14.1.2. The passive voice.

Grammar revision. The Passive Voice.

We use the passive voice if we don’t know or don’t want to say who performed an action.

We have to make some changes if we want to change an active sentence into a passive one.

1. The object of the active sentence will be the subject of the passive sentence.
2. The verb changes as well: we have to use the verb ‘to be’ in the same tense as the verb in the active sentence plus add the third form of the main verb.
3. The subject of the active sentence is added after the verb with a ‘by’ – phrase.

Let’s see an example:

The object of the active sentence (the introduction of a new skill) will be the object of the passive sentence.

The verb of the active sentence (designs) is in the present simple tense.

The verb element of the passive sentence is made up of the verb to be in the present simple (is) and the third form of the main verb (designed).

The subject of the active sentence (A coach) is added to the passive sentence in a by phrase (by a coach).

If an active sentence has two subjects, two passive sentences can be formed from that active sentence: