Confuse: Oktober 2015

Active & Pasive Voice

1. Active Voice

In most English sentences with an action verb, the subject performs the action donated by the verb.

{ thing doing action } + { verb } + { thing receiving action }

Examples:

· The Professor teaches the student

(The Professor) subject doing action (teaches) verb (the student) object receiving action

· Paul washes the dishes

(Paul) subject doing action (washes) verb (the dishes) object receiving action

Because the subject does or “acts upon” the verb in such sentences, the sentences are said to be in the active voice.

2. Pasive Voice

In passive sentences, you can use the passive form if you think that the thing receiving the action is more important or should be emphasized. You can also use the passive form if you do not know who is doing the action or if you do not want to mention who is doing the action.

{ thing receiving action } + { be } + { past participle of verb } + { by } + { thing doing action }

Examples:

· The students are taught by the professor

(The students) subject receiving action (are taught) passive verb (by the professor) doing action

· The dishes are washes by Paul

(The dishes) subject receiving action (are washes) passive verb (by Paul) doing action

Patterns :

• Simple Present Tense

The simple present tense is the one which we use when an action is happening right now, or when it happens regularly (or unceasingly, which is why it’s sometimes called present indefinite). The simple present tense is formed by using the root form or by adding ‑s or ‑es to the end, depending on the person. The simple present expresses an action in the present taking place once, never or several times. It is also used for actions that take place one after another and for actions that are set by a timetable or schedule. The simple present also expresses facts in the present.

Active : Subject + infinitive + object
The teacher give homework

Passive : S to be past participle by object homework are give by the teacher

• Present Continuous Tense

It is used to express a continued or ongoing action at present time. It expresses an action which is in progress at the time of speaking. For example, a person says, “I am writing a letter”. It means that he is in the process of writing a letter right now. Such actions which are happening at time of speaking are expressed by present continuous tense. Present Continuous tense is also called Present progressive tense.

{Auxiliary verb “am or is or are” is used in sentence. 1st form of verb or base verb + ing (present participle) is used as main verb in sentence}.

Active: subject to be [ is/am/are ] being present participle object
My mother is cooking many cakes

Passive: S to be [ s/am/are ] being past participle by object Many cakes are being cooked by my mother

• Present Perfect Tense

We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important. You cannot use the Present Perfect with specific time expressions such as: yesterday, one year ago, last week, when I was a child, when I lived in Japan, at that moment, that day, one day, etc.

We can use the Present Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.

Active: subject has/have past participle object
John lennon has written many songs

Passive: S have/has been past participle by object Many songs has been wrriten by John Lennon

• Simple Past Tense

The simple past is used to talk about a completed action in a time before now. Duration is not important. The time of the action can be in the recent past or the distant past.

Active: Subject past participle object
Ringgo rode a classic motocycle

Passive: S washwere past participle by object
A classic motocycle was rode by Ringgo

• Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous describes actions or events in a time before now, which began in the past and is still going on at the time of speaking. In other words, it expresses an unfinished or incomplete action in the past.

Active: s are being past participle object He was playing giutar

Passive: s was/were being past participle +by object Guitar was being played by him

• Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect refers to a time earlier than before now. It is used to make it clear that one event happened before another in the past. It does not matter which event is mentioned first - the tense makes it clear which one happened first.

Active: subject had past participle object My father had bought the watch

Passive: s had been past participle by object The watch had been bought by my father

• Simple Future Tense

The simple future refers to a time later than now, and expresses facts or certainty. In this case there is no 'attitude'.

Active: Subject will infinitive object I will win that game

Passive: S will be past participle by object That game will be won tomorrow by me.

Passive voice with modals

The places of subject and object in sentence are inter-changed in passive voice.

3rd form of verb (past participle) will be used only (as main verb) in passive voice.

To change sentences having present/future modal into passive voice, auxiliary verb “be” is added after modal in sentence.

[ can ] Active voice :

(+) Yoko can cook a rice

(-) Yoko cannot cook a rice

(?) Can Yoko cook a rice ?

[ can be ] Passive voice :

(+) A rice can be cooked by her

(-) A rice cannot be cooked by her

(?) Can a rice cooked by her ?

[ may ] Active voice :

(+) Karl may take a picture

(-) Karl may not take a picture

(?) May Karl take a picture ?

[ may be ] Passive voice :

(+) A picture may be taken by Karl

(-) A Picture may not be taken by Karl

(?) May a picture be taken by Karl ?

[ might ] Active voice :

Childerns might drunk milk

Childerns might not drunk milk

[ might be ] Passive voice :

Milk might be drunk by childerns

Milk might not drunk by childerns

[ should ] Active voice :

(+) She should sing all songs

(-) She should not sing all songs

(?) Should she sing all songs ?

[ should be ] Passive voice :

(+) All songs should be sang by him

(-) All lessons should not be sang by him

(?) Should all sings be sang by him ?

[ must ] Active voice :

They must play the football seriously

They must not play the football seriously

[ must be ] Passive voice :

The football seriously must be played by their

The football seriously must not be played by their

[ ought to ] Active voice :

The student ought to practice the examination

[ ought to be ] Passive voice :

The examination ought to be practiced by the student

Transitive & Intransitive Verbs

Transitive :

verbs are action verbs that have an object to receive that action. In the first sentence above, the direct object ball received the action of the verb hit.

Here are some more examples of transitive verbs:

I baked some cookies.

I rode the bicycle.

I moved the chair.

I stitched a quilt.

All of the verbs in the above sentences are transitive because an object is receiving the action of the verb.

But what about the sentence “The bird sang.” Is the verb in that sentence a transitive verb? No, in this case the verb sang is an intransitive verb.

Intransitive :

verbs are action verbs but unlike transitive verbs, they do not have an object receiving the action. Notice there are no words after the verb sang.

More examples of intransitive verbs:

I laughed.

I cried.