PASSIVE VOICE
by Hakan Serim
The passive voice is used when we want to focus attention on the person or thing affected by the action.
Normally, the performer of the action, or the agent, comes first and is made the subject of the verb and then we use the active form of the verb.
However, if you want to focus on the person or thing affected by the action, you make the person or thing the subject of the sentence and use the passive voice.
Why do we use passive?
Active:
Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492.
Subject / Agent / Doer
Verb
Object
America was discovered by C. Columbus in 1492.
Subject
Passive Verb
by phrase
Passive:
When don't we need to use "by phrase"?
We don't use by phrase:
-
when the agent is unimportant
-
when the agent is unknown
-
when the agent is already obvious
FORM / Structure of Passive Voice: be V3
TENSE FORMATIONS WITH PASSIVE
Present Simple
am / is / are V3
Past Simple
was / were V3
Present Continuous
am / is / are being V3
Past Continuous
was / were being V3
Present Perfect
have / has been V3
Past Perfect
had been V3
will future
will be V3
be going to future
am / is / are going to be V3
Present Modals
modal be V3
Perfect Modals
modal have been V3
PASSIVE WITH GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES
