Mastering Active and Passive Voice in English

Posted on Feb 18, 2025 in Administration and Management

Verb Tenses: Active and Passive Voice

Present Simple

  • Active: Cultivan (They grow)
  • Passive: Es cultivado (It is grown) / Están cultivados (They are grown) / Está siendo cultivado (It is being grown)

Future Simple

  • Active: Cultivarán (They will grow) / Van a cultivar (They are going to grow)
  • Passive: Será cultivado (It will be grown) / Va a ser cultivado (It is going to be grown)

Past Simple

  • Active: Cultivaron (They grew)
  • Passive: Fue cultivado (It was grown)

Present Perfect

  • Active: Han cultivado (They have grown)
  • Passive: Ha sido cultivado (It has been grown)

Past Perfect

  • Active: Habían cultivado (They had grown)
  • Passive: Había sido cultivado (It had been grown)

Modal Verbs: Active and Passive Voice

  • Active: Pueden cultivar (They can grow) / Podrían cultivar (They could grow) / Deben cultivar (They should grow)
  • Passive: Puede ser cultivado (It can be grown) / Podría ser cultivado (It could be grown) / Debe ser cultivado (It should be grown)

Examples of Active and Passive Voice

  • Él puede arreglar tu coche (He can repair your car).
  • Passive: Your car can be repaired.
  • Fabrican Citroën en… (They make Citroën in…).
  • Passive: Citroën cars are made in…
  • Susan está cocinando la cena (Susan is cooking dinner).
  • Passive: Dinner is being cooked by Susan.
  • Estaban pintando la casa cuando yo llegué (They were painting the house when I arrived).
  • Passive: The house was being painted when I arrived.
  • Ellos le preguntaron a Denis una pregunta (They asked Denis a question).
  • Passive: Denis was asked a question. / A question was asked to Denis.
  • Te enviaré un email (I will send you an email).
  • Passive: An email will be sent to you. / You will be sent an email.

Causative ‘Have’

The causative “have” is used to show that someone causes something to be done by someone else.

  • I repaired my car = I got my car repaired.
  • I cut my hair yesterday = I had my hair cut yesterday.
  • I will cut my hair tomorrow = I will have my hair cut tomorrow.
  • I am cutting my hair tomorrow = I am having my hair cut tomorrow.
  • I’m going to repair my computer = I’m going to have my computer repaired.
  • You had ironed your t-shirt = You had had your t-shirt ironed.

More Active and Passive Voice Examples

  1. The tornado killed 50 people = 50 people were killed by the tornado.
  2. Mary is sending us the photos = We are being sent photos by Mary. / The photos are being sent to us by Mary.
  3. Peter is going to bring the new books = The new books are going to be brought by Peter.
  4. They must throw the rubbish away every day = The rubbish must be thrown away every day.
  5. Someone will teach them French = They will be taught French. / French will be taught to them.
  6. Did they give everyone the correct information? = Was everyone given the correct information? / Was the correct information given to everyone?
  7. The doctor gave Peter an injection = Peter was given an injection. / An injection was given to Peter.
  8. They are holding the concert in… = The concert is being held in…
  9. The body piercing practitioner hadn’t followed health regulations = Health regulations hadn’t been followed by the body piercing practitioner.
  10. Lisa should have checked the timetable = The timetable should have been checked by Lisa.

Causative ‘Have’ – Further Examples

  1. Some builders are repairing the roof of our house. = I’m having the roof of our house repaired.
  2. The hairdresser cut his hair last week. = He had his hair cut last week.
  3. A photographer took photos of them. = They had some photos taken.
  4. A famous artist is going to paint her portrait. = She is going to have her portrait painted.
  5. A decorator has repainted our house. = We have had our house repainted.