Normal sentences in English are in active voice.
In active sentences the subject of the sentence is the actor of the verb or the doer of the action. In the above sentence, the subject Bill is the actor of the verb or the one who kicked the ball. The direct object the ball is the receiver of the verb action.
In passive sentences the subject of the sentence is the receiver of the action.
The ball was kicked by Bill.
In the above sentence, the ball is the receiver of the action and is the subject of the sentence. Bill, the actor of the verb is the object of the preposition by.
To form a passive sentence from an active sentence:
Tense | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
---|---|---|
Present | The boys eat the pie. | The pie is eaten by the boys |
Present progressive | The boys are eating the pie | The pie is being eaten by the boys |
Present perfect | The boys have eaten the pie | The pie has been eaten by the boys |
Past | The boys ate the pie | The pie was eaten by the boys |
Past progressive | The boys were eating the pie | The pie was being eaten by the boys |
Past perfect | The boys had eaten the pie | The pie had been eaten by the boys |
Future | The boys will eat the pie | The pie will be eaten by the boys |
Future | The boys are going to eat the pie. | The pie is going to be eaten by the boys |
Future perfect | The boys will have eaten the pie | The pie will have been eaten by the boys |
Active | The boys can eat the pie |
Passive | The pie can be eaten by the boys |
Active | The boys could have eaten the pie |
Passive | The pie could have been eaten by the boys |
Intransitive verbs (verbs which do not take objects) cannot be used to form passive sentences.
Some examples of common intransitive verbs.
There are a couple measure verbs that also cannot be used in the passive.
Directions: Choose the answer. Remember that not all verbs can be used in the passive voice. (10 problems)
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