Professional English for Business I

https://worldenglishblog.com/use-the-passive-voice-in-english-20-real-
examples/
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 Active & Passive Voice
Active Voice Passive Voice
When using the active In the passive voice, the
voice, the subjects are verb takes an object.
the ones performing the
action.
S V O O V S
• God | loves |all men. • All men | are loved | by God.
• Birds | build | nests. • Nests | are built | by birds.
• Dog | eats | bones. • Bones | are eaten | by dog.
 Active & Passive Voice
Change of auxiliary verbs:
Infinitive To be washed
Simple present It is washed.
past It was washed.
future It will be washed.
conditional It would be washed.
Continuous present It is being washed.
past It was being washed.
future It will be being washed.
conditional It would be being washed.
Perfect present It has been washed.
simple past It had been washed.
future It will have been washed.
conditional It would have been washed.
Perfect present It has been being washed.
continuous past It had been being washed.
future It will have been being washed.
conditional It would have been being washed.
Active & Passive Voice
Change of Pronouns:

Active Voice Passive Voice

I me
we us
you you
he him
she her
it it
they them
 Active to Passive Voice
Rules for changing Active Voice into Passive Voice:

• Identify the subject, the verb and the object: SVO

• Change the object into subject
• Put the suitable helping verb or auxiliary verb. In case helping verb
is given, use the same. But note that the helping verb given agrees
with the object.
• Change the verb into past participle of the verb.
• Add the preposition "by"
• Change the subject into object
 Active to Passive Voice

Declarative sentences:
Active Voice Passive Voice

I write a letter A letter is written by me

We must keep the rule The rule must be kept by us

You have bought a book A book has been bought by you

He closed the window The window was closed by him

Letters were being written by

She was writing letters
her

I had posted a letter A letter had been posted by me

I do not drink tea Tea is not drunk by me

She does not eat a mango A mango is not eaten by her

 Active to Passive Voice
Imperative sentences

If the given sentence in the active voice is in the imperative,

to get the passive voice use ‘Let’. Hence, Passive Voice = Let
+ Object + be + Past Participle
Active Voice Passive Voice

Help me Let me be helped

Open the door Let the door be opened

Don’t eat this fruit Let not this fruit be eaten
Sing a song Let a song be sung
 Active to Passive Voice
Interrogative sentences

If the question in the active voice begins with a helping verb

the passive voice must also begin with a suitable helping verb.
Supposing the question begins with ‘Wh or How’ form (what,
when, how ...) the Passive Voice must begin with the same.
Active Voice Passive Voice

Are you writing a letter? Is a letter being written by you?

Is she beating the child? Is the child beaten by her?

Will the position be accepted by

Will you accept the position?
you?

By whom was the window

Who broke the window?
broken?

Why was such a letter written

Why did you write such a letter?
by you?
 Passive to Active Voice
Passive Voice Active Voice
The police finally arrested the
The thief was finally arrested
thief

We were taught grammar The teacher taught us grammar

My purse has been stolen Somebody has stolen my purse

The doctor looked after the

The patients were looked after
patients

My pocket has been picked. Someone has picked my pocket.

The enemy has defeated our

Our army has been defeated.
army.

Circumstances will oblige me to

I shall be obliged to go.
go.
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 PASSIVE VOICE
(Present tense simple)
ACTIVE PASSIVE

My mother cleans my room My room is cleaned by my

mother

Form:
to be (am, is, are )
+ +
3 rd form ( gone, cleaned...)
 PASSIVE VOICE
(Past tense simple)
ACTIVE PASSIVE

My mother cleaned my My room was cleaned by

room my mother

Form:
To be (was, were )
+ +
3 rd form ( gone, cleaned...)
 ACTIVE OR PASSIVE?
1. Joe cleaned his room. 1. ACTIVE

2. The problem was 2. PASSIVE

solved.

3. Is your hair often cut? 3. PASSIVE

4. Who is in that room? 4. ACTIVE

 PASSIVE VOICE
(Present Perfect tense simple)
ACTIVE PASSIVE

My mother has cleaned My room has been cleaned by

my room my mother

Form:
to be (has been, have been)
+ +
3 rd form (gone, cleaned...)
 PASSIVE VOICE
(Past Perfect tense simple)
ACTIVE PASSIVE

My mother had cleaned My room had been cleaned

my room by my mother

Form:
to be (had been)
+ +
3 rd form (gone, cleaned...)
ACTIVE OR PASSIVE?

1.Sue has been hurt by 1. PASSIVE

Tim.

2. Sue had hurt him 2. ACTIVE

before she left.

3. Who has won that 1. ACTIVE

game?

4. By who had the cat 2. PASSIVE

been wounded?
 PASSIVE VOICE
(Future tense)
ACTIVE PASSIVE
Mary will ride my bike My bike will be ridden by
Mary
Joe will wash my cars My cars will be washed by
Joe
Form:
will will
+ +
be be
+ +
3 rd form (gone, cleaned...)
 PASSIVE VOICE
( Progressive tenses)
ACTIVE PASSIVE
Mary is riding my bike My bike is being ridden by
Mary
Joe was washing my cars My cars were being
washed by Joe
Form:
to be (am, is, are, was, were )
+ +
being being
+ +
3 rd form (gone, cleaned...)
 Find two passive sentences
Mother tells her 1. A story is told to the
children by mother
children a story
2. The children are told a
story by mother

1. The men are being

They are paying paid 800 $ (by them)
the men 800 $
2. 800 $ are being paid to
the men (by them)
 THE PASSIVE INFINITIVE
ACTIVE PASSIVE
They should clean Their rooms should be
their rooms cleaned by them

They had to pay the The fine had to be

fine paid by them

Form: Modal verb

+
be
+
3 rd form
 THE PAST INFINITIVE
PASSIVE
ACTIVE PASSIVE
My room should have
My mother should have been cleaned by my
cleaned my room mother

Form: MODAL VERB

+
ENJOY USING
have been THE
+ PASSIVE!!
3 rd form
Directions: Work with a partner.
• On each slide, some words and a verb
tense are listed.
• First, make an active voice question and
statement (answer) using the words. Put
the verb in the tense listed.
• Next, make a passive voice question and
answer using the same words (change the
word order & verb form; omit the old
subject/agent if it’s not needed).
how / people / ketchup / create
answer – from tomatoes
simple present tense
• Active Question:
How do people create ketchup?
• Active Answer:
People create ketchup from tomatoes.
• Passive Question:
How is ketchup created (by people)?
• Passive Answer:
Ketchup is created (by people) from
tomatoes.
how / chefs / mayonnaise / make
answer – from oil and eggs
simple present tense
• Active Question:
How do chefs make mayonnaise?
• Active Answer:
Chefs make mayonnaise from oil and eggs.
• Passive Question:
How is mayonnaise made (by chefs)?
• Passive Answer:
Mayonnaise is made (by chefs) from oil and
eggs.
where / farmers / grapes / grow
answer - in California
simple present tense
• Active Question:
Where do farmers grow grapes?
• Active Answer:
Farmers grow grapes in California.
• Passive Question:
Where are grapes grown (by farmers)?
• Passive Answer:
Grapes are grown (by farmers) in California.
where / people / opals / find
answer - in Tequila, Mexico
simple present tense
• Active Question:
Where do people find opals?
• Active Answer:
People find opals in Tequila, Mexico.
• Passive Question:
Where are opals found (by people)?
• Passive Answer:
Opals are found (by people) in Tequila, Mexico.
where / farmers / potatoes / plant
answer - in Poland
simple present tense
• Active Question:
Where do farmers plant potatoes?
• Active Answer:
Farmers plant potatoes in Poland.
• Passive Question:
Where are potatoes planted (by farmers)?
• Passive Answer:
Potatoes are planted (by farmers) in Poland.
where / people / pho / eat
answer - in Vietnam
simple present tense
• Active Question:
Where do people eat pho?
• Active Answer:
People eat pho in Vietnam.
• Passive Question:
Where is pho eaten (by people)?
• Passive Answer:
Pho is eaten (by people) in Vietnam.
why / farmers / cows / raise
answer – for food and clothing
simple present tense

• Active Question:
Why do farmers raise cows?
• Active Answer:
Farmers raise cows for food and clothing.
• Passive Question:
Why are cows raised (by farmers)?
• Passive Answer:
Cows are raised (by farmers) for food and
clothing.
why / people / aspirin / take
answer – for headaches
simple present tense
• Active Question:
Why do people take aspirin ?
• Active Answer:
People take aspirin for headaches.
• Passive Question:
Why is aspirin taken (by people)?
• Passive Answer:
Aspirin is taken (by people) for headaches.
when / Americans / heart-shaped candy / give
answer – on Valentine’s Day
simple present tense

• Active Question:
When do Americans give heart-shaped candy?
• Active Answer:
Americans give heart-shaped candy on
Valentine’s Day.
• Passive Question:
When is heart-shaped candy given (by
Americans)?
• Passive Answer:
Heart-shaped candy is given (by Americans)
on Valentine’s Day.
Now, practice with the past tense!

• Remember:
– The auxiliary verb for the active voice
changes from do/does to did.
– The auxiliary verb for the passive voice
changes from is/are to was/were.
When / they / world’s largest diamond / discover
answer - in 1905
simple past tense

• Active Question:
When did they discover the world’s largest
diamond?
• Active Answer:
They discovered the world’s largest diamond in
1905.
• Passive Question:
When was the world’s largest diamond
discovered?
• Passive Answer
The world’s largest diamond was discovered in
1905.
Where / someone / world’s largest diamond / find
answer - in South Africa
simple past tense
• Active Question:
Where did someone find the world’s largest
diamond?
• Active Answer:
Someone found the world’s largest diamond in
South Africa.
• Passive Question:
Where was the world’s largest diamond found (by
someone) ?
• Passive Answer
The world’s largest diamond was found (by someone)
in South Africa.
 Why /a company / cotton /grow /in Goodyear
answer – to make tires
simple past tense
• Active Question:
Why did a company grow cotton in Goodyear?
• Active Answer:
A company grew cotton in Goodyear to make tires.
• Passive Question:
Why was cotton grown (by a company) in Goodyear?
• Passive Answer
Cotton was grown (by a company) in Goodyear to
make tires.
 When/a tire company/cotton/grow/in Goodyear
answer - in the 1940s
simple past tense
• Active Question:
When did a tire company grow cotton in Goodyear?
• Active Answer:
A tire company grew cotton in Goodyear in the
1940s.
• Passive Question:
When was cotton grown (by a tire company) in Goodyear?
• Passive Answer
Cotton was grown (by a tire company) in Goodyear in
the 1940s.
When / someone / create / CDs
answer – in 1982
simple past tense

• Active Question:
When did someone create CDs?
• Active Answer:
Someone created CDs in 1982.
• Passive Question:
When were CDs created (by someone) ?
• Passive Answer
CDs were created (by someone) in 1982?
How / Percy Spencer / discover / microwave
cooking
answer – accidentally
simple past tense
• Active Question:
How did Percy Spencer discover microwave
cooking?
• Active Answer:
Percy Spencer accidentally discovered microwave
cooking.
• Passive Question:
How was microwave cooking discovered (by Percy
Spencer)?
• Passive Answer
Microwave cooking was accidentally discovered
(by Percy Spencer).
When / Percy Spencer / discover / microwave
cooking
answer – in 1945
simple past tense
• Active Question:
When did Percy Spencer discover microwave
cooking?
• Active Answer:
Percy Spencer discovered microwave cooking in
1945.
• Passive Question:
When was microwave cooking discovered (by Percy
Spencer)?
• Passive Answer
Microwave cooking was discovered (by Percy
Spencer) in 1945.
 What / Thomas Edison / invent
answer – the telephone & phonograph
simple past tense
• Active Question:
What did Thomas Edison invent?
• Active Answer:
Thomas Edison invented the light bulb and
phonograph.
• Passive Question:
What was invented by Thomas Edison?
• Passive Answer
The light bulb and phonograph were invented by
Thomas Edison.