Foro

The passive voice is a grammatical structure in English that emphasizes the action's recipient rather than the performer. This construction is particularly useful when the doer is unknown, irrelevant, or when the focus is on the action itself. According to VinUniversity, in passive sentences, the verb changes to highlight the object affected by the action rather than the subject performing it.
VinUni
Formation of Passive Voice:
The passive voice is formed by combining a form of the auxiliary verb "to be" with the past participle of the main verb. The specific form of "to be" depends on the tense of the sentence.
>> Xem thêm cách sử dụng câu bị động:
https://vinuni.edu.vn/vi/top-05-cau-bi-dong-dang-dac-biet-trong-tieng-anh-ban-can-biet/
Hunter College |
General Structure:
Active Voice: Subject + Verb + Object
Passive Voice: Object + Auxiliary Verb ("to be") + Past Participle + (by Subject)
Examples:
Active: The chef prepares the meal.
Passive: The meal is prepared by the chef.
Tense-wise Passive Structures:
Tense
Passive Structure
Example
Present Simple
am/is/are + past participle
The book is read by many students.
Present Continuous
am/is/are being + past participle
The project is being completed now.
Present Perfect
has/have been + past participle
The letter has been sent.
Past Simple
was/were + past participle
The cake was made by my mother.
Past Continuous
was/were being + past participle
The car was being repaired.
Past Perfect
had been + past participle
The project had been completed.
Future Simple
will be + past participle
The report will be prepared.
Future Perfect
will have been + past participle
The work will have been finished.

Usage of Passive Voice:
Unknown Performer: When the doer of the action is unknown.
Example: My wallet was stolen.
Irrelevant Performer: When the doer is not important.
Example: The road is being repaired.
Focus on Action: To emphasize the action itself.
Example: A new policy has been introduced.
Passive Voice with Modal Verbs:
When using modal verbs (can, may, must, etc.), the passive structure is:
Structure: Modal Verb + be + Past Participle
Example:
Active: You must finish the work.
Passive: The work must be finished.
Passive Voice with Two Objects:
Some verbs can take two objects, and either can become the subject in the passive voice.
Example:
Active: She gave me a gift.
Passive (Object 1 as Subject): I was given a gift.
Passive (Object 2 as Subject): A gift was given to me.
Understanding and correctly using passive voice structures can enhance your English proficiency, allowing for more nuanced and flexible expression. For a comprehensive understanding of verb forms and their applications, you can refer to VinUniversity's detailed article on the subject.