Passive Voice

The passive voice, is often used in English, is formed as follows:

The verb to be is used as an auxiliary verb, and to this auxiliary there is added the past participle of the main verb (seen, written, delivered, etc.).

Examples:

• ACTIVE: Jone delivers the mail.
• PASSIVE: The mail is delivered.

• ACTIVE: Jone delivered the mail.
• PASSIVE: The mail was delivered.

• ACTIVE: Jone will deliver the mail.
• PASSIVE: The mail will be delivered.

• ACTIVE: Jone has delivered the mail.
• PASSIVE: The mail has been delivered.

Notice that in the active voice the subject of the sentence (John) does the acting, but that in the passive voice the subject (the mail) is acted upon by someone or something. In particular, we use the passive voice when the agent who performs the action is not known or is not important.

Examples:

His car has been stolen.

English is spoken in many countries today.

Note that with the special auxiliary verbs can, may, must, should, passive form is obtained by the use of be and the past participle of the main verbs. Examples:

This work must be finished today.

This room can be used as a classroom.

With infinitives, passive form is also obtained by the use of be and the past participle of the main verb.

Examples:

This work ought to be finished today.

That letter has to be sent at once.

With verbs in continuous form, passive form is obtained by the use of being and the past participle of the main verb.

Examples:

That report is being prepared now.

The troops are being moved to a different sector.