Passive voice is a negative form. Let's take the passive voice of the English language apart

Used in the active form of voice - “the Active Voice” and in the passive form ( passive) - "the Passive Voice". In the active voice, the subject performs the action indicated by the verb, and in the passive voice, the subject is acted upon by the verb itself. She wrote a book (Active) - A book was written by her (Passive). So easy! But let's clarify some details just in case. C"mon.

What is passive voice?

Passive voice widely used in both spoken and written modern English. Often, passive constructions are used when there is no need to name the performer of an action, and also if there is no difference in who exactly performs this action - only the result is important.

The passive voice is used to show interest in the object that experiences the action, rather than in the object that performs it.

The book was written last Monday. - The book was written last Monday.

In this sentence, the subject “the book” experiences the action of the subject, that is, the book itself did not write itself, but was written by someone. In this case, most likely, it is known who wrote it, but what is important here is the fact of the action itself (the book has been written, and it is ready), and not the performer. That is why the sentence is used in the passive voice.

When it is necessary to indicate the performer of an action in the passive voice, we add the preposition “ by» :

The book was written by me. - This book was written by me.

Formation of the passive voice in different tenses

The passive voice is formed using the auxiliary verb " be» and shapes Past Participle(of a semantic verb in the 3rd form) and only transitive verbs (denote an action that, in its meaning, transfers to a certain object) can form forms of passive voice.

Attention: The Perfect Continuous is not used at all in the passive voice. And Continuous time has no future segment.

In addition, you can also form passive sentences with two objects. So an active sentence in passive voice might look like this:

Active Voice:

Linda gave an apple to me.

Passive Voice:

An apple was given to me by Linda or
I was given an apple by Linda.

One of the two objects becomes the subject, while the other remains the object. Which object becomes the subject depends on what you focus on.

Negative and interrogative forms of verbs in the passive voice

Negative the verb form is formed using the particle " not”, which follows the auxiliary verb (if there are several auxiliary verbs, then “not” is placed after the first one):

The cat was not fed by him yesterday. - The cat was not fed it yesterday.
The cat was not often left hungry. - The cat was not often left hungry.

Nothing complicated and interrogative form. To form such in the passive voice first auxiliary verb is put before the subject:

Are are you often invited to the circus? -Are you often invited to the circus?
Has the book was written by her? - Was the book written by her?

To be born

This passive form is often used in the past tense, but in some cases the present or future tense is also appropriate.

We say "I was born" (was born) - I was born(not I am born). Action refers to the past:

I was born in Chicago. - I was born in Chicago.
Where were you born? - Where were you born?

But if we talk not about ourselves, but about the birth of children in a general sense, then the Present can be used depending on the situation:

How many kids are born every day? - How many children are born every day?
Around 100 babies are born in this hospital every week. - About 100 babies are born in this hospital every week.

We don't know on exactly which day the baby will be born.

Modal verbs

First you need to remember the most commonly used modal verbs:

• can- be able to, be able to. I can do that. - I can do this;
• should- verb-adviser. When you need to advise or recommend something. You should be careful. - You should be careful;
• must- a verb expressing the speaker’s obligation or prohibition. Shows awareness of the speaker's obligation to do something or is used to indicate a prohibition, for example: You musn"t smoke here. - You can't smoke here. I must admit. - I have to admit;
• have to- a verb expressing present or future obligations that cannot be broken. You have to do that. - You must do this;
• ought to- a synonym for the verb “should”, a more polite version of it. You ought to stop smoking. - You should quit smoking;
• be supposed to- a modal verb based on rules or expectations. That is, it is used when you need to say something that someone needs to do according to certain rules or when something is expected. You were supposed to save him, Batman! - You should have saved him, Batman (because Batman saves people or puts them in prison).

To compose a correct sentence with a modal verb in the passive voice, we need to put the verb “be” in combination with the modal. It will look like this:

• must be(should be);
• have to be(should be);
• ought to be(should be);
• can be(May be);
• should be(should be);
• be supposed to be(to be considered that; to be assumed that).

In practice, "modal verbs" are used quite often. And since they can also have a passive form, there is a special case of use with them.

There is no difficulty here: after the modal verb we add “be” and put the main verb following it in the Participle II form. So, it's like: (to) be + past participle(3rd form of the verb).

The next step is to put the main verb in the third form:

The writer should write a book. - A writer should write a book.
The book should be written by the writer. - The book should be written by a writer.

He has to do this test. - He must complete this test.
This test has to be done by him. - This test must be performed by him.

They were supposed to leave the bed an hour ago. - They were supposed to vacate the bed an hour ago.
The bed was supposed to be left by them an hour ago. - It was assumed that the bed would have been vacated by them an hour ago.

Conclusion

As you can see, there is nothing complicated in this English section. You just need to determine the role of the subject: it acts or is acted upon. Then indicate the tense, the auxiliary verb, the ending of the predicate - and voila! It's all in the bag. If so, the Passive Voice education table will help you.

Big and friendly EnglishDom family

"" is used to express an obligation coming from the speaker. Those. when the speaker says that he understands what he needs to do.

“ ” is an indispensable modal verb used in situations where we are talking about present or future obligations that cannot be violated.

“” is a well-known and frequently used verb that means “to be able to”, “to be able to”.

“ ” is a synonym for the verb “should”, its more polite version.

« Be supposed to" is a modal verb whose function is to tell what people need to do in accordance with the rules. Moreover, it is used when we talk about what is expected to happen.

Passive voice formula

What is the above mentioned: (to) be + V3? The answer is simple. When we change a sentence from "active" to "passive", we must change the predicate of the sentence. First, you need to put the verb “ to be" at the time used in the main sentence. Secondly, put the main verb in the third form (Past Participle).

So, to compose a sentence with a modal verb, we need to put the verb “ be" in combination with a modal verb. It will look like this:

Must be(must be)

Have to be(must be)

Ought to be(should be)

Can be(May be)

Should be(should be)

Be supposed to be(it is believed that; it is assumed that;)

The second stage involves the same arrangement of the main verb into the third form.

A little practice

The secretary must write a letter. / Secretary must write letter.

The letter must be written by the secretary. / Letter should be written secretary.

He has to do this test. / He must perform this test.

This test has to be done by him. / This test must be completed them.

He was supposed to send an email an hour ago. /It was assumed, What He will send letter hour back.

The email was supposed to be sent by him an hour ago. / It was assumed, What electronic letter will sent hour back.

Try to change the sentences given in the article yourself from active voice ( Active Voice) to passive voice ( Passive Voice). This will allow you to remember the rule, as well as work out its transformation scheme in practice step by step.

To show that an action is carried out on an object/person, in English we use passive voice.

Look at the examples: “English is spoken in many countries. These machines are manufactured in Germany. This house is for sale."

In such sentences, the emphasis is not on who performs the action, but on what action is performed on the person/object. This is the passive (or passive) voice.

In this article we will look at the schemes for constructing the passive voice in the present tense in English -. We will look in detail at how to construct affirmative, interrogative and negative sentences.

In the article you will learn:

• Formation of the Passive Voice in Present Simple Time

What is passive (passive) voice in English

First, let's figure out what collateral is and why it is needed.

In English, voice shows who performs the action:

• the person/object performs the action itself;
• a person/object experiences the action of another object.

In accordance with this, in English there are two types of collateral

• Active voice(Active voice) - the actor himself performs actions.

For example

• Passive voice(Passive voice) - the actor experiences the action of another person.

For example

The vase is broken. (The vase broke, but it didn’t break itself, but someone did it).

She is awakened by noise on the street. (She didn’t wake up on her own, but something woke her up.)

When do we use the passive voice?

Rules for using the passive voice in English

The most important thing to remember is that the passive voice is used when we talk about an action that is performed on a person/object.

The following cases of its use can be distinguished:

1. If we do not know who performed the action
For example: “Her wallet was stolen” (we don’t know who did it).

2. What matters to us is the action itself, not the person who performed it.
For example: “The watch is made in Switzerland” (it doesn’t matter to us who exactly made it).

3. If something unpleasant happened, but we don’t want to blame someone for it
For example: “The holiday is ruined” (we don’t want to say who exactly did it).

Now let's look at how to construct sentences in the passive voice in the simple present tense.

Present Simple Passive Voice in English

In the Present Simple we use the passive voice when we talk about an ordinary, regular, constant action, which is carried out on a person/object.

For example

Cheese is made from milk.
Mail is delivered every day.

Rules for constructing the passive voice in the Present Simple

The passive voice in the Present Simple is formed using:

• verb to be in the present tense (am, are, is);
• verb in the past tense.

There are regular and irregular verbs in English. Depending on the verb we:

• add the ending -ed if the verb is regular;
• we put it in the 3rd form if the verb is irregular.

The scheme for constructing the passive voice in the Present Simple will be as follows.

Object/person + am/are/is + 3rd form of irregular verb or regular verb ending -ed.

Examples

The bread is baked every morning.
This bread is baked every morning.

Paper is made from wood.
Paper is made from wood.

These rooms are cleaned every day.
These rooms are cleaned every day.

Using by in the passive voice

If we want to indicate who did the action, we add preposition by. We put it at the end of the sentence, and after it comes the actor who performs the action itself.

The proposal outline will be as follows.

Object/person + am/are/is + 3rd form of an irregular verb or regular verb ending -ed + by + the one who performs the action.

Let's look at examples.

Our dinner is cooked by mom.
Mom cooks our dinner.

These jewels are made by Kate.
Kate makes these jewelry.

Using with in the passive voice

If we are talking about a tool with which an action is performed, we use preposition with. We put it at the end of the sentence, and after it comes the instrument.

A diagram of such a proposal.

Object/person + am/are/is + 3rd form of an irregular verb or regular verb ending -ed + with + a tool used to perform an action.

Examples

Bread is cut with a knife.
Bread is cut with a knife.

The pictures are drawn with a pencil.
These pictures are drawn with a pencil.

Negative Present Simple sentences in the passive voice

We can make the offer negative. To do this you need to put not after the verb to be.

Scheme of a negative sentence in Present Simple Voice

Object/person + am/are/is + not + 3rd form of irregular verb or regular verb ending -ed.

Example sentences

The flowers are not watered
Flowers are not watered.

This car is not washed.
This car is not washed.

I am not invited.
I'm not invited.

Present Simple Interrogative Sentences in Passive Voice

To ask a question, we need to put the verb to be first in the sentence. The proposal outline will be as follows.

Am/are/is + object/person + 3rd form of irregular verb or regular verb ending -ed?

Examples

Is the house sold?
Is this house for sale?

Are the dogs walked by Tom?
Does Tom walk the dogs?

Now let's put the theory into practice. To do this, do an exercise on using the passive voice.

Reinforcement task

Translate the following sentences into English. Leave your answers in the comments below the article.

1. These songs are listened to often.
2. She is not given gifts every day.
3. The phone is for sale.
4. Is the exam written with a pen?
5. Are these products made in China?
6. He is punished by his parents.

The passive voice in English, or Passive Voice, serves to emphasize that the subject is not performing any action. Wait, you say, what about the predicate, which is always present in English sentences? The secret is that the action it expresses is directed at the subject by some other performer. It doesn't matter to us whether it is listed or not.

Don’t be afraid of this linguistic phenomenon - it is very logical and even - let’s not be afraid of this word - simple. Passive Voice in English is formed using the verb to be, which must be consistent with the subject in number, person and tense, and the third form of the semantic verb ( V3).

You are very lucky: unlike the active - Active Voice, the passive voice boasts only ten tenses:

• Present Simple: am/is/are + V3The flowers are watered twice a week— Flowers are watered twice a week.
• Present Continuous: am/is/are + being + V3The student is being listened to attentively at the moment— The student is being listened to attentively at the moment.
• Present Perfect: have/has + been + V3The pictures have been painted this week— The pictures were painted this week.
• Past Simple: was/were + V3The village was built in 1658— The village was built in 1658.
• Past Continuous: was/were + being + V3
  Children were being played with at 10 in the morning yesterday— Yesterday at 10 am we were playing with the children.
• Past Perfect: had + been + V3The road had been destroyed before the troops entered the city— The road was destroyed before the troops entered the city.
• Future Simple: shall/will + be + V3A new movie theater will be built here in a year— A new cinema will be built here in a year.
• Future Perfect: shall/will + have + been + V3All the work in the garden will have been finished by 3 p.m.— All work in the garden will be finished by three o'clock.
• Future-in-the-Past Simple: should/would + be + V3He said that a new servant would be brought to the house the following week“He said that a new servant would be brought to the house next week.”
• Future-in-the-Past Perfect: should/would + have + been + V3We were informed that the contest would have been interrupted by 3 o'clock— We were informed that the competition would be interrupted at three o'clock.

The passive voice in English has wide scope of use: in addition to colloquial constructions, Passive can often be found in scientific literature, instructions, textbooks, etc. Remember that:

1. To form an interrogative sentence you will need to move the auxiliary verb to a position before the subject:
   

   Will the cake be eaten at once or in a few days?— Will the cake be eaten immediately or in a few days?

2. For a negative form, it is enough to put the particle not after the auxiliary verb:
   

   The hospital was not reconstructed after the Great Patriotic War— After the Great Patriotic War, the hospital was not rebuilt.

The passive voice arsenal will also allow you to construct sentences with modal verbs and even in the imperative mood! However, be careful. Don't get confused by the word order:

Go away from the firing range, you can be killed - Leave the training ground, they might kill you.
Drop back or be captured! - Retreat or be captured!

What should you do if you need to mention the performer of an action in a sentence? Prepositions will help you here:

1. by- for an animate figure:
   

   The letter was written by my mother — The letter was written by my mother.

2. with- for the instrument with which the action is performed:
   

   The tea will be stirred with a spoon

   — The tea will be stirred with a spoon.

And finally, let's discuss the difficult points that you will have to memorize and practice in writing and speaking:

• In English, many verbs require specific pretext and form with them Prepositional Passive, and this preposition does not disappear anywhere:
  

  She is spoken of as a woman of great talents“They talk about her as a woman of great talents.”
  The surgeon has been just sent for - The surgeon has just been sent for.

• Verbs to sell- sell, to wash- wash, to peel- peel off the skin, to crease- hesitate, to wear- wear, to bake- bake, to burn— burn are used in the active form, although they will be translated into the native language in the passive form:
  

  The blouse washes and wears well— The blouse washes and wears well.
  The fairy-tales of this author sell well— This author’s fairy tales sell well

• Remember a group of verbs that are not used in Passive Voice: to seem- seem to lack- to be lacking, to become- become, to fit- approach, to suit- arrange, to resemble- remind:
  

  Mary resembles her grandmother Jane— Mary looks like her grandmother Jane.
  They seem to read a lot of science fiction— They seem to read a lot of science fiction.

Let's summarize. The passive voice in English is fraught with many traps that are easy to fall into. First of all, you need to realize that the subject does not perform any action, but is subject to it. Then you need to choose the appropriate tense form and take care of prepositions. Finally, check the exclusion lists, just in case. We wish you good luck!