English Grammar -- Passive Voice and Active Voice
http://www.ESLEnglishAcademy.com The difference between passive voice and active voice is quite confusing -- even to native English speakers! In this video ...
Answer
Transitive verbs have both active and passive forms:
active | passive | |
---|---|---|
The hunter killed the lion. | >> | The lion was killed by the hunter. |
Someone has cleaned the windows | >> | The windows have been cleaned |
The passive forms are made up of the verb be with a past participle:
be | past participle | ||
---|---|---|---|
English | is | spoken | all over the world |
The windows | have been | cleaned | |
Lunch | was being | served | |
The work | will be | finished | soon |
They | might have been | invited | to the party |
We sometimes use the verb get to form the passive:
Be careful with the glass. It might get broken.
Peter got hurt in a crash.
If we want to show the person or thing doing the action we use by:
She was attacked by a dangerous dog.
The money was stolen by her husband.
We can use the indirect object as the subject of a passive verb:
active | passive | |
---|---|---|
I gave him a book for his birthday | >> | He was given a book for his birthday. |
Someone sent her a cheque for a thousand euros | >> | She was sent a cheque for a thousand euros. |
We can use phrasal verbs in the passive:
active | passive | |
---|---|---|
They called off the meeting. | >> | The meeting was called off. |
His grandmother looked after him. | >> | He was looked after by his grandmother. |
They will send him away to school. | >> | He will be sent away to school. |