* PASSIVE VOICE
Passive - Use
We only use the passive when we are interested in the object or when we do not know who caused the action.
Example: Appointments are required in such cases.
Form
to be + past participle
How to form a passive sentence when an active sentence is given:
- object of the "active" sentence becomes subject in the "passive" sentence
- subject of the "active" sentence becomes "agent" in the "passive" sentence" (or is left out)
| Active: | Peter | builds | a house. |
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| Passive: | A house | is built | by Peter. |
We are normally not interested in the "doer" of an action in a passive sentence. When we want to mention the "doer", we use the preposition by. The whole phrase is called by-agent in English.
| Active sentence | Passive sentence |
|---|---|
| Mr Brown built the house. | The house was built by Mr Brown. |
When we do not know, who was the "doer" of the action, we use someone or somebody in the active sentence. We leave out these words in the passive sentence.
| Active sentence | Passive sentence |
|---|---|
| Someone stole my bike. | My bike was stolen. |
Impersonal Passive - It is said ...
The phrase It is said ... is an impersonal passive construction. We often use it in news.
Passive sentence - version 1:
It is said that children are afraid of ghosts.
Passive sentence - version 2:
Children are said to be afraid of ghosts.
The correct active sentence would be:
Active sentence: People say that children are afraid of ghosts.