Passive Voice

For Intermediate learners

Understanding the passive voice is important. The passive voice is used often by native English speakers. It's used both in formal and informal situations.

What Is Passive Voice?

The normal order of a sentence is 'subject + verb + (object) +, etc.' When we use the 'passive voice', the order changes.
In passive voice, the focus is on the action not on the doer of the action. So, it is not important to know the doer of the action. Compare these examples.

The man puts the boxes on the table.

The boxes are put on the table.

Transitive Verbs

Transitive verbs need objects to have full meaning. Passive sentences are only formed with transitive verbs. Compare the examples:

The cook makes the dinner.

The dinner is made.

using passive voice

Forming Passive Voice

To make a passive sentence, all you have to do is to put the object as the subject of the sentence. Then use the proper form of verb 'be' (am, is, are, was, were) followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Check out the examples:

~~The~~ ~~baker~~ bakes the cake. Passive → The cake is baked.

~~The~~ ~~man~~ builds the buildings. Passive → The buildings are built.

~~She~~ writes this book. Passive → This book is written.

Comments

(0)

What Is Passive Voice?
Transitive Verbs
Forming Passive Voice

Share on :

English VocabularyStart learning categorized English vocabulary on Langeek.

Click to start