3.4        Passive Voice

Day 1    Active voice & Passive voice

1. There are two kinds of voice in grammar. They are the Active Voice and the Passive Voice.

    在英文文法中有兩種語態，一個是主動形式, 一個是被動形式。

a) The Active voice  主動式

    In sentences written in the active voice, the subject performs the action expressed in the verb; the subject acts.

    在一句以主動式寫成的句子中，主語是執行動詞所表達的動作的人物。即主語做出句中的動作。

e.g.: We plant many trees in the school.

John wrote this book.

He had finished his homework.

b) The Passive voice  被動式

    In sentences written in the passive voice, the subject receives the action expressed in the verb; the subject is acted upon. The  

    agent performing the action may appear in a ‘ by …’ phrase or may be omitted.

    在一句以被動式寫成的句子中，主語是接收動詞所表達的動作的人物。即主語是被施予動作的人物。而動作的真正

    執行者可能會或省去或以 by …’的短語形式出現。

e.g.: The trees at school were planted by us.

 This book was written by John.

 His homework had been finished (by him).

2. The base form of the passive voice is: 被動式的基本結構是 :

    Verb “to be” + p.p. (past participle).

    The verb “to be” has to agree with the agent peforeming the action and the tense of the sentence.

    verb “to be”是要按人和時態而作出改變的。

e.g.: I was expected to visit my grandmother last Sunday.

A new library will be built here.

This cat has been given a name for several years.

3. Changing passive to active 把被動式改成主動式

    If you want to change a passive voice sentence to the active voice..

         1.    find the agent from the ‘by …’ phrase, or consider carefully who or what is performing the action expressed in the verb.

                *    Sometimes you will need to infer the agent from the surrounding sentences which provide context.

         2.    Make that agent the subject of the sentence, and

         3.     change the verb accordingly.

    如果你要把被動式改成主動式…

         1.    先要由‘by …’這個短語中找出執行動作的人/物，或細心考慮誰/甚麼是執行動作的人/物。

                *     有時候你也許要多看附近的幾個句子，才能找出執行動作的人/物。

         2.    把執行動作的人/物改成主語

         3.    把動詞轉為適當的時態

4. Changing active to passive把主動式改成被動式

     If you want to change an active voice sentence to the passive voice…

 1.    consider who or what is performing the action expressed in the verb,

 2.     and then make that agent the object of a ‘by …’ phrase.

         *    Including an explicit ‘by the …’ phrase is optional.

 3.     Make what is acted upon the subject of the sentence,

 4.     and change the verb to a form of be + past participle.

    如果你要把主動式改成被動式…

 1.     先要考慮誰或甚麼是執行動作的人/物

 2.      把執行動作的人/物改成‘by …’短語中的賓語

   *    你可以選擇是否明確地道出賓語

 3.      把接收動作的人/物改成主語

 4.       把動詞轉為適當時態的be + past participle(過去分詞)。

Active voice sentences can only be changed to the passive voice if the verb is transitive – ie if there is an implied or specified     object.  (See the topic ‘Parts of Speech’ for more on transitive verbs). 只有包含及物動詞(所涉及的物件可以是隱藏或指明

的)的主動式句子才可以改成被動句。

     e.g.        I walked to the station. - cannot be made passive

   I rode a horse to the station. - can become

  A horse was ridden to the station by me.

1) A sentence in the active voice that is to be changed into the passive voice must contain a subject and an object – i.e. must be transitive.

2) We must add the appropriate part of the verb “to be” to the verb.

3) The subject becomes the object and the object becomes the subject.

4) The verb in the Passive Voice must be in the Past Participle form.

5) The word “by” must be added before the object in passive voice .

1.  一句主動式的句子, 若要改為被動式, 一定要有一個主語和一個賓語, 即動詞一定要是及物動詞。

2. 我們一定要加一個恰當的verb “to be” 到動詞的位置。

3. 主語和賓語的位置會相互對調

4. 被動形式中的主要動詞必定是過去分詞的形式。

5. 在被動形式中的賓語前要加“by”

Here is a chart to show how the verb “to do” changes when used for the active and passive voices. 以下是一個詳細包含了動詞 ‘do’在不同時態下，主動和被動形式下的不同形態。