The passive voice in the English language
to the present
The passive voice is required when the subject of a sentence becomes the object and vice versa. In this case the verb is put into the past participle and the new subject (former object) is related to by the auxiliary "be".
active voice: We drink Coke.
passive voice: Coke is drunk.
In principle this is similiar to many other languages, the only intricacy the usage of the verb "be" in its funtion as auxiliary.
active voice : We play football.
passive voice : We play football.
| active: | People | drink | lemonade. | active |
| active: | questions | eat | steaks. | active |
| to the present | object becomes subject | auxiliary: am/is/are | past participle | |
| passive: | Lemonade | is | drunk. | passive |
| passive: | Steaks | are | eaten | passive |
Past (simple past)
In the past you just put the auxiliary into its simple past tense form.
Aktivsatz: We drank lemonade.
Passivsatz: Lemonade was drunk.
| active: | People | drank | lemonade. | active |
| active: | questions | ate | steaks. | active |
| past: | object becomes subject | Hilfsverb: was/were | Partizip Perfekt (II. Form) | |
| passive: | Lemonade | was | drunk. | passive |
| passive: | Steaks | were | eaten. | passive |
Future
In the future tense of the passive voice the auxiliary "be" in its future form "will" is supplemented by another "be" followed by the past participle:
Aktivsatz: We will drink lemonade.
Passivsatz: Lemonade will be drunk.
| active: | People | will(can,may, might) drink | lemonade. | active |
| active: | questions | will(can,may,might) eat | steaks. | active |
| future or other modal auxiliary: | object becomes subject | auxiliary: will/can/may/might | be+ past participle | |
| passive: | Lemonade | will/can/may/might | be drunk. | passive |
| passive: | Steaks | will/can/may/might | be eaten. | passive |
Progressive form
In the progressive form the passive voice is completed by the participle present be = being
simple form: Lemonade is drunk.
progressive form: Lemonade is being drunk.
| active | People | are drinking | lemonade. | active |
| active: | questions | are eating | steaks. | active |
| progressive form: | Subjekt wird Objekt | Hilfsverb be+being | Partizip Perfekt (II. Form) | |
| passive: | Lemonade | is being | drunk | passive |
| passive: | Steaks | are being | eaten | passive |
present perfect
In the present perfect form the active voice is completed by "been".
active voice: I said words.
passive voice: Words have been said.
| active: | People | have drunk | lemonade. | active |
| active: | questions | have eaten | steaks. | active |
| present perfect: | Subjekt wird Objekt: | Hilfsverb has/have been | Partizip (II. Form) | |
| passive: | Lemonade | has been | drunk. | passive |
| passive: | Steaks | have been | eaten. | passive |
by – agent
In the English passive voice the object of the active voice is circumscribed by the so-called by agent by.
active voice: Stephen King wrote this book.
passive voice: This book was written by Stephen King.
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