Voice of the verb

“Voice” is linked to the verb because it is considered one of the features that define it, together with “tense”, “person”, “aspect” or “mood”.

VERB

tense

person

voice

mood

KINDS OF VOICE

ACTIVE

PASSIVE

Active Voice

• It is the most common, unmarked voice.

ActiveVoice

Subject Verb Object

>

The choir sings love songs.

Passive Voice

• Passive verb phrases are less common and used for special discourse functions.

PassiveVoice

Subject Verb Object

>

Love songs

are sung by the choir.

Compare…The choir sings love songs.

Love songs are sung by the choir.

Normal Passives follow the three general steps to form passive sentences:

• PASSIVE SUBJECTOBJECT

•BE+PARTICIPLEVERB

• AGENT COMPLEMENTSUBJECT

Object --- Passive Subject

To transform an active sentence into a passive one, it is commonly believed that the main verb in active should be transitive, i.e., there should be a Direct Object in the sentence. However, the English language proves that a passive sentence can also be created from the Indirect Object in the active sentence.

Therefore, this leads us to say that to form a passive sentence we need to have an Object in the active counterpart.

Verb --- Be + Participle• ACTIVEteach / teaches

Is teachingTaught

Was teachingHave / has taught

Had taughtWill teachTo teach

• PASSIVEAm/is/are taught

Is being taughtWas/were taught

Was were being taughtHave/has been taught

Had been taughtWill be taughtTo be taught

Subject --- Agent Complement

• When is the agent complement not necessary?

when the active subject is an indefinite pronoun or a generic noun. (i.e., some-, any-, no-&

“people”) This is called the impersonal passive.

PRACTICE EXERCISES

Construct active and passive sentences for the

following:

Thank You!