sports center will open next month.
The dinner hadn't been made by the time I got home. By the time I got home, dinner wasn't ready yet.
How is formed
- In short, the structure of the passive voice is as follows:
Subject + auxiliary verb (to be) + third form verb (V3) + object.
Depending on the time in which the sentence is built, the verb “to be” will change its form. The table below shows how this is done.
The car was broken in an accident.- The car crashed.
The meeting is being held in room 13.- The meeting is in room 13.
The car had been repaired.- They fixed the car.
- In the structure of a negative sentence, a particle is added not to the auxiliary verb.
Subject + auxiliary verb (to be) + not + third form verb (V3) + object.
The room wasn't (was not) cleaned.- The room was not cleaned.
The house wasn't (was not) decorated yet. The house hasn't been decorated yet.
The thieves weren't (were not) caught yet.- The thieves haven't been caught yet.
- In interrogative sentences, the auxiliary verb and subject are reversed.
Auxiliary verb (to be) + subject + third form verb (V3) + object?
Was the television repaired?- Did you fix the TV?
Was the report written?- Have you written a report?
Have the photos been printed?- Have the photos been printed?
You may have noticed that even in the passive voice they must be used correctly, so I have a table for you that will help you remember and quickly navigate the use of tenses (click on the image to enlarge).
I think you noticed that the Future Continuous form of the passive does not exist. If, nevertheless, it becomes necessary to express the duration in the future, then the usual Future Simple will be used.
The same goes for compound tenses: Present Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect Continuous and Future Perfect Continuous. There are no passive constructions in them! Instead, use perfect times!
Usage rules and examples
The use of passives can be characterized by the following rules:
- When the person performing the action is not known to us, not important or obvious.
Mr. Samson's jewelry was stolen last night.- Mrs. Samson's jewelry was stolen yesterday.
Feel the difference:
The thieves stole Samson's jewelry last night. Thieves stole Mrs. Samson's jewelry last night.
In the passive, it is already obvious to us who did it, and there is no need to say obvious things. Let's see one more example.
The brakes of the car were tested.- The brakes of the car were checked.
Compare:
The mechanic tested the brakes of the car.- The mechanic checked the brakes of the car.
After all, it was already obvious that the brakes of the car were checked by a mechanic. That is why the passive looks much more relevant here.
Mercedes cars are made in Germany. - Mercedes cars are made in Germany.
Mercedes Benz make their cars in Germany.- Company Mercedes Benz manufactures its cars in Germany.
A completely similar situation, when naming a character, does not make any sense.
If you like to learn English in a fun and effective way, then register with Lingualeo - there is a lot of interesting and free material (simulators, dictionaries, lessons). By the way, there you can take paid specialized courses for different needs. For example, the course « Irregular Verbs» will help you quickly and spontaneously memorize the forms of basic and frequently used irregular verbs in English and learn about some of the features of their use.
- When the action itself is more important than the one who performs it.
Two families were seriously injured in a car accident last night.-Last night, two families were seriously injured in a car accident.
Besides, the passive voice is very often used in formal English, but the real voice is in both variants.
If you want to learn more about the grammatical aspects of the English language in theory and practice, go to mine - there you will find the basic rules and a practical part for each of them.
On this, my dear, we will end our lesson. You can find more information in the video tutorial. But still remember that the best tactic for memorizing new topics is lots and lots of practice. Therefore, we have ahead of us, as well as even more materials and usefulness.
See you soon my loves ;)
Good afternoon Dear friends! Today I will tell you about the active voice in British speech.
Of course, it is easiest for us to perceive any information about a foreign language in comparison with our native Russian.
The active voice in English and the simple rules for composing a sentence are very easy to remember in such a comparison.
Only in order
There are a huge number of dialects and variations in the English language, and it is hard to imagine that the homeland of a language spoken by one and a half billion people is a small European country with an area of just over 240 thousand square kilometers.
And, despite such a huge distribution of British and its varieties in each of them, the rules for constructing a sentence and using 12 tenses of the active voice remain unchanged.
It is to such a scheme that one must lead one's speech to form an active voice.
It's not difficult at all, is it? Well, let's move on. Read about how to form a passive voice.
I went to London - three ways
Expressions with direct word order in English can stand in 12 tenses, just like in Russian, time is expressed by a verb - a predicate.
At first glance, it may seem that 12 tenses is a lot, but it is very easy to understand them.
The table of active voice times can help us with this:
On the left you see exactly the same groups of tenses as in Russian: , and (from top to bottom). Everything is very clear here.
Above - groups of tenses that are not similar to Russian ones: simple, continued, perfect and perfect-continued.
In order to easily remember these groups and the rules for their application, it is enough to compare the examples of sentences given in the table.
IN in general terms one can draw the following conclusion:
- Indefinite (or Simple) - simple, we use it when we talk about what happens sometime in the past or future, or in the present with some periodicity (often, always, sometimes). Pay attention to the rules for the formation of sentences in this tense - they are very simple: V is the initial form of the verb, Vs is the initial form + s.
- Continuous - or long. From the name it is clear that it lasts now, in the past or in the future at a certain time. It is also formed simply: the predicate will always have the ending ing, and the predicate will be preceded by to be in the right time and number.
- Perfect - perfect or. We use it when we talk about an action that took place in the past or future, BUT completed by the time of speech (in the present), by the exact time in the past or future. They say that the result of an action must be on the face by a certain time. We form with the help of the auxiliary verb have / has and the main one in the third form.
- Perfect Continuous is a mixture of the second and third, both in essence and in the name, and even in education. The action has already lasted for some time and continues to last at a certain point in time. Formed: have + been + predicate with ending ing. Where has been is to be in the third form.
The easiest and most effective way to remember and correctly use all tenses in speech is exercises.
How to prepare for international exams and which type to choose, read.
Regular training on unique will give you the opportunity to pass any test for active voice times for the highest score. New technology memorization foreign words will help you quickly increase your lexicon and easy to apply new words in speech. You will learn how to memorize 100 foreign words in an hour.
Don't forget to subscribe for new useful materials my blog, and you will also receive as a gift a phrasebook in three languages, English, German and French. Its main advantage is that there is a Russian transcription, therefore, even without knowing the language, you can easily master colloquial phrases.
I was with you, Natalya Glukhova, I wish you a good day!
