Simple Present Tense Passive Voice in English Grammar

Simple Present Tense Passive

In grammar, when we talk about "passive voice", we usually think about the past tense passive voice. However, there is also a simple present tense passive voice, which can sometimes confuse people because it doesn't always follow the typical pattern of passive constructions. Here, we will explore this interesting aspect of English grammar by discussing its differences from active voice, how it works, and when to use it.

Differences with Active Voice

While many people know what the passive voice is as a whole, they might not be aware of the differences between the simple present tense active and passive voices. Here's an example that illustrates this distinction:

Active Voice: The boy plays soccer. (present tense) Passive Voice: Soccer is being played by the boy. (simple present tense passive)

In the active voice sentence, we have a subject ("the boy") performing an action ("plays"). This structure is straightforward and common. On the other hand, in the passive voice sentence, we have no explicit subject. Instead, "soccer" becomes the object of the verb "to play", which has been made into its past participle form "played". This is often referred to as the double past construction in English grammar.

Usage

The simple present tense passive voice can be used when you want to emphasize the subject more than the action or if it's unknown who or what performed the action. It's also useful for describing situations where something happens without any specific person doing it. For instance:

• An accident occurred on the highway. (unknown cause)
• Candy bars are sold in the vending machine. (not specifying who sells them)

However, there is one notable difference between the simple present tense and the simple past tense passives. While the latter typically ends with 'was done', the former usually takes 'be + -ed'. There are some exceptions like expressions of permission and requests, but these are rare.

Conclusion

While the simple present tense passive voice can be confusing at first glance because it doesn't follow the traditional pattern of passive constructions, it serves a specific purpose in English grammar. By emphasizing the subject or presenting situations where something happens without specifying who does it, the simple present tense passive voice offers another tool for effective communication. Just remember that it primarily uses the 'be + -ed' format instead of the typical past participle form followed by auxiliary verbs commonly seen in standard passive constructions.