Senin, 30 April 2012

PASSIVE VOICE

The passive voice is less usual than the active voice. The active voice is the "normal" voice. But sometimes we need the passive voice. In this lesson we look at how to construct the passive voice, when to use it and how to conjugate it.

Construction of the Passive Voice

The structure of the passive voice is very simple:
subject + auxiliary verb (be) + main verb (past participle)
The main verb is always in its past participle form.
subjectauxiliary verb (to be)
main verb (past participle)
Wateris
drunkby everyone.
100 peopleare
employedby this company.
Iam
paidin euro.
Wearenotpaidin dollars.
Arethey
paidin yen?

Use of the Passive Voice

We use the passive when:
  • we want to make the active object more important
  • we do not know the active subject

    subjectverbobject
    give importance to active object (President Kennedy)President Kennedywas killedby Lee Harvey Oswald.
    active subject unknownMy wallethas been stolen.?

    Conjugation for the Passive Voice

    We can form the passive in any tense. In fact, conjugation of verbs in the passive tense is rather easy, as the main verb is always in past participle form and the auxiliary verb is alwaysbe. To form the required tense, we conjugate the auxiliary verb. So, for example:
  • present simple: It is made
  • present continuous: It is being made
  • present perfect: It has been made
    infinitiveto be washed
    simplepresentIt is washed.
    pastIt was washed.
    futureIt will be washed.
    conditionalIt would be washed.
    continuouspresentIt is being washed.
    pastIt was being washed.
    futureIt will be being washed.
    conditionalIt would be being washed.
    perfect simplepresentIt has been washed.
    pastIt had been washed.
    futureIt will have been washed.
    conditionalIt would have beenwashed.
    perfect continuouspresentIt has been being washed.
    pastIt had been being washed.
    futureIt will have been beingwashed.
    conditionalIt would have been beingwashed

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