4.1: Passive-Form and Usage

Last updated

Mar 11, 2025
Save as PDF
- 4: Passive
- 4.1.1: Practice with Passive

$\newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} }$

$\newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}}$

$\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}$ $\newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) $\newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}$

$\newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}$ $\newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}$

$\newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}$ $\newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}$

$\newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}$

$\newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$

$\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}$

$\newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$

$\newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}$

$\newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}$

$\newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}$

$\newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}$

$\newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}$

$\newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}$

$\newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}$

$\newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$ $\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}$

$\newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}} % arrow$

$\newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}} % arrow$

$\newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} }$

$\newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}}$

$\newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}}$

$\newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}}$

$\newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}}$

$\newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} }$

$\newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}}$

$\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}$

$\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}$

$\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}$

$\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}$

$\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}$

$\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}$

$\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}$

$\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}$

$\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}$

$\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}$

$\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}$

$\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}$

$\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}$

$\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}$

$\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}$

$\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}$

$\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}$

$\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}$

$\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}$

$\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}$

$\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}$

$\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}$

$\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}$

$\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}$

$\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}$

$\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}$

$\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}$

$\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}$

$\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}$

$\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}$

$\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}$

$\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}$

$\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}$

$\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}$

$\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}$

$\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}$

$\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}$

$\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}$

$\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}$

$\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}$

$\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}$

$\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}$

$\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}$

$\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}$

$\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}$

$\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}$

$\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}$

$\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}$

$\newcommand{\lt}{<}$

$\newcommand{\gt}{>}$

$\newcommand{\amp}{&}$

$\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}$

The Passive

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.

"Sister" as the Subject (Active Voice)

SISTER: the (mother's) 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
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.
SUBJECT	VERB	OBJECT
AGENT (DOER)	ACTIVE VERB	RECEIVER OF THE ACTION
My sister	had (~bore) bore is very formal	a baby.
A doctor	helped	her.
The parents	invited	us for a short visit.
We	brought	them gifts. [receiver / patient]
The little baby	delighted	everyone.
A birth	happens (intransitive verb)	*(in my family.)*

PASSIVE
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.).
SUBJECT	VERB	THE REST OF THE SENTENCE
RECEIVER OF ACTION	PASSIVE FORM "TO BE" + PAST PARTICIPLE	AGENT (DOER OF THE ACTION)
An infant	was born	*(to my sister.)* (optional, not needed)
She	was helped	*(by the doctor.)*
We	were invited	*(by the parents.)*
Gifts	were brought	*to them (by us.)*
Everyone	was delighted	(by the little baby.)
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs To 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.
A birth	happened (Intransitive Verb)	(no passive form)
The baby	is sleeping soundly (Intransitive Verb)	(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.

ACTIVE	PASSIVE Form of "to be" + past participle
PRESENT
People send gifts to new parents.	New parents are sent gifts.
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
People are sending our best wishes.	Best wishes are being sent.
PRESENT PERFECT
We have sent flowers daily.	Flowers have been sent daily.
PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
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
My brother sent (them) a car seat.	A car seat was sent (to them) by my brother.
PAST PROGRESSIVE
Friends were sending baby clothes.	Baby clothes were being sent by friends.
PAST PERFECT
The parents had sent a message before the baby's birth.	A message had been sent immediately before the baby's birth.
FUTURE
The parents will send a baby announcement to friends.	A baby announcement will be sent to friends (by the parents.)
BE GOING TO
The grandparents are also going to send gifts.	Gifts are also going to be sent by the grandparents.
INFINITIVE
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.

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

Why Use the Passive? from UVIC Study Zone licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International

Search

Text Color

Text Size

Margin Size

Font Type

"Patient" as the Subject (Active Voice)

"Baby" as the Subject (Passive Voice)

"The Delivery" as the Subject (Active Voice)

"Sister" as the Subject (Active Voice)

ACTIVE

PASSIVE

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Compare the active voice and the passive voice using different tenses in the following examples.

PRESENT

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

PRESENT PERFECT

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

PAST

PAST PROGRESSIVE

PAST PERFECT

FUTURE

BE GOING TO

INFINITIVE

Passive Modals

Why Use the Passive?

When do we use the passive?

Where do we often find the passive?

The Passive

Reading

"Patient" as the Subject (Active Voice)

"Baby" as the Subject (Passive Voice)

"The Delivery" as the Subject (Active Voice)

"Sister" as the Subject (Active Voice)

Active vs. Passive

ACTIVE

PASSIVE

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Compare the active voice and the passive voice using different tenses in the following examples.

PRESENT

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

PRESENT PERFECT

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

PAST

PAST PROGRESSIVE

PAST PERFECT

FUTURE

BE GOING TO

INFINITIVE

Passive Modals

Why Use the Passive?

When do we use the passive?

Where do we often find the passive?

Support Center

How can we help?