Passive Voice: Different Tenses

1. Overview: The passive voice is used to emphasize the action or the recipient of the action rather than the doer. It is commonly used when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious. The passive voice can be formed in different tenses, allowing for flexibility in expressing actions in the past, present, or future. 2. Cases of Usage: Case 1: Present Simple Passive Used to indicate that something is done regularly or as a general truth. Example: (+) The book is read by many students every year. (-) The book isn't read by many students every year. (?) Is the book read by many students every year? Case 2: Past Simple Passive Used to indicate that something was done in the past. Example: (+) The cake was eaten by the children yesterday. (-) The cake wasn't eaten by the children yesterday. (?) Was the cake eaten by the children yesterday? Case 3: Future Simple Passive Used to indicate that something will be done in the future. Example: (+) The project will be completed by the team next month. (-) The project won't be completed by the team next month. (?) Will the project be completed by the team next month? Case 4: Present Perfect Passive Used to indicate that something has been done at an unspecified time in the past. Example: (+) The report has been finished by the manager. (-) The report hasn't been finished by the manager. (?) Has the report been finished by the manager? Case 5: Past Perfect Passive Used to indicate that something had been done before another action in the past. Example: (+) The house had been sold before the family moved. (-) The house hadn't been sold before the family moved. (?) Had the house been sold before the family moved? 3. Exceptions or Things to Pay Attention To: Not all verbs can be used in the passive voice. For instance, intransitive verbs (verbs that do not take a direct object) cannot be made passive. Example: The baby sleeps. (Not possible in passive voice) 4. Additional Notes: Common mistakes include using the wrong tense or forgetting to match the auxiliary verb with the main verb. It is important to remember the form: "to be" + past participle. Also, sometimes it's not necessary to add the "by + doer". For example: - The math exam is written each year in this school. - The math exam is written by students each year in this school.