Class 24-1: Active and Passive Forms

Rule:

Most sentences are active. In active sentences the noun performing the action is at the front of the sentence(subject), and the noun receiving the action is at the end of the sentence(object).

Examples:

1. Mike(subject) cleans his room(object).

2. John(subject) reads the book(object).

3.  Karen(subject) traveled to Ohio(object).

Sentence Structure Formula:

noun performing action + verb + noun receiving action

Emily answered the door.

Rules:

In passive sentences, the noun receiving the action is at the front of the sentence and the noun performing the action is at the end of the sentence.

You can use the passive form if you think that the noun receiving the action is more important.

You can also use the passive form if you do not know who is doing the action or if you do not want to talk about the noun doing the action. (Example 3)

Examples:

1. The room was cleaned by Mike.

2. The book was read by John.

3. The wallet was stolen by someone.

Sentence Structure Formula:

noun receiving the action + be + past participle of verb + by + noun doing the action

The car was fixed by me.

Tenses:

Simple Present

Active:

Once a day, I feed my dog.

Passive:

Once a day, the dog is fed by Tom.

Tenses:

Past Perfect

Active:

Susan had cleaned many houses before she got paid.

Passive:

Many houses had been cleaned by Susan before she got paid.

Past Perfect Continuous

Tom had been repairing cars for years.

For years, cars had been being repaired by Tom.

Simple Future
will

Today, we will be washing our car.

Today, our car will be washed by us.

Simple Future
be going to

She is going to be baking a cake tonight.

A cake is going to be baked by her tonight.

Future Continuous
will

They will have started the movie by the time we get to the theater.

The movie will have started by the time we get to the theater.

Future Continuous
be going to

The teacher is going to be teaching the class.

The class is going to be taught by the teacher.

Future Perfect
will

We will have been climbing Mount Everest for two weeks before we get to the top.

Mount Everest will have been climbed by us for two weeks before we get to the top.

Future Perfect
be going to

They are going to have to work through the night if they are not finished in time.

The work will have to be completed through the night by them if they are not finished in time.

Future Perfect Continuous
will

We will have been cleaning the house for ten hours before my parents arrive.

Before the arrival of my parents, we will have been cleaning the house for ten hours.