Prépa Sciences Po – Anglais – Fiche 5 : The Passive Voice

Professeur : Suzie Suriam FICHE V The Passive Voice THE PASSIVE VOICE IS USED: 1. when the focus of attention is not on the performing subject but on the current action. Example: I was being lied to. But it can also happen that a statement in the passive voice appears more polite and less blameful than in the active voice. Compare: You and your associate made a mistake and: A mistake was made. 2. when a process or procedure is described (because with who has done something matters less than what was done). 3. to describe a change of a state or a completed action (using present perfect passive). 4. when writing in a formal business style and trying to appear impersonal (sentences usually begin with it). THE PASSIVE VOICE IS BUILT AS FOLLOW: Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular verbs) Example: Last year a fancy hotel was built in town. WHEN REWRITING ACTIVE SENTENCES IN PASSIVE VOICE, MAKE SURE THAT: 1. the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. 2. the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle). 3. the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped) 1 Professeur : Suzie Suriam Examples of Passive (1) Tense Subject Verb Object a song. sings Simple Present Active: Paul Passive: A song by Paul. is sung Simple Past Active: Paul A song. sang Passive: A song by Paul.