1. The passive voice

An important part of the grammar in 2nd Batxillerat is the passive voice. This explanation will help you to understand it. Please do not hesitate to ask if something is unclear in "fòrum de dubtes".

Use of Passive

Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action.

Example: My bike was stolen.

In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know, however, who did it.

Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows:

Example: A mistake was made.

In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake.).

Form of Passive

Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column)

Example: A letter was written.

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

  • the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
  • the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
  • the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped)

Examples of Passive

Tense Subject Verb Object
Simple Present Active: Xavier writes a letter.
Passive: A letter is written by Xavier.
Simple Past Active: Xavier wrote a letter.
Passive: A letter was written by Xavier.
Present Perfect Active: Xavier has written a letter.
Passive: A letter has been written by Xavier.
Future I Active: Xavier will write a letter.
Passive: A letter will be written by Xavier.
Hilfsverben Active: Xavier can write a letter.
Passive: A letter can be written by Xavier.

Examples of Passive

Tense Subject Verb Object
Present Progressive Active: Lesley is writing a letter.
Passive: A letter is being written by Lesley.
Past Progressive Active: Lesley was writing a letter.
Passive: A letter was being written by Lesley.
Past Perfect Active: Lesley had written a letter.
Passive: A letter had been written by Lesley.
Future II Active: Lesley will have written a letter.
Passive: A letter will have been written by Lesley.
Conditional I Active: Lesley would write a letter.
Passive: A letter would be written by Lesley.
Conditional II Active: Lesley would have written a letter.
Passive: A letter would have been written by Lesley.

Passive Sentences with Two Objects Level 3

Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means that one of the two objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an object. Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you want to put the focus on.

  Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2
Active: Xavier wrote a letter to me.
Passive: A letter was written to me by Xavier.
Passive: I was written a letter by Xavier.

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As you can see in the examples, adding by Xavier does not sound very well. Thats why we often ignore it.

Personal and Impersonal Passive

Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb that needs an object (transitive verb) can form a personal passive.

Example: They sell car. – Cars are sold.

Verbs without an object (intransitive verb) normally cannot form a personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the subject of the passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive verb in passive voice, you need an impersonal construction – therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive.

Example: he says – it is said

Impersonal Passive is not as common in English as in some other languages (e.g. German, Latin). In English, Impersonal Passive is only possible with verbs of perception (e. g. say, think, know).

Example: They say that Europeans are more easy going than Americans. – It is said that Europeans are more easy going than Americans.

Although Impersonal Passive is possible here, Personal Passive is more common.

Example: They say that Europeans are more easy going than Americans. – Europeans are said to be more easy going than Americans.

Present perfect passives

Present perfect passive - positive 
passive subject  past participle 'have' been past participle
The house  has been  painted this year.
The children have been given their medecine
Present perfect passive - negative 
The children .  haven't been  given their medicine
Present perfecte passive -questions
Has  the house been painted this year?