Uses
It is commonly used in both informal and formal settings.
Used in more formal or scientific writing.
What is the structure of the passive voice?
Subject + Form of "be" + past participle +doer of the action (optional)
Most people consider the iPhone to be the best phone ever.
The iPhone is considered to be the best phone ever by most people.
Picasso painted some of the most expensive paintings ever.
Some of the most expensive paintongs ever were painted by Picasso.
People must not ignore evacuation warnings during hurricanes.
Evacuation warnings must not be ignored during hurricanes (by people).
We often use the passive when (mention 2):
1. When the agent is unknown
2.When the agent is not important
3. To give importance to the object
4. Used in written and formal speech, academic writing, media reports.
What is the structure of the past perfect and present perfect?
Subject + has/have/had + past participle
The airline has canceled several flights because of the storm.
Several flights have been canceled because of the storm (by the airline).
The players were practicing the new strategy before the match.
The new strategy was being practiced before the match (by the players).
The national weather service is going to release a detailed forecast for the holiday weekend.
A detailed forecast is going to be released for the holiday weekend (by the national weather service).
When to avoid using passive voice?
1. To avoid confusing sentences.
2. To avoid vague sentences.
3. To avoid unknown sources: in formal and academic writing, the passive voice is frequently avoided
Which of these sentences has a transitive verb and can be converted into passive voice? Convert the sentence with the transitive verb.
1. The dog napped under the sun.
2. Maria walks her dog every evening
2. Her dog is walked by Maria every evening.
Renowned pianists usually play 20 songs during a concert.
20 songs are usually played by renowned pianists during a concert.
The scientists were conducting a long-term study on the psychological effects of social media when the funding was cut.
A long-term study on the psychological effects of social media was being conducted when the funding was cut (by the scientists).
We will have to do something about that.
Something will have to be done about that (by us).
Rewrite this sentence:
"The committee will have approved the new regulations by next week."
The new regulations will have been approved by next week (by the committee).
What do you do when a modal is in the past? And give 3 examples.
Add a have to the modal, e.g. should have, must have, could have, ought to have, might have, may have, etc.
Researchers are currently conducting experiments that may transform our understanding of artificial intelligence.
Experiments that may transform our understanding of artificial intelligence are currently being conducted (by researchers).
The managers were offering the employees additional training sessions to improve productivity.
1. Additional training sessions to improve productivity were being offered to the employees (by the managers).
2. The employees were being offered additional training sessions to improve productivity (by the managers).
The meteorologists can’t have predicted such an unusual weather event with certainty.
Such an unusual weather event can’t have been predicted with certainty (by the meteorologists).
Find the mistake in the next two sentences:
1. It is said the law was be changed in the coming months.
2. He was proud of have been chosen for the award.
1. It is said that the law will be changed in the coming months.
2. He was proud of having been chosen for the award.
If the object is a ______, make sure to change it to ______ _________.
If the object is a pronoun, make sure to change it to a subject pronoun.
Researchers have discovered a rare genetic mutation that may protect against certain diseases.
A rare genetic mutation that may protect against certain diseases has been discovered (by researchers).
The committee had awarded the author an international prize for her outstanding research.
1. An international prize for her outstanding research had been awarded to the author (by the committee).
2. The author had been awarded an international prize for her outstanding research (by the committee).
The witnesses might have told the investigators a false version of the accident.
1. A false version of the accident might have been told to the investigators (by the witnesses).
2. The investigators might have been told a false version of the accident (by the witnesses).