Passive Voice

 

How to construct the passive.

1.  Check to see if the active sentence contains an object.

John ate an apple.         (S V O)       Passive is possible.

John ate yesterday.       (S V)          Passive is not possible.

2.  Move the object to the front of the sentence.  Put the original subject in a "be" phrase .

An apple (V) by John.

3.  Put the verb in the form "be" +3 (of main verb)

An apple У be Ф eaten by John.

4.  Put the "be" in the same tense as the original active sentence.

An apple was/were eaten by John.  ( past tense)

5.  Make the first verb agree with the new subject.

An apple was eaten by John.

(Put other elements of the sentence in grammatical and logical order.)

Yesterday the large green apple was quickly eaten by John, who didnТt realize that it belonged to his sister.

 

When other (auxiliary) verbs and modals are used in combination with the passive, remember:

  Modal + 1
(Modal)
Have + 3
(Perfect)
be + V-ing
(Progressive)

be + 3
(Passive)

 
The apple should have been being eaten by John

Combination of auxiliary verbs with the passive.

Present Tense

  Modal + 1
(Modal)
Have + 3
(Perfect)
be + V-ing
(Progressive)

be + 3
(Passive)

 
The apple       is eaten by
John

Past Tense

  Modal + 1
(Modal)
Have + 3
(Perfect)
be + V-ing
(Progressive)

be + 3
(Passive)

 
The apple       was eaten by John

Present ProgressiveTense

  Modal + 1
(Modal)
Have + 3
(Perfect)
be + V-ing
(Progressive)

be + 3
(Passive)

 
The apple     is being eaten by John

Past Tense

  Modal + 1
(Modal)
Have + 3
(Perfect)
be + V-ing
(Progressive)

be + 3
(Passive)

 
The apple     was being eaten by
John

Present Perfect Tense

  Modal + 1
(Modal)
Have + 3
(Perfect)
be + V-ing
(Progressive)

be + 3
(Passive)

 
The apple   have   been eaten by John

Present Perfect Progressive

  Modal + 1
(Modal)
Have + 3
(Perfect)
be + V-ing
(Progressive)

be + 3
(Passive)

 
The apple   have been being eaten by John

Past Perfect Progressive

  Modal + 1
(Modal)
Have + 3
(Perfect)
be + V-ing
(Progressive)

be + 3
(Passive)

 
The apple   had been being eaten by John

Future/Modal

  Modal + 1
(Modal)
Have + 3
(Perfect)
be + V-ing
(Progressive)

be + 3
(Passive)

 
The apple will     be eaten by John

Future/Modal

  Modal + 1
(Modal)
Have + 3
(Perfect)
be + V-ing
(Progressive)

be + 3
(Passive)

 
The apple is going to     be eaten by John

Modal

  Modal + 1
(Modal)
Have + 3
(Perfect)
be + V-ing
(Progressive)

be + 3
(Passive)

 
The apple must     be eaten by John

Past Modal

  Modal + 1
(Modal)
Have + 3
(Perfect)
be + V-ing
(Progressive)

be + 3
(Passive)

 
The apple must have   been eaten by John

Combination

  Modal + 1
(Modal)
Have + 3
(Perfect)
be + V-ing
(Progressive)

be + 3
(Passive)

 
The apple must have been being eaten by John

 

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