The Passive Voice. Grammar Lesson for Adults

1.

2.

Use and Structure
In English language it’s common to find the following
sentence structure:
Subject + verb + objects
Example: I ate a chocolate muffin yesterday night.
However, we might be interested in changing the order of the
sentence for different reasons. Look at the example:
Two cookies were eaten (by me) yesterday night.
The order has changed to:
Object + verb + (subject)

3.

Why do we use the passive voice?
To put emphasis in the objects or change the focus
of the sentence.
Example: A new product was launched by the company.
When the subject is unknown or unnecessary to know.
Example: My car is being fixed.
In scientific and formal writing.
Example: The experiment is conducted in a controlled
environment [...]

4.

How to use the passive voice?
The passive voice is formed by putting the verb 'to be’
into the tense needed and then adding the past participle
of the main verb.
Look at the table in the following slide!

5.

How to use the passive voice?
Tense
Active
Passive
present simple
I eat a muffin.
A muffin is eaten (by me).
present continuous
I am eating a muffin.
A muffin is being eaten (by me).
past simple
I ate a muffin.
A muffin was eaten (by me).
past continuous
I was eating
a muffin.
A muffin was being eaten
(by me).
present perfect
I have eaten
a muffin.
A muffin has been eaten (by me).
present perfect
continuous
I have been eating
a muffin.
A muffin has been being eaten
(by me).
past perfect
I had eaten a muffin.
A muffin had been eaten (by me).
future simple
I will eat a muffin.
A muffin will be eaten (by me).

6.

How to use the passive voice?
If you want to include the subject, it is placed at the end of the
sentence and it is transformed as follows:
I
by me
You
by you
She
by her
He
by him
We
by us
They
by them
Or with ‘by’ followed by the name:
The cat was chased by the dog.

7.

Transform the following sentence into
the passive voice:
1. A pedestrian helped her.
____________________________________________________.
2. The workers are repairing the road.
____________________________________________________.
3. The team will complete the project tomorrow.
____________________________________________________.
4. They make these cakes in that shop.
____________________________________________________.
5. They painted the wall.
____________________________________________________.
Click here if you need
to check the table!
Click to reveal answers

8.

Transform the following sentence into
the passive voice:
1. A pedestrian helped her.
She was helped by a pedestrian.
2. The workers are repairing the road.
____________________________________________________.
3. The team will complete the project tomorrow.
____________________________________________________.
4. They make these cakes in that shop.
____________________________________________________.
5. They painted the wall.
____________________________________________________.
Click here if you need
to check the table!
Click to reveal answers

9.

Transform the following sentence into
the passive voice:
1. A pedestrian helped her.
She was helped by a pedestrian.
2. The workers are repairing the road.
The road is being repaired (by the workers).
3. The team will complete the project tomorrow.
____________________________________________________.
4. They make these cakes in that shop.
____________________________________________________.
5. They painted the wall.
____________________________________________________.
Click here if you need
to check the table!
Click to reveal answers

10.

Transform the following sentence into
the passive voice:
1. A pedestrian helped her.
She was helped by a pedestrian.
2. The workers are repairing the road.
The road is being repaired (by the workers).
3. The team will complete the project tomorrow.
The project will be completed tomorrow (by the team).
4. They make these cakes in that shop.
____________________________________________________.
5. They painted the wall.
____________________________________________________.
Click here if you need
to check the table!
Click to reveal answers

11.

Transform the following sentence into
the passive voice:
1. A pedestrian helped her.
She was helped by a pedestrian.
2. The workers are repairing the road.
The road is being repaired (by the workers).
3. The team will complete the project tomorrow.
The project will be completed tomorrow (by the team).
4. They make these cakes in that shop.
These cakes are made in that shop.
5. They painted the wall.
____________________________________________________.
Click here if you need
to check the table!
Click to reveal answers

12.

Transform the following sentence into
the passive voice:
1. A pedestrian helped her.
She was helped by a pedestrian.
2. The workers are repairing the road.
The road is being repaired (by the workers).
3. The team will complete the project tomorrow.
The project will be completed tomorrow (by the team).
4. They make these cakes in that shop.
These cakes are made in that shop.
5. They painted the wall.
The wall was painted (by them).
Click here if you need
to check the table!
Click to reveal answers

13.

Transform the following sentence into
the passive voice:
1. She bought this flat.
_______________________________________________.
2. I will prepare the food.
_______________________________________________.
3. Ana is fixing the table.
_______________________________________________.
4. A dog was eating my food.
_______________________________________________.
5. They have cancelled the wedding.
_______________________________________________.
Click here if you need
to check the table!
Click to reveal answers

14.

Transform the following sentence into
the passive voice:
1. She bought this flat.
The flat was bought by her.
2. I will prepare the food.
_______________________________________________.
3. Ana is fixing the table.
_______________________________________________.
4. A dog was eating my food.
_______________________________________________.
5. They have cancelled the wedding.
_______________________________________________.
Click here if you need
to check the table!
Click to reveal answers

15.

Transform the following sentence into
the passive voice:
1. She bought this flat.
The flat was bought by her.
2. I will prepare the food.
The food will be prepared by me.
3. Ana is fixing the table.
_______________________________________________.
4. A dog was eating my food.
_______________________________________________.
5. They have cancelled the wedding.
_______________________________________________.
Click here if you need
to check the table!
Click to reveal answers

16.

Transform the following sentence into
the passive voice:
1. She bought this flat.
The flat was bought by her.
2. I will prepare the food.
The food will be prepared by me.
3. Ana is fixing the table.
The table is being fixed by Ana.
4. A dog was eating my food.
_______________________________________________.
5. They have cancelled the wedding.
_______________________________________________.
Click here if you need
to check the table!
Click to reveal answers

17.

Transform the following sentence into
the passive voice:
1. She bought this flat.
The flat was bought by her.
2. I will prepare the food.
The food will be prepared by me.
3. Ana is fixing the table.
The table is being fixed by Ana.
4. A dog was eating my food.
My food was being eaten by a dog.
5. They have cancelled the wedding.
_______________________________________________.
Click here if you need
to check the table!
Click to reveal answers

18.

Transform the following sentence into
the passive voice:
1. She bought this flat.
The flat was bought by her.
2. I will prepare the food.
The food will be prepared by me.
3. Ana is fixing the table.
The table is being fixed by Ana.
4. A dog was eating my food.
My food was being eaten by a dog.
5. They have cancelled the wedding.
The wedding has been cancelled.
Click here if you need
to check the table!
Click to reveal answers

19.

In the following slides, you have to create sentences
in the passive voice by looking at the images
and using prompts and tenses provided.
Transform the subject as needed.
For example: 'I' becomes 'by me'.
Ready?

20.

pizza / eat / Italy
Tense: Present Simple
Pizza is eaten in Italy.
Click to reveal answer

21.

cow / feed / I
Tense: Past Simple
The cow was fed by me.
Click to reveal answer

22.

New / houses / build / (workers)
Tense: Present Continuous
New houses are being
built (by workers).
Click to reveal answer

23.

cake / decorate / baker
Tense: Past Simple
The cake was decorated
by the baker.
Click to reveal answer

24.

house / clean / I
Tense: Present Perfect
The house has been
cleaned by me.
Click to reveal answer

25.

tea / make / we
Tense: Past Continuous
The tea was being made
by us.
Click to reveal answer

26.

some / packages / deliver / mailman
Tense: Past Perfect
Some packages had been
delivered by the mailman.
Click to reveal answer

27.

present / give / to her / party
Tense: Future Simple
A present will be given
to her at the party
Click to reveal answer

28.

Choose the correct answers
We are staying at my sister’s house because my flat ___________
redecorated.
was being
is being
had been
The mural ___________ two days ago.
was painted
is painted
Click to reveal answers
is being

29.

Choose the correct answers
We are staying at my sister’s house because my flat is being
redecorated.
was being
had been
The mural ___________ two days ago.
was painted
is painted
Click to reveal answers
is being

30.

Choose the correct answers
We are staying at my sister’s house because my flat is being
redecorated.
was being
had been
The mural was painted two days ago.
is painted
Click to reveal answers
is being

31.

Choose the correct answers
All the tickets for the concert ___________. We couldn’t go!
are being sold
were being sold
were sold
When I went to take my bike, it was not there. It _____________!
had been stolen
was being
Click to reveal answers
is being

32.

Choose the correct answers
All the tickets for the concert were sold. We couldn’t go!
are being sold
were being sold
When I went to take my bike, it was not there. It _____________!
had been stolen
was being
Click to reveal answers
is being

33.

Choose the correct answers
All the tickets for the concert were sold. We couldn’t go!
are being sold
were being sold
When I went to take my bike, it was not there. It had been stolen!
was being
Click to reveal answers
is being

34.

Choose the correct answers
The new TV ___________ to my house in a few days. I can’t
wait!
was being
delivered
will be delivered
was delivered
The best coffee ___________ at the coffee place next to my
house. That's why I go there every day.
is made
was made
Click to reveal answers
was being made

35.

Choose the correct answers
The new TV will be delivered to my house in a few days. I can’t
wait!
was being
delivered
was delivered
The best coffee ___________ at the coffee place next to my
house. That's why I go there every day.
is made
was made
Click to reveal answers
was being made

36.

Choose the correct answers
The new TV will be delivered to my house in a few days. I can’t
wait!
was being
delivered
was delivered
The best coffee is made at the coffee place next to my
house. That's why I go there every day.
was made
Click to reveal answers
was being made

37.

Thank you!