4.1: Passive-Form and Usage
- Page ID
- 273145
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Reading
Read the four paragraphs and pay attention to the differences in verb forms.
"Patient" as the Subject (Active Voice)Focus on the person or thing that undergoes the action MOTHER: the personal birthing experience is the focus¹ of this narration; active voice Last night, I gave birth to a baby girl at home with the help of my doctor. She weighed nine pounds After the birth, I held her in my arms. I showed her to my family. I was relieved¹ that my baby was healthy. I received flowers and gifts for the baby. |
"Baby" as the Subject (Passive Voice)THE FATHER: the new baby is the focus of this narration; passive voice Last night, my daughter was born. The baby girl was delivered with the help of a doctor. She weighed nine pounds. The baby girl was placed in her mother's arms soon after the birth and then given to me a little later. She was checked by the doctor and found to be in good health. |
"The Delivery" as the Subject (Active Voice)DOCTOR: the delivery experience is the focus of this narration; active voice Last night, I delivered a baby girl. The infant weighed nine pounds and ten ounces—big! I examined the baby and I found her to be in good health. After the birth, I left the baby in the care of her parents, and I registered the birth for them. |
"Mother" as the Subject (Passive Voice)SISTER: the (mother) sister is the focus of this narration; active voice Last night, my sister had her baby girl. She gave birth at home with the help of her doctor. Her baby weighed nine pounds. My sister held her newborn baby soon after the birth. She proudly showed us her new baby. She was relieved that her baby was healthy. She received flowers and gifts for the baby. |
¹relieve (V) — free from anxiety, ease from worry or pain
Active vs. Passive
The reading illustrates the differences in form and usage of active voice and passive voice. These charts will help you to understand these differences.
ACTIVE |
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In an active clause, the focus is on the person or thing that takes action. The doer or agent occupies the subject position of the clause, and the person or thing that undergoes the action, the patient, is placed after the verb in the object position. |
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SUBJECT |
VERB |
OBJECT |
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AGENT (DOER) |
ACTIVE VERB |
RECEIVER OF THE ACTION |
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My sister |
had (~bore) |
a baby. |
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A doctor |
helped |
her. |
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The parents |
invited |
us for a short visit. |
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We |
brought |
them gifts. [receiver / patient] |
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The little baby |
delighted |
everyone. |
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A birth |
happens |
(in my family.) |
PASSIVE |
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In writing or speaking, we use the passive to change the focus to a particular person or topic. When the patient is the focus, the verb is marked with a passive verb form. If needed, the agent (the doer of the action) can be included in a by-phrase. It is optional (opt.). |
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SUBJECT |
VERB |
THE REST OF THE SENTENCE |
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RECEIVER OF ACTION |
PASSIVE FORM "TO BE" + PAST PARTICIPLE |
AGENT (DOER OF THE ACTION) |
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An infant |
was born |
(to my sister.) (optional, not needed) |
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She |
was helped |
(by the doctor.) |
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We |
were invited |
(by the parents.) |
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Gifts |
were brought |
to them (by us.) |
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Everyone |
was delighted |
(by the little baby.) |
Transitive and Intransitive VerbsTo create a passive form, the verb must be transitive. That is, it must take an object. When a verb does not take an object, it is called intransitive. Sentences with intransitive verbs cannot be converted to passive voice. |
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A birth |
happened |
(no passive form) |
| The baby |
is sleeping soundly |
(no passive form) |
Compare the active voice and the passive voice using different tenses in the following examples.
To form the passive, use the form of "to be" that corresponds with the desired tense followed by the past participle of the main verb.
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ACTIVE |
PASSIVE Form of "to be" + past participle |
PRESENT |
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People send gifts to new parents. |
New parents are sent gifts. |
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE |
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People are sending our best wishes. |
Best wishes are being sent. |
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PRESENT PERFECT |
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We have sent flowers daily. |
Flowers have been sent daily. |
PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE |
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The parents have been sending pictures all day. |
*Pictures have been being¹ sent sent all day. [not used] Pictures have been sent to us throughout the day |
PAST |
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My brother sent (them) a car seat. |
A car seat was sent (to them) by my brother. |
PAST PROGRESSIVE |
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Friends were sending baby clothes. |
Baby clothes were being sent by friends. |
PAST PERFECT |
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The parents had sent a message before the baby's birth. |
A message had been sent immediately before the baby's birth. |
FUTURE |
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The parents will send a baby announcement to friends. |
A baby announcement will be sent to friends (by the parents.) |
BE GOING TO |
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The grandparents are also going to send gifts. |
Gifts are also going to be sent by the grandparents. |
INFINITIVE |
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The father intends [to help the new mother a lot]. |
The mother hopes [to be helped] by the father. |
Reading and charts from Grammar Quizzes by Julie Sevastopoulos licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International
Passive Modals
The modal verbs use the passive voice the same way that all other tenses in English do. An Active sentence with a modal verb can be changed into a Passive sentence by making the subject of the active sentence the object of the passive sentence AND the object of the active sentence the subject of the passive sentence. For example:
- The publisher will give the students a discount on textbooks.
- A discount on textbooks will be given to the students. (by the publisher).
- Snow might delay some flights over the Christmas break.
- Some flights might be delayed over the Christmas break (by snow).
- He must have eaten the donuts.
- The donuts must have been eaten by him.
The basic meaning of these sentences is the same; only the "voice" is different. In other words, the focus changes from the subject of the active sentence to the object of the active sentence.
Remember: The passive voice is used when the subject of the active sentence is: unknown, unimportant, a secret, a deception (a lie)
Why Use the Passive?
- Active voice is usually how verbs are used in a sentence when the subject of the sentence performs an action, and sometimes an object receives the result of the action.
Example: The dog chased the cat.
- Passive voice changes the object of a sentence into the subject and also changes the verb form with it. This is by adding a form of “be” and a past participle. Sometimes the subject of the active sentence is included in a “by phrase”.
Example: The cat was chased by the dog.
- The two example sentences here have the same meaning. Then why are there two different ways to say the same thing?
- Active and passive are voices because the meaning may be the same, but the emphasis is not. Although many English teachers advise against using passive voice, there are many reasons it is a useful grammatical structure.
When do we use the passive?
- Situation One: When the “agent” is obvious or unimportant:
The injured workers were rushed to the hospital.
Your package was delivered at 6:30 pm.
- Situation Two: When the "agent" is unknown.
Has the truth been hidden from us?
Three million dollars were stolen from the bank.
- Situation Three: When we want to focus on the receiver of the action rather than the doer, or agent.
Thousands of homes were destroyed by the hurricane.
- Situation Four: When we want to avoid blaming someone or taking responsibility.
Mom's favorite dish has been broken.
“Mistakes were made” is a famous quote by President Ronald Reagan.
- Situation Five: When we want to focus more on the action rather than the subject doing the action, such as giving instructions or explaining processes.
Yogurt is formed when milk is fermented with bacteria.
The samples must be stored in the refrigerator.
Where do we often find the passive?
Passive is often used in writing in these disciplines:
- Lab reports:
In the study, 300 participants were given a questionnaire about their eating habits.
- News reports:
Three people were killed and one child was badly injured in a collision between two cars on Highway 190 yesterday.
- Scientific research:
Animal studies have been used for decades to understand various physiological and behavioral phenomena, including the factors
involved in drug addiction.
- Instructions:
The coffee beans are then ground into a powder before being brewed.
Note: In general, passive voice is more often used in writing about topics that do not focus on people or receivers.
Charts from Grammar Quizzes by Julie Sevastopoulos licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International
When do we use the passive?, Where do we often find the passive? derived from It’s All Greek to Me! Copyright © 2018 by Charity Davenport is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International
Why Use the Passive? from UVIC Study Zone licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International