Focus on the Object
Changing the object to the subject of the sentence
| ACTIVE | PASSIVE |
|---|---|
In an active sentence, the agent (the person performing the action) is the subject. |
In a passive sentence the person or thing receiving the action (the object) becomes the focus (the subject). Only verbs that have objects (not stative or intransitive verbs) can be changed to the passive sentences. See Never Passive. |
My mother bore me in 1989. (awkward sounding / not used) |
I was born in 1989. |
Our friends helped us. |
We are helped by our friends. (Include a by-phrase if it adds important information.) |
The neighbors invite me for dinner often. |
I am invited for dinner often. |
She recharges her phone everyday. |
Her phone is recharged everyday. |
The nurse weighed the baby. The baby weighs nine pounds. |
The baby was weighed by the nurse. The baby was weighed nine pounds. |
A hurricane with winds over 90 m.p.h. struck the island |
The island was struck by a hurricane with winds over 90 m.p.h. |
to recharge (v.) – to supply with energy to the battery
strike (v.) – to hit or fall against something
Related page: Get-Passives
Passive Forms
be + past participle
Passive Verb Forms
| ACTIVE | PASSIVE |
|---|---|
PRESENT Martha invites Jack. |
PRESENT Jack is invited by Martha. |
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE Martha is inviting Jack. |
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE Jack is being invited by Martha. |
PRESENT PERFECT Martha has invited Jack. |
PRESENT PERFECT Jack has been invited by Martha. |
PAST Martha invited Jack. |
PAST Jack was invited by Martha. |
PAST PROGRESSIVE Martha was inviting Jack. |
PAST PROGRESSIVE Jack was being invited by Martha. |
PAST PERFECT Martha had invited Jack. |
PAST PERFECT Jack had been invited by Martha. |
FUTURE Marhta will invite Jack. |
FUTURE Jack will be invited by Martha. |
BE GOING Martha is going to invite Jack. |
BE GOING Jack is going to be invited by Martha. |
FUTURE PERFECT Martha will have invited Jack. |
FUTURE PERFECT Jack will have been invited by Martha. |
INFINITIVE PHRASE Martha hopes to invite Jack. |
INFINITIVE PHRASE Jack hopes to be invited by Martha. |
GERUND PHRASE Martha suggests inviting Jack. |
GERUND PHRASE Jack suggests being invited by Martha. |
Common Mistakes
| ERROR | FIX |
|---|---|
Martha has been inviting Jack. *Jack has been being invited by Martha. There is no passive equivalent for past perfect progressive. |
Jack has been invited. (recently completed) or Jack is being invited. (ongoing) |
A taxi picked up Jack after dinner. Jack was pick upped after dinner. The suffix was applied to the preposition instead of the verb. |
Jack was picked up after dinner. |
We saw that the bees were died. The verb is intransitive (does not take an object) so passive cannot be used. Never Passive
|
We saw that the bees were dead. adjective |
Also see Irregular Participle Practice
Pop-Q "Died"
Agreement
Be – Singular & Plural
| SINGULAR | PLURAL |
|---|---|
Use a singular verb form with a singular subject (is, was, has been). |
Use a plural verb form with a plural subject (are, were, have been). |
PRESENT Jack is invited. |
PRESENT Jack and Jill are invited. |
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE Jack is being invited. |
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE Jack and Jill are being invited. |
PAST Jack was invited. |
PAST Jack and Jill were invited. |
PAST PROGRESSIVE Jack was being invited. |
PAST PROGRESSIVE Jack and Jill were being invited. |
PAST PERFECT Jack has been invited. |
PAST PERFECT Jack and Jill have been invited. |
Singular or Plural?
Practice 1
Active to Passive
Change the sentence to passive voice. Focus on the agreement of "be".
- Select the response from the menu that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right.
forgive (v.) – to stop being angry with someone and stop blaming them, although they have done something wrong