PASSIVE VOICE

A passive construction occurs when you make the object of an action into the subject of a sentence.

Form of passive
Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3 rd column of irregular verbs)
Example: A letter was written

When rewriting active sentence in passive voice, note the following :
> the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
> the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
>the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped)
>only active sentence containing object which can be changed into passive form
>the two forms should have the same tenses


Examples of Passive Tense

Subject Verb Object
Simple Present Active
Passive Rita
A letter writes
is written a letter.
by rita.
Simple Past Active
Passive Rita
A letter Wrote
was written a letter
by rita
Present Perpect Active
Passive Rita
A letter has written
has been written a letter
by rita


Passive Sentences with Two Object

Subject Verb Object 1 Object 2
Simple Present Active
Passive Rita
A letter writes
is written a letter
to me to me
by rita
Simple Past Active
Passive Rita
A letter Wrote
was written a letter
to me to me
by rita
Present Perfect Active
Passive Rita
A letter has written
has been written a letter
to me to me
by rita


Personal and Impersonal Passive

Personal Passive simply means that the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. So every verb that needs an object (transitive verb) can form a personal passive.
Example : They build houses.-Houses are built.

Verb without an object (intransitive verb) normally cannot form a personal passive sentence (as there is no object that can become the subject of the passive sentence). If you want to use an intransitive verb in passive voice, you need an impersonal construction – therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive.
Example : he says – it is said

Impersonal Passive is not as common in English as in some other languages (e.g. German, Latin). In English, Impersonal Passive is only possible with verbs of perception (e.g.say, think, know).
Example : They say that women live longer than men.-It is said that woman live longer than men.

Although Impersonal Passive is possible here, Personal Passive is more common.
Example : They say that womwn live longer then men.-Women are said to live longer thanmen.

The subject of the subordinate clause (women) goes to the beginning of the sentence; the verb of perception is put into passive voice.
The rest of the sentence is added using an infinitive construction with ‘to’ (certain auxiliary verbs and that are dropped).

Sometimes the term Personal Passive is used in English lessons if the indirect object of an active sentence is to become the subject of the passive sentence.