Active (Simple Forms)
Simple Present .... I drive
Simple Past .... I drove
Present Perfect .... I have driven
Past Perfect .... I had driven
will-future .... I will drive
Future Perfect .... I will have driven
Conditional I .... I would drive
Conditional II .... I would have driven
Active (Progressive/Continuous Forms)
Simple Present .... I am driving
Simple Past .... I was driving
Present Perfect .... I have been driving
Past Perfect .... I had been driving
will-future .... I will be driving
Future Perfect .... I will have been driving
Conditional I .... I would be driving
Conditional II .... I would have been driving
Passive (Simple Forms)
Simple Present .... I am driven (to school by my mother)
Simple Past .... I was driven
Present Perfect .... I have been driven
Past Perfect .... I had been driven
will-future .... I will be driven
Future Perfect .... I will have been driven
Conditional I .... I would be driven
Conditional II .... I would have been driven
The passive voice is used when we want to focus attention on the person or thing affected by the action. Normally, the performer of the action, or the agent, comes first and is made the subject of the verb and then we use the active form of the verb. The other person or thing is made the object of the verb. Consider these examples:
* 'The boss invited her to the party.'
* 'The construction company in Station Road employs three hundred people.'
However, if you want to focus on the person or thing affected by the action, you make the person or thing the subject of the sentence and use the passive voice:
* 'She was invited to the party by the boss.'
* 'Three hundred people are employed by the construction company in Station Road.'
The building was built in 1905.
The ball was kicked out of the school yard.
When, then, should we use the passive voice in preference to the active?
We often prefer to use the passive voice when:
1. We do not know who the agent is:
* 'I don’t know who did it, but my pet rabbit has been let out.'
* 'I had the feeling that I was being followed.'
instead of:
* 'I don’t know who did it, but someone has let out my pet rabbit.'
* 'I had the feeling that somebody was following me.'
2.When it is obvious to the listener or reader who the agent is:
* 'I had been instructed to remove all the ash trays.'
* 'She discovered that she was being paid less than her male colleagues.'
instead of:
* 'My boss had instructed me to remove all the ash trays.'
* 'She discovered that the firm was paying her less than her male colleagues.'
3. When it is not important to know who the agent is:
* 'Do you want a lift?' 'No thanks, I’m being collected (picked up).'
instead of:
* 'Do you want a lift?' 'No thanks, someone is collecting me.'
4. When the agent has already been mentioned:
* 'In the next session of parliament, new laws will be introduced aimed at stopping domestic violence.'
instead of:
* 'In the next session of parliament, the government will introduce new laws aimed at stopping domestic violence.'
5. When people in general are the agents:
* 'All the Beatles records can be borrowed from the central library.
instead of:
* 'You can borrow all the Beatles records from the central library.
Passive Voice:
Se rompen huevos para un tortilla. Eggs are broken for an omelet.
Se venden cigarros en la tabaqueria. Cigars are sold in the tobacco shop.
Se habla ingles aquí. English is spoken here.
Se come mucho arroz en China. They eat a lot of rice in China.(not passive voice) A lot of rice is eaten in China. (passive)