PASSIVE VOICE

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SENTENCES.

In English sentences can be active or passive . If the sentence is active the subject of that sentence acts on something or someone: it performs the action expressed by the main verb. The subject acts.  

My grand-father built this house in 1889.  

Now if the sentence is a passive one, the subject of that sentence is acted upon: the subject receives the action expressed in the main verb. Form of Passive

Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular verbs)
Example: A letter was written.

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
The finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
The subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence 

 This house was built by my grand-father.  

If you want to point out who did an action or what caused it you have to use the preposition BY

ACTIVE: Betty cleans this room every day  

PASSIVE: This room is cleaned every day by Betty
   
  In English, we generally use the passive voice when it is not that important who or what caused the action.  
Writers should prefer the use of the active voice rather than the passive one. Why is this? Because the active voice is considered to be a more powerful and straightforward form of expression. The active voice also uses less word to convey the same message  

In passive voice sentences you can use many tenses. Yet, in this lesson we will begin with present simple and past simple tenses.

The structures are as follows:  

 Passive voice in the present simple: STRUCTURE: AM /IS /ARE + past participle of the verb Simple Present 
Active: Rita writes a letter.
Passive: A letter is written by Rita 

PASSIVE WITHOUT BY (SIMPLE PRESENT)

ACTIVE: The use the yen in Japan.  
PASSIVE: The yen is used in Japan.

Passive voice in the past simple: 

STRUCTURE: WAS /WERE + past participle of the verb  
Simple Past 

 Active: Rita wrote a letter.

Passive: A letter was written by Rita.

PASSIVE WITH BY (SIMPLE PAST) 

The passive changes the focus of a sentence. For the simple past, use The PAST OF BE + PAST PARTICIPLE.

ACTIVE: Bartholdi designed the Statue of Liberty.

PASSIVE: The Statue of Liberty was designe by Barthodi

Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb that needs an object (transitive verb) can form a personal passive.

Example: They build houses. – Houses are built.

Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb that needs an object (transitive verb) can form a personal passive.

Example: They build houses. – Houses are built.

Verbs without an object (intransitive verb) normally cannot form a personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the subject of the passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive verb in passive voice, you need an impersonal construction – therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive.

Example: he says – it is said

 We will continue with this topic in the coming lessons. Now to check if you undertood this introduction to the passive voice try to do the exercises below. 

 Now it's time for activities!

Try to rewrite these sentences. The first sentence is in the active voice. You have to complete the second sentence. 
  Scorer Right  
They don't use this road any more. This road is not used any more. (Is / was /were not used)

Somebody stole my bag in the shop. My bag was stolen in the shop. (Is / are / was stolen)

 The police arrested the three men last night. The three men were arrested by the police. (are /was /were arrested)