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Questions and Answers
What is the basic form of the passive voice?
What is the basic form of the passive voice?
What is the form of the present simple passive?
What is the form of the present simple passive?
What is the form of the past perfect passive?
What is the form of the past perfect passive?
What is the form of the future simple passive?
What is the form of the future simple passive?
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What is the form of the passive infinitive?
What is the form of the passive infinitive?
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What is the function of the subject in a sentence in the passive voice?
What is the function of the subject in a sentence in the passive voice?
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In the active voice, the ______ performs the action described by the verb.
In the active voice, the ______ performs the action described by the verb.
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The ______ voice is often used in scientific, academic, and technical writing.
The ______ voice is often used in scientific, academic, and technical writing.
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A ______ clause contains a subject and a predicate.
A ______ clause contains a subject and a predicate.
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In the ______ voice, the subject receives the action described by the verb.
In the ______ voice, the subject receives the action described by the verb.
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In verb conjugation, the verb changes depending on the ______.
In verb conjugation, the verb changes depending on the ______.
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The ______ voice can be more engaging and easier to read.
The ______ voice can be more engaging and easier to read.
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Study Notes
Passive Voice: Verb Forms
Basic Forms
- The passive voice is formed using a form of the verb "to be" (in the present, past, or past perfect tense) and the past participle of the main verb.
Present Simple Passive
- Form: am/is/are + past participle
- Examples:
- The ball is thrown by John. (The subject "ball" receives the action of the verb "throw".)
- The new employee is trained by the HR department.
Past Simple Passive
- Form: was/were + past participle
- Examples:
- The play was performed at the theater. (The subject "play" receives the action of the verb "perform".)
- The package was delivered yesterday.
Past Perfect Passive
- Form: had been + past participle
- Examples:
- The project had been completed by the deadline. (The subject "project" receives the action of the verb "complete".)
- The new policy had been announced by the CEO.
Future Simple Passive
- Form: will be + past participle
- Examples:
- The new product will be launched next month. (The subject "product" receives the action of the verb "launch".)
- The report will be presented at the meeting.
Future Perfect Passive
- Form: will have been + past participle
- Examples:
- The construction will have been finished by next year. (The subject "construction" receives the action of the verb "finish".)
- The research will have been published by the time the conference starts.
Passive Infinitive
- Form: to be + past participle
- Examples:
- The book is expected to be published next year. (The subject "book" receives the action of the verb "publish".)
- The new employee is going to be trained by the HR department.
Passive Voice: Verb Forms
- The passive voice is formed using a form of the verb "to be" (in the present, past, or past perfect tense) and the past participle of the main verb.
Present Simple Passive
- Form: am/is/are + past participle
- Examples:
- The ball is thrown by John (subject "ball" receives the action of the verb "throw")
- The new employee is trained by the HR department
Past Simple Passive
- Form: was/were + past participle
- Examples:
- The play was performed at the theater (subject "play" receives the action of the verb "perform")
- The package was delivered yesterday
Past Perfect Passive
- Form: had been + past participle
- Examples:
- The project had been completed by the deadline (subject "project" receives the action of the verb "complete")
- The new policy had been announced by the CEO
Future Simple Passive
- Form: will be + past participle
- Examples:
- The new product will be launched next month (subject "product" receives the action of the verb "launch")
- The report will be presented at the meeting
Future Perfect Passive
- Form: will have been + past participle
- Examples:
- The construction will have been finished by next year (subject "construction" receives the action of the verb "finish")
- The research will have been published by the time the conference starts
Passive Infinitive
- Form: to be + past participle
- Examples:
- The book is expected to be published next year (subject "book" receives the action of the verb "publish")
- The new employee is going to be trained by the HR department
Sentence Structure
- Active voice: Subject performs the action described by the verb, e.g., "The dog bites the man."
- Passive voice: Subject receives the action described by the verb, e.g., "The man was bitten by the dog."
Voice in Writing Styles
- Active voice is typically used in:
- Informative writing
- Persuasive writing
- Can be more engaging and easier to read
- Passive voice is often used in:
- Scientific writing
- Academic writing
- Technical writing
- Can be useful for emphasizing the action rather than the doer
Clauses and Phrases
- Independent clauses:
- Contain a subject and a predicate
- Can stand alone as a complete sentence
- Dependent clauses:
- Do not contain a complete thought
- Begin with a subordinating conjunction (e.g., because, although, if)
- Phrases:
- Do not contain a subject or predicate
- Function as a single part of speech (e.g., noun phrase, verb phrase)
Verb Conjugation
- Active voice verb conjugation:
- Follows standard verb conjugation patterns
- Changes depending on the subject (e.g., I, you, he, she, it, we, they)
- Passive voice verb conjugation:
- Typically uses a form of "to be" (e.g., is, was, were) combined with the past participle
- Changes depending on the subject (e.g., I, you, he, she, it, we, they)
Subject-Verb Agreement
- In both active and passive voices:
- Singular subjects take singular verbs
- Plural subjects take plural verbs
- Active voice subject-verb agreement: The subject performs the action, so the verb agrees with the subject
- Passive voice subject-verb agreement: The subject receives the action, so the verb agrees with the subject
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Description
Learn about the passive voice in English grammar, including its basic forms, present simple passive, and past simple passive. Practice forming sentences in the passive voice.
