ingles

PASSIVE VOICE

REVIEW:
Subject in a sentence: Who practices the action
Object in a sentence: who suffers the action or complete the verb.

Use
Example
To focus on when or where something is done, or what is done.
Gunpowder was invented in China.
To introduce general opinions
It is believed that Eskimos once migrated from Asia to Arctic Canada.
To describe processes and facts
Coffee has been grown in Brazil for hundreds of years.
When the agent that performs an action is known but it isn´t the most important information.
The president is protected by the FBI.
When the agent is unknown or it is not necessary to identify it.
My bike was stolen.

Scheme for Passive Voice: SUBJECT + BE + PAST PARTICIPLE (PP) + BY (AGENT)
TENSE
ACTIVE VOICE
PASSIVE VOICE
Simple Present (is/are+PP)
Japan produces high technology.
Technology is produced in Japan.
Simple Past (was/were + PP)
Peter called an ambulance last night.
An ambulance was called by Peter last night.
Present continuous (is/are being+PP)
We are driving the new bus.
The new bus is being driven by us.
Past Continuous (was/were being+PP)
They were sending e-mails a few minutes ago.
E-mails were being sent by them a few minutes ago.
Future (will be + PP)
Carol will drink lemonade later.
Lemonade will be drunk by Carol later.
Present Perfect (has/have been + PP)
I have bought an used car.
An used car has been bought by me.
Present Perfect Continuous (has/have been being + PP)
Tom and Ann have been reading those books.
Those books have been being read by Tom and Ann.
Past Perfect (had been + PP)
George had invited his classmates for his birthday.
His classmates had been invited by him for his birthday.
Past Perfect Continuous (had been being + PP)
I had been cleaning my room when my father arrived.
My room had been being cleaned by me when my father arrived.
Modals (modal (to) be + PP)
They could play the piano.
The piano could be played by them.
Note: The passive is