Today I want to talk to you about using active and passive voice that's coming up
Hey everyone, my name is Wes. This is interactive English which is all about helping you practice and improve your English skills today
I have a grammar lesson for you. It's all about active and passive voice. I want to tell you
Well, what is the difference between active and passive how do you change sentences from active voice to passive voice?
And when should you use the passive voice because I think that can confuse learners from time to time
the reason why I'm doing this is because
Often in the comments I get questions and people like well, hey, how do you change this sentence to the passive voice?
It made me realize that okay
This is valuable information for you to know about when and how to use active and passive voice
So when you're thinking about okay?
Like let's start with the sentences that we can change from active to passive
so the first thing that I want to do is focus on the verb and
The verb tense does not matter what really matters is what?
Follows the verb does an object follow the verb
Because if it does then we can change it to the passive voice. Let me give you some more information about that
So verbs can either be transitive or intransitive if a verb is transitive
It means that it has an object in order to help complete the meaning of the sentence
For example the verb by we we will follow that with an object because it tells us what the person is buying
I buy some food
subject verb object so if a verb has an object than it is a
transitive verb if
A verb is intransitive then
well
that just means that there is no object the verb will likely be followed by a
Prepositional phrase or maybe even an adverb think about the verb laugh
All right, you know what, the meaning of that is and I could say the sentence
She laughs at the joke
subject verb
prepositional phrase or I could say they laughed
immediately
Subject verb adverb now there are some verbs that can be either
transitive or intransitive
Let's look at the verb eat I could say we will eat the sandwiches talking about the future
I have my subject verb and the sandwiches. That is my object now
I can use that same verb and follow it with a prepositional phrase and say well we will eat in the park in
That case I have subject verb
Prepositional phrase it is intransitive now
The reason why I'm telling you all this because you may be thinking what the heck does this have to do with?
Active and passive voice if a verb is intransitive
You cannot change it to the passive voice
So all of those sentences that I just talked about that were intransitive she laughs at the joke they laughed
Immediately we will eat in the park
Those sentences cannot be changed to the passive voice in
Order to change a sentence from active to passive or even just to use the passive. You need to have an object
So now, you know the types of sentences that you can change to the passive voice. They must be transitive verbs
let's look at the difference between
active passive how to change it and when to use that passive voice so that I think just in general the main difference between
Active voice and passive voice is that with active voice? The subject is
performing the action when you're using the passive voice the subject is
Receiving the action keep in mind that the vast majority
of the time you're going to use the active voice when you're speaking you're gonna use active voice and when you're writing
You're gonna be writing those active sentences. The reason for this is because
Active voice. It's it's more direct and the focus is on the actor. It is on the subject
That is performing the action. For example, I could say
Well Wes teaches English it's direct
It's easy to understand and the focus is on. Well Wes who is doing the action?
The subject is doing the action. So the vast majority of the time just no
all right, you are going to use the active voice there are certain instances in which
it's common to use the passive voice and I want to talk to you about four different times in which you
you may want to use the passive voice and why and as we go through this I'm going to give you some examples and
We're going to change the sentences from active to passive
So let's begin with the first one which is when you want to emphasize the action over the actor
This is a great example of when you would want to use the passive voice. So let's take the sentence. I
Wrote that email. This is an active sentence
subject-verb-object
now if we want to change this to the passive voice we are going to take the object and
Move it to the front of the sentence. Then you are going to add the verb to be plus the past participle
Plus the phrase by and the subject. So let's look at this change a bit closer
We have our our active sentence. I wrote that email that email. That's the object
I'm going to move it to the front of the sentence
Then I'm going to follow it with the verb to be now
One thing you need to keep in mind is the verb tense because in the active sentence wrote is in the simple past
So that means I need to use the verb to be in the simple past that email was
Then the past participle the main verb in the active sentence is right
The past participle is written right wrote written that email
was written by
Me. Hey, that is the subject
The subject gets moved to the end notice the subject changes from a subject pronoun to an object pronoun
So in our active sentence, we're going to use the subject pronoun
I I you he she it we they if we're changing it to the passive then it's going to become an
object pronoun
Me me you him her?
Us them those are object pronouns one other thing that I think is important
It is subject verb agreement because in this case I'm saying that email was written
if in my active sentence
I were to say well
I wrote those emails and the object is plural
That's going to change the subject verb agreement
Then I would say those emails were
Written so that that's something you need to pay close attention to when changing from active to passive is the object
Singular or is the object plural?
So this this is kind of a difficult example to start out with because there are many changes that are occurring
You have a simple sentence like I wrote that email and you're going to change it to the passive
that email was written by me and
Again, I told you in this sense
You might use the passive if you want to
Emphasize the action over the actor another time that you may want to use the passive voice is when you want to avoid
Identifying the actor you want to avoid identifying that subject
So let's take let's take an active sentence. We made mistakes
We have our subject verb and our object. Our object is mistakes
Let's now change it to the passive and this time we're going to avoid we're going to avoid
Identifying the actor so I would take mistakes
I'm gonna move it to the front of the sentence mistakes were because again,
We're talking about the past tense and then the past participle made mistakes were made
Finished. I don't want to identify
Who made the mistakes and the reason why is because well we made the mistakes
so this in this example, I I think of
Government and politicians because they don't want to admit when they made a mistake
So instead of going up there and saying well look, sorry everyone
We made mistakes they would get up there and they would use the passive voice and say well
Mistakes were made. And in that case they are not
Identifying themselves because people would would would hate them for it and this is a way for them to avoid responsibility
So in this example, I I tend to think of politicians
I know I'm rather cynical instead of saying you know, oh we made mistakes
They might say mistakes were made and they avoid
Identifying the actor another time in which you may want to use the passive voice is when the actor is unknown
We don't know who the subject is. That is performing that action for example
Let's take the sentence
Someone stole my bike
Subject-verb-object. Now, let's change it to the passive. We're gonna take the object move it to the front my bike
Follow it with the verb to be was because it was the past tense. My bike was plus the past participle
Stolen so we have my bike was stolen by well, we don't know who the person is in the active voice
I just said someone I use the indefinite pronoun
But if we're changing this to the passive, you don't need to say by someone. It's not necessary
We don't know who it is. You just say, oh my bike was stolen
So this is a great example as to when you would use the passive
When you you don't know who the actor is, my bike was stolen my wallet was stolen
those are
examples of
When I think it's pretty common that you may hear someone use the passive or maybe you want to use the passive voice as well
another time in which you may want to use the passive is when you want to you want to have a firm tone you're giving
A command you want to be firm, but you also want to be polite as well
So this is a great example of when you may hear someone using the passive or you can use it, too
So let's start with just a general command, which is no talking
So if we want to change this to the passive, it can be a little tricky. So let's expand that sentence out too
We do not allow talking now. We have something to work with and can change it to the passive voice
So we're going to take talking. We're gonna move it to the front
We're gonna follow it with the verb to be in the present tense talking is not
Because we're talking about something in the negative talking is not
Allowed that is the past participle and and that's basically how you would say it
You don't need to identify the actor you're giving a command. It's understood so you would just say
Talking is not allowed and I said it's a little more polite because if if somebody's going to tell you hey
No talking. I think that can be come off as a little rude instead
I think it's a little more polite to just say hey, you know talking is not allowed
so these are four great examples as to when you may want to try and use the passive voice or
You may likely hear somebody else using the passive voice. So let's practice a little bit
I want to go back through each and every one of these instances
I'm gonna give you a sentence in the active voice and I want you to change it to the passive and I want you to
Say the passive sentence out loud
I'll give you a moment to think about it and then I will tell you the answer and I'm gonna try and give you
sentences that I think are relevant
That I think people would actually say in the passive voice
So let's begin with that first instance in which you may want to
Emphasize the action over the actor and the sentence that I'm going to give you is this one right here my ancestors
Farm this land
Change it to the passive voice. I'll make it a little easier for you. Alright, I'm giving you part of the answer right here
What would you say? How would you change this to the passive? I?
Hope that you said in the passive voice
This land was farmed by my ancestors. And this is something yeah, you may want to emphasize that
Especially if maybe something is going to happen to the land. We can't we can't destroy this land
This land was farmed by my ancestors
It's very important to me the next sentence that I want you to change and I want you to avoid
Identifying the actor is this one they will put their dog to sleep. It is it's it's a sad sentence
It's a fact of life
if you don't know what it means to put an animal to sleep is basically to
The animal mostly because of old age or they're sick and they have a poor quality of life
So you could say in the active voice they will put their dog to sleep
How would you change it to the passive?
Here is part of it. How would you complete that sentence? I?
Hope that all of you said their dog will be put to sleep
We're talking about something that will happen in the future will be put in this case
You're not identifying the actor you're not saying by them if you're talking to somebody else about this
Family situation and you know, it's difficult for them
You're just going to tell somebody what would happen without identifying the actor and say
Their dog will be put to sleep
The next one is when the actor is unknown and this time I have a question for you
I want you to change this question from the active to the passive
And that question is has anyone fed the cat. This is a question in the active voice
How would you change it to the passive and I'm not going to give you any hints this time?
So what do you think? Has anyone fed the cat again?
The actor is unknown. We have that indefinite pronoun anyone
So if we change this to the passive, I think a very common question
Someone might ask is has the cat been fed
We're still using the present perfect in the question
And in the grammar is going to remain the same has
The cat you remember that object is going to move to the front and it will go
After that, helping verb has the cat the verb to be been plus the past participle fed
Has the cat been fed, we don't need to say by anyone because well
It's not really relevant. We don't know so it's very common just to a say has the cat been fed
And then I have a a command for you that I want you to change and that is no smoking
Now we did this before I gave you that example, no talking
I want you to change no smoking to the passive
But I don't want you to use the word not and because of that
I really want you to think about what verb should you use what verb is commonly used and
This is actually I think a sign that you may see
Quite often out in public. Let's stretch this out. I'll make it a little easier for you the verb you could use is prohibit. We
prohibit smoking and
then if I give you that I think it's much easier to change and make a passive sentence and you would say
smoking is
prohibited
Smoking is prohibited
passive voice it is a
It's a firm tone, but it's also I think a little more polite than just saying. Hey, no smoking
Just tell somebody smoking is prohibited. So I hope you have a perfect understanding of active voice passive voice
How do you change these sentences as well as when to use the passive voice?
I think that is very important because like I said most of the time you are going to use the active voice
What I want you to do right now is let's do some more practice
I want you to write an
Active sentence in the comments and then I want you to go to someone else's comment
Reply to their common and change it to the passive
So what I want is just to have this
Long list of comments in the active and then you can respond to those comments and change the sentence from active to passive
So this is a great way to continue practicing
Active voice passive voice and changing sentences from active to passive
If you enjoyed this lesson, please hit that like button as always. Thanks so much for watching and I'll see you next time