Hi. This PPT is intended for students and teachers of ESL. It teaches the passive voice in a simple way. It's an all-inclusive lesson so you can teach it right out of the box! If you like it, check out my other websites: www.ted-ielts.com and www.davidteaching.blogspot.com

1. A more formal
style of
writing for
IELTS students
PASSIVE VOICE

2. In English, voice refers to the relationship between
subject and verb.
There are two voices:
WHAT IS VOICE?
Active Passive
Subject does the verb Verb is done to the subject

3. In this type of sentence, the subject of the verb is
acting, therefore it is active.
For example:
The cat ate the mouse.
ACTIVE VOICE
subject verb object

4. In each example below, the subject is doing the verb.
 The poacher shot the tiger.
 The poacher (subject) is doing the shooting.
 The printer ate my paper.
 The printer (subject) is doing the eating.
 Sara will give a speech to the class.
 Sara (subject) will do the giving.
ACTIVE VOICE

5. The active voice is reversed in this type of sentence.
The subject now receives the verb passively.
For example:
The mouse was eaten by the cat.
PASSIVE VOICE
subject verb

6. In each example below, the subject is receiving the
action of the verb.
 The tiger was shot by the poacher.
 My paper was eaten by the printer.
 A speech will be given to the class by Sara.
PASSIVE VOICE

7. The active voice is far more common than the passive
because:
 It is more direct
 It is easier to understand (ie less awkward)
 It is more concise
 It clearly indicates the relationship between the
different parts of the sentence.
It is therefore better for conveying simple,
straightforward actions and ideas.
CHOOSING A VOICE

8. For example:
I watered the plants yesterday.
(This is clear and simple.)
The plants were watered by me yesterday.
(This sounds strange and convoluted)
CHOOSING A VOICE

9. The passive voice is used mainly in these two
situations:
1. When you do not know, or do not want to say, who
performed an action.
2. When it is more important to focus on the recipient
of the action.
CHOOSING A VOICE

10. The man was arrested last night.
- We do not need to say “by the police” because it is
obvious.
A woman was murdered.
- By whom? We don’t know.
Shoplifters will be prosecuted.
- Again, we clearly know who would perform this
action; there is no need to say.
PASSIVE VOICE

11. On the Road was written by Jack Kerouac.
Jack Kerouac wrote On the Road.
These have the same meaning, but in the first the
emphasis is on On the Road, while in the second the
emphasis is on its author, Jack Kerouac.
PASSIVE VOICE

12. Making the passive voice requires the verb to be plus
the past participle of the verb.
Active: Susan made these cakes.
Passive: These cakes were made by Susan.
FORMING THE PASSIVE

13. In order to form the passive, you must be very
familiar with the various forms of “to be”.
FORMING THE PASSIVE
• Am
• Is
• Are
• Was
• Were
• Be
• Being
• Been

14. Let’s look at an example of how we use “to be” with
the verb “written”:
FORMING THE PASSIVE
is written
had been written
was written
is going to be written
is being written
will be written
has been written
can be written
was being written
should be written

15. You can only use the passive with transitive
verbs (those which take objects). You cannot
use with intransitive verbs (those which can’t
take objects”)
She cleaned the apartment.
The apartment had been cleaned.
She arrived at the apartment.
The apartment had been arrived at.
FORMING THE PASSIVE

16. TENSES

17. If it is important, the do-er of the verb can be
included following the word “by”.
The poem was written by Allen Ginsberg.
You can easily rewrite a passive sentence into an
active one. Just remove “by” and put the do-er at the
beginning of the sentence! (Don’t forget to change
the verb tense, though.)
Allen Ginsberg wrote the poem.
FORMING THE PASSIVE

18. Examples:
 Passive: The tea was made by a kindly old lady.
 Active: A kindly old lady made the tea.
 Passive: Those holes are made by rats.
 Active: Rats made those holes.
FORMING THE PASSIVE

19. Let’s do a
little
practice
TEST

20. Change the sentences below to the active voice.
1. Hundreds of photos are taken by tourists each
year.
2. My lunch was taken by someone this morning.
3. This coat was left here by a student.
4. Rice is grown by farmers all across Asia.
5. The painting was stolen by thieves last year and
they are being hunted by police.
PRACTICE

21. 1. Tourists take hundreds of photos each year.
2. Someone took my lunch this morning.
3. A student left this coat here.
4. Farmers all across Asia grow rice. (or Farmers grow
rice all across Asia)
5. Thieves stole the painting last year and the police
are hunting them.
ANSWERS

22. I hope you found this lesson useful. I have
plenty of FREE resources for studying IELTS:
www.ted-ielts.com
Also see my teaching website:
www.davidteaching.blogspot.com
and my personal travel site:
www.davidswills.com
THANKS FOR LEARNING!