Unit 6:                                                                     Mass Media

Grammar:                                                                       Passive voice

I) Use of passive voice :

The passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It’s not important, who or what is performing the action.

Examples :  

• Dinner was prepared. (Passive Voice) 

In the example of passive voice above, the focus is on the fact that dinner was prepared. We do not know, who prepared it.

• A house was destroyed. (we don’t know who destroyed the house)

When rewriting active sentences 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 dropp

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Form of passive : 

[ Subject + finite form of to be + past participle ]

Examples of passive : 

Tense	Voice	Subject	Verb	Object
Simple present	Active	The father	prepares	breakfast
Simple present	Passive	Breakfast	is prepared	by the father
Simple past	Active	The father	prepared	breakfast
Simple past	Passive	Breakfast	was prepared	by the father
Present perfect	Active	The father	has prepared	breakfast
Present perfect	Passive	Breakfast	has been prepared	by the father
Future simple	Active	The father	will prepare	breakfast
Future simple	Passive	Breakfast	will be prepared	by the father
Present progressive	Active	The father	is preparing	breakfast
Present progressive	Passive	breakfast	is being prepared	by the father
Past progressive	Active	The father	was preparing	breakfast
Past progressive	Passive	Breakfast	was being prepared	by the father
Past perfect	Active	The father	had prepared	breakfast
Past perfect	Passive	Breakfast	had been prepared	by the father