Passive voice

Rules and examples

Passive voice – trpno stanje

Auxiliary verbshave/be

(in the original tense)

Subject and object switch places, putting the focus on the action itself.

It is not important who is performing the action. They play football Football is played (by them).

? Do they play football? Is football played (by them)? They don’t play football Football is not played (by

them). ? Do they not play football? Is football not played

(by them)?

+Past participle of the main verb(worked, been, done, seen, put…)

PASSIVE OF VARIOUS TENSES

Active voice of tenses Passive voice of tenses

Present simpleI bake cakes

Present continuousI am baking a cake

Past simpleI baked a cake

Past continuousI was baking a cake

Present perfectI have baked a cake

Present perfect continuousI have been baking cakes

Future simpleI will bake cakes

Present simpleThe cakes are baked

Present continuousThe cake is being baked

Past simpleThe cake was baked

Past continuousThe cake was being baked

Present perfectThe cake has been baked

Present perfect continuousCakes have been baked

Future simpleThe cakes will be baked

The use of passive

Focus on the action or result, rather than the

subject behind it

Polite or diplomatic statements, with the

agent left out(no responsibility

indicated).

- He was arrested by the police- The victim was found early in the morning- Poverty will be eradicated.- A great advancement has been made.- Venus can be seen early in the morning- Crime was halved after radical measures had been introduced.

- A mistake has been made.- Flashy and loud advertisements are made to attract attention.- Many tears were shed.- Ozone layer is being destroyed.

Note that in any of these cases, the subject may be omitted because it is already familiar*

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