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Here are some general rules for constructing sentences in the passive voice:
1. The subject of the active voice sentence becomes the object in the passive voice sentence.
Example: Active – „She ate the cake.” Passive – „The cake was eaten by her.”
2. The verb „to be” is used in the appropriate tense along with the past participle form of the main verb.
Example: Active – „They are building a house.” Passive – „A house is being built by them.”
3. The agent (the entity performing the action) can be mentioned using the preposition „by,” but it can also be omitted if it is not important or unknown.
Example with agent mentioned: Active – „He painted the picture.” Passive – „The picture was painted by him.”
Example without agent mentioned: Active – „They found the lost keys.” Passive – „The lost keys were found.”
4. The tense of the verb „to be” should match the tense of the active voice verb. Here are some examples in different tenses:
– Present Simple:
Active – „They deliver the mail.” Passive – „The mail is delivered.”
– Present Continuous:
Active – „She is writing a letter.” Passive – „A letter is being written by her.”
– Present Perfect:
Active – „We have finished the project.” Passive – „The project has been finished.”
– Past Simple:
Active – „He opened the door.” Passive – „The door was opened by him.”
– Past Continuous:
Active – „They were painting the walls.” Passive – „The walls were being painted.”
– Past Perfect:
Active – „She had already completed the assignment.” Passive – „The assignment had already been completed by her.”
– Future Simple:
Active – „We will clean the house.” Passive – „The house will be cleaned.”
Remember that not all active voice sentences can be converted into the passive voice, as it depends on the structure of the sentence and the presence of a direct object.
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07.12.2023