asslve SenLences

asslve volce verbs are used ln wrlLlng much more ofLen Lhan ln speech and Lhey are used ln some
Lypes of wrlLlng much more ofLen Lhan ln oLhers asslves are used more ln [ournallsm (newspapers
magazlnes) Lhan ln flcLlon (novels sLorles) buL mosL [ournallsLs and flcLlon wrlLers use far more acLlve
Lhan passlve senLences Powever passlves are very common ln all Lypes of sclenLlflc and Lechnlcal
wrlLlng SclenLlflc arLlcles ofLen conLaln more passlve Lhan acLlve senLences ?ou should noL use passlve
volce verbs unless you have a good reason
A 8elaLlonshlp beLween acLlve and passlve

1 1he ob[ecL of Lhe acLlve verb ls Lhe sub[ecL of Lhe passlve verb (Lngllsh" ln Lhe example senLences
below) 1herefore verbs whlch cannoL be followed by ob[ecLs (lnLranslLlve verbs) cannoL be used ln
passlve volce

1hese are some common lnLranslLlve verbs appear arrlve come cry dle go happen occur raln sleep
sLay walk 1hese verbs cannoL be used ln passlve volce

2 1he passlve verb always conLalns a form of Lhe auxlllary verb be 1he form of be ln Lhe passlve verb
phrase corresponds Lo Lhe form of Lhe maln verb ln Lhe acLlve verb phrase (see Lhe underllned words ln
Lhe example senLences below) 1haL ls lf Lhe acLlve maln verb ls slmple presenL Lense Lhen a slmple
presenL Lense form of be ls used ln Lhe passlve verb phrase lf Lhe acLlve maln verb ls lnC Lhen Lhe lnC
form of be ls used ln Lhe passlve verb phrase and so on

3 1he maln verb ln a passlve predlcaLe verb phrase ls always Lhe parLlclple form of Lhe verb

4 Some examples of acLlve and passlve senLences

AC1lvL 1hey speak Lngllsh
ASSlvL Lngllsh ls spoken

AC1lvL 1hey spoke Lngllsh
ASSlvL Lngllsh was spoken

AC1lvL 1hey wlll speak Lngllsh
ASSlvL Lngllsh wlll be spoken

AC1lvL 1hey are golng Lo speak Lngllsh
ASSlvL Lngllsh ls golng Lo be spoken

AC1lvL 1hey are speaklng Lngllsh
ASSlvL Lngllsh ls belng spoken

AC1lvL 1hey were speaklng Lngllsh
ASSlvL Lngllsh was belng spoken

AC1lvL 1hey have spoken Lngllsh
ASSlvL Lngllsh has been spoken

AC1lvL 1hey had spoken Lngllsh
ASSlvL Lngllsh had been spoken

AC1lvL 1hey wlll have spoken Lngllsh
ASSlvL Lngllsh wlll have been spoken

3 erfecL progresslve verb forms are generally used ln acLlve volce only 1haL ls Lhese are good Lngllsh
senLences

AC1lvL 1hey have been speaklng Lngllsh
AC1lvL 1hey had been speaklng Lngllsh
AC1lvL 1hey wlll have been speaklng Lngllsh

8uL senLences llke Lhese are rarely used

ASSlvL Lngllsh has been belng spoken
ASSlvL Lngllsh had been belng spoken
ASSlvL Lngllsh wlll have been belng spoken
8 MosL passlve senLences do noL conLaln an agenL all acLlve senLences conLaln an agenL

1 An agenL ls Lhe sub[ecL of Lhe acLlve verb ln Lhe example senLences above Lhe agenL ls Lhey" ln all
Lhe acLlve senLences Lhe passlve senLences do noL conLaln an agenL

2 When a passlve senLence conLalns an agenL lL ls ln a preposlLlonal phrase followlng Lhe verb lor
example

Lngllsh ls spoken by Lhem

ln Lhe followlng senLences Lhe noun Leachers" ls Lhe agenL ln boLh senLences 1eachers" ls also Lhe
sub[ecL of Lhe acLlve verb buL exams" ls Lhe sub[ecL of Lhe passlve verb

AC1lvL 1eachers prepare exams

ASSlvL Lxams are prepared by Leachers

C ?ou should noL use passlve volce unless you have a good reason

Pere are some good reasons for uslng passlve volce

1 asslve volce ls ofLen used when Lhe agenL (Lhe doer of an acLlon Lhe sub[ecL of an acLlve verb) ls
obvlous unknown or unnecessary

Cranges are grown ln Callfornla
1oyoLas are made ln !apan
Per purse was sLolen

2 asslve volce ls ofLen used when Lhe agenL ls known buL Lhe speaker/wrlLer doesn'L wanL Lo menLlon
lL

She was glven bad advlce
A mlsLake has been made

3 asslve volce ls ofLen used when Lhe agenL ls very general such as people or somebody

Lngllsh ls spoken here
1he door should be locked

4 asslve volce ls ofLen used when Lhe speaker/wrlLer wanLs Lo emphaslze a resulL

Several Lhousand people were kllled by Lhe earLhquake

3 asslve volce ls ofLen used when Lhe speaker/wrlLer wanLs Lo keep Lhe same sub[ecL for Lwo or more
verbs buL Lhls would noL be posslble lf boLh verbs were Lhe same volce (acLlve or passlve)

lor example ln a conversaLlon abouL Ceorge a speaker would probably use senLence a below raLher
Lhan senLence b (boLh senLences are correcL)

a Ceorge had several lnLervlews before he was hlred by a sofLware company
b Ceorge had several lnLervlews before a sofLware company hlred hlm