Passive Voice can be used only with transitive verbs! The general formula of Passive Voice formation is
to be + Participle II
Compare the formation of sentences in Active and Passive Voice. Find differences and similarities in the formation of tense and aspect forms.
| Active Voice
| Tense and Aspect Forms
| Passive Voice
|
| Mary waters flowers twice a week.
| Present Indefinite (Simple)
| Flowers are watered (by Mary) twice a week.
|
| Mary watered flowers yesterday.
| Past Indefinite (Simple)
| Flowers were watered (by Mary) yesterday.
|
| Mary will water flowers tomorrow.
| Future Indefinite (Simple)
| Flowers will be watered (by Mary) tomorrow.
|
| Mary is watering flowers now.
| Present Continuous (Progressive)
| Flowers are being watered (by Mary) now.
|
| Mary was watering flowers when it started raining.
| Past Continuous
(Progressive)
| Flowers were being watered (by Mary) when it started raining.
|
| Mary will be watering flowers when we come.
| Future Continuous
(Progressive)
| Does not exist
|
| Mary has already watered all the flowers.
| Present Perfect
| All the flowers have already been watered (by Mary).
|
| Mary had already watered all the flowers by the time we came.
| Past Perfect
| All the flowers had already been watered (by Mary) by the time we came.
|
| Mary will have alreadywatered all the flowers by the time we come.
| Future Perfect
| All the flowers will have already been watered (by Mary) by the time we come.
|
| Mary has already been watering flowers for half a day.
| Present Perfect Continuous
| Does not exist
|
| Mary had already been watering flowers for half a day when it started raining.
| Past Perfect Continuous
| Does not exist
|
| Mary will have already been watering flowers for half a day when it starts raining.
| Future Perfect Continuous
| Does not exist
|
In English Passive Voice is used less often that Active Voice and is more formal. Passive Voice is used in the following cases:
1. When the person who caries out the action is unknown, unimportant or obvious from the context,
e.g. Ted’s flat was broken into last night. (The burglar is not known)
Coffee beans are grown in Brazil. (It is not important who grows coffee beans) Len’s car was serviced yesterday. (It is obvious that a mechanic did it)
2. When the action itself is more important than the person who carries it out (e.g. in news headlines, formal notices, instructions, processes, advertisements, etc.)
e.g. The new hospital will be opened on Monday. (Formal notice)
Then the milk is taken to a factory and pasteurized.
3. When people refer to an unpleasant event and don’t want to say who or what is to blame,
e.g. A lot of mistakes have been made. (Instead of "You’ve made a lot of mistakes.")
4. Sentences with some transitive verbs can form two different passive sentences, in which both direct and indirect objects can become subjects. These verbs are:
