Passive Voice

Passive Voice in English

Our goal

​To learn about the purpose, structure and usage of Passive Voice in different tenses

1. Somebody stole my laptop. (subject = Somebody / action(verb) = stole / object = my laptop)

2. I wrote that book when I was 6. (subject = I / action(verb) = wrote / object = that book)

3. She drinks coffee in the morning. (subject = she / action(verb) = drinks / object = coffee)

What is the passive voice?

In general we tend to use the active voice. That is when a subject does an action to an object.

​Forming the passive voice

The passive voice is not a tense in English. Each tense has its own passive voice which is created by using a form of the auxiliary verb to be + V3 (past participle)

​Present Simple	​Past Simple	​Future Simple
​am/is/are + V3	​was/were + V3	​will be +V3

Task 1. Active or Passive?

​

1. The poem _______by Pushkin.

a) wrote

b) was written

c) write 

d) were written

2. I ________ last Sunday.

   a) arrived

b) arrive

c) were arrived

d) was arrived

3. Local police ______the bank robber.

   a) was arrested

   b) have been arrested

   c) have arrested

   d) been arrested

​ 4. Mary __________ her key.

a) has lost

b) have lost

c) have been lost

d) has been lost

5. ‘Did you go to the party?’ ‘No, I ________.’

   a) wasn’t invited

   b) didn’t invite

   c) weren’t invited

   d) not invited

Multiple Select

Choose the Active sentences

• What does this word mean?

• My bike has been stolen.

• Lisa was tired after a long working day.

• She was interviewed for a famous magazine.

Multiple Select

Choose the Passive sentences

• I haven’t seen Lina for ages.

• Somebody took my bad when I was chatting with my friend.

• The cartoon will be shown at 12:00.

• Butter is made from milk.

1. What should be done about air and water pollution?

2. Are teenagers given too much freedom these days? Do they need to be controlled?

3. What’s the most difficult question you have ever been asked?

4. What’s the best present you’ve ever been given?

5. Have you ever been helped by a stranger?

Choose any question and answer it in writing. Try to explain your thoughts with arguments or facts.