Passive Voice

Use of Passive Voice

Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action
(Τίτλοι εδήσεων, οδηγίες, ανακοινώσεις, διαδικασίες...)

 

The new hospital will be opened (by the Queen) on May 15th

 

Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows
(Λυπηρό και άβολο γεγονός για το οποίο δεν θέλουμε να αποδώσουμε ευθύνες άμεσα):

A mistake was made.

 

In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake.).

Form of Passive

The Queen will open the new hospital on May 15th > The new hospital will be opened by the Queen.

 

 

1. Το Αντικείμενο της Ενεργητικής πρότασης (the new hospital) γίνεται Υποκείμενο της Παθητικής πρότασης.

2. Το ρήμα ΒΕ μπαίνει στον χρόνο του ρήματος της Ενεργητικής πρότασης* (future: will be).

3. Tο κύριο ρήμα μπαίνει σε -ed ή αν είναι ανώμαλο σε τρίτη στήλη (opened).

4. Το Υποκειμενο της Ενεργητικής πρότασης γίνεται ποιητικό αίτιο** στην Παθητικη πρόταση που εισάγεται με το by*** (by the Queen).

 

* Χρησιμοποιούμε το ρήμα get αντί του be όταν θέλουμε να δηλώσουμε οτι σε κάποιον συνέβη κάτι απρόσμενο ή δυσάρεστο.

• Four people get hurt in the car crash.

 

** Το ποιητικό αίτιο:

a) Δεν παραλείπεται
όταν ειναι συγκεκριμένο ή σημαντικό πρόσωπο ή όταν είναι αναγκαίο να δηλωθεί.
 

• The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo  da Vinci.

 

b) Παραλείπεται

• όταν υποκείμενο της ενεργιτικής πρότασης είναι ένα από τις εξής λέξεις: people, one, someone / somebody, they, he ...

 

Somebody has rearranged the furniture: The furniture has been rearranged

 

• όταν δεν ξερουμε ποιός έκανε την πράξη

My bike was stolen (we don't know who stole it).

 

• όταν δεν μας ενδιαφέρει ή δεν είναι σημαντικό ποιος έκανε την πράξη

Coffee beans are grown in Brasil (it is not important to know who grows them)

 

 

** Δεν μπερδεύουμε το ποιητικό αίτιο με το μέσον που χρησιμοποίησε για να κάνει την πράξη.

Σε αυτή την περίπτωση χρησιμοποιούμε το with + instrument / material / ingredient
 

• The pancakes were made by Claire. They were made with eggs, flour and milk. 

 

Examples of Passive

Tense		Subject	Verb	Object
Simple Present	Active:	Rita	writes	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	is written	by Rita.
Simple Past	Active:	Rita	wrote	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	was written	by Rita.
Present Perfect	Active:	Rita	has written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	has been written	by Rita.
Future I	Active:	Rita	will write	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	will be written	by Rita.
Hilfsverben	Active:	Rita	can write	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	can be written	by Rita.

Examples of Passive 

Tense		Subject	Verb	Object
Present Progressive	Active:	Rita	is writing	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	is being written	by Rita.
Past Progressive	Active:	Rita	was writing	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	was being written	by Rita.
Past Perfect	Active:	Rita	had written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	had been written	by Rita.
Future II	Active:	Rita	will have written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	will have been written	by Rita.
Conditional I	Active:	Rita	would write	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	would be written	by Rita.
Conditional II	Active:	Rita	would have written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	would have been written	by Rita.

 

Passive Sentences with Two Objects

Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means that one of the two objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an object. Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you want to put the focus on.

	Subject	Verb	Object 1	Object 2
Active:	Rita	wrote	a letter	to me.
Passive:	A letter	was written	to me	by Rita.
Passive:	I	was written	a letter	by Rita.

As you can see in the examples, adding by Rita does not sound very elegant. That’s why it is usually dropped.



NOTE:
1. When the verb of the active sentence is followed by a preposition, the preposition is kept in the passive sentence as well.

• They presented him with a medal
• He was presented with a medal

2. When we want to find out who or what did something then the passive question form is as follows: Who/What...by?

• Who was Australia discovered by?
• What was the fire caused by?

 3. Όταν το αντικείμενο της Ενεργητικής πρότασης είναι ένα object pronoun (me, you, him...) τότε στην Παθητική πρόταση μετατρέπεται σε ένα subject pronoun (I, you, he....).

• They arrested him
• He was arrested

4. Με τα ρήματα:

• hear
• listen to
• see
• watch
• feel
• notice

Μη ολοκληρωμένη πράξη:
active voice και passive voice: -ing

• I saw him walking down the street
• He was seen walking down the street

Ολοκληρωμένη πράξη:
active voice: bare infinitive

• I saw him talk to the boss

αλλά

passive voice: to- infinitive

• He was seen to talk to the boss

5. Με τα ρήματα let και make:
...με bare infinitive σε active voice:

• He never let me use his computer.

αλλά...

 

με to- infinitive στην passive voice:

You were made to make the difference.