Passive voice is an expression
of the passive voice in English order. In the passive voice the subject is
subjected to the work while in active form subjeklah who did the deed. In
forming the passive voice we have to do is change to be and change the verb
into ketiga/V3 form. Here is an example of the use of passive voice by changing
an active sentence.
Examples of passive voice
·
Nanik borrow my pen (aktif)
·
My pen is borrowed by Nanik (pasif)
·
Lilik is watching my video (aktif)
·
My video is being watched by Lilik (pasif)
Passive Voice
The passive voice is less usual
than the active voice. The active voice is the "normal" voice. But
sometimes we need the passive voice. In this lesson we look at how to construct
the passive voice, when to use it and how to conjugate it.
Construction of the Passive
Voice
The structure of the passive
voice is very simple:
subject + auxiliary verb (be) +
main verb (past participle)
The main verb is always in its
past participle form.
Look at these examples:
subject auxiliary verb (to be)
main verb (past participle)
Water is drunk by everyone.
100 people are employed by this
company.
I am paid in euro.
We are not paid in dollars.
Are they paid in yen?
Use of the Passive Voice
We use the passive when:
we want
to make the active object more important
we do
not know the active subject
subject verb object
give importance to active
object (President Kennedy) President Kennedy was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald.
active subject unknown My
wallet has been stolen. ?
Note that we always use by to
introduce the passive object (Fish are eaten by cats).
Look at this sentence:
He was
killed with a gun.
Normally we use by to introduce
the passive object. But the gun is not the active subject. The gun did not kill
him. He was killed by somebody with a gun. In the active voice, it would be:
Somebody killed him with a gun. The gun is the instrument. Somebody is the
"agent" or "doer".
Conjugation for the Passive
Voice
We can form the passive in any
tense. In fact, conjugation of verbs in the passive tense is rather easy, as
the main verb is always in past participle form and the auxiliary verb is
always be. To form the required tense, we conjugate the auxiliary verb. So, for
example:
present
simple: It is made
present
continuous: It is being made
present
perfect: It has been made
Here are some examples with most
of the possible tenses:
infinitive to be washed
simple present It is
washed.
Past It was washed.
Future It will be washed.
Conditional It would be washed.
Continuous present It is being
washed.
Past It was being washed.
Future It will be being washed.
Conditional It would be being
washed.
perfect simple present It
has been washed.
Past It had been washed.
Future It will have been
washed.
Conditional It would have been
washed.
perfect continuous present It
has been being washed.
Past It had been being washed.
Future It will have been being
washed.
Conditional It would have been
being washed.
Passive Voice: Definition
In the active voice, the
subject of the sentence DOES the action:
John
painted the house last week.
Subject
/ verb / object
In the passive voice, the
subject of the sentence RECEIVES the action.
The
house was painted last week.
Subject
/ verb
Notice that the object of the
active sentence (house) became the subject of the passive sentence.
Passive Voice: Use
The passive voice is used when:
1.We do not know who did the
action
Example: The
documents were stolen.
(we don’t know who
stole the documents)
2.The receiver of the action is
more important
Example: The
pyramids were built nearly 5,000 years ago by the ancient Egyptians.
(we want to
emphasize “pyramids” more than “ancient Egyptians”)
Passive Voice: Form
To change an active voice
sentence to a passive voice sentence:
1.Make the object of the active
sentence into the subject of the passive sentence.
2.Use the verb “to be” in the
same tense as the main verb of the active sentence.
3.Use the past participle of
the main verb of the active sentence.
Here are some active and
passive voice examples to help!
-Active:
People drink champagne on New Year’s Eve.
-Passive:
Champagne is drunk on New Year’s Eve.
-Active:
Chefs use these machines to mix the ingredients.
-Passive:
These machines are used to mix the ingredients.
-Active: They
renovated the restaurant in 2004.
-Passive: The
restaurant was renovated in 2004.
-Active: The
teachers informed the students that the class had been cancelled.
-Passive: The
students were informed that the class had been cancelled.
Passive Voice: Present
In the present, the passive
voice uses the verbs is and are + past participle of the main verb.
The passive voice present is
often used to describe:
1.Processes
First the apples are picked,
then they are cleaned, and finally they’re packed and shipped to the market.
2.General thoughts, opinions,
and beliefs
New York is considered the most
diverse city in the U.S.
It is believed that Amelia
Earhart’s plane crashed in Pacific Ocean.
Hungarian is seen as one of the
world’s most difficult languages to learn.
Skin cancers are thought to be
caused by excessive exposure to the sun.
Passive Voice: Past
In the past, the passive voice
uses the verbs was and were + past participle of the main verb.
The passive voice past is often
used to describe:
1.Events in history
George Washington was elected
president in 1788.
2.Crimes / Accidents
Two people were killed in a
drive-by shooting on Friday night.
Ten children were injured when
part of the school roof collapsed.
Daftar Fustaka
Drs. Rudy Hariyono& Andrew
Mc. Carthy, 2008, ABC Plus Grammar, Surabaya, Gitamedia Press.
Bramadi, N.S. Kursus Singkat
Bahasa Inggris. Jakarta: PT Buana Ilmu Populer, 2011.