Passive voice for intermediate level

If you've just begun learning English, you might feel like its grammar is a mountain peak that's impossible to conquer. During such times of frustration, remember that the start of anything often feels challenging. So if you're struggling to understand the passive voice grammar rules, we've already found a way to solve this problem.

What is the passive voice in the English language 

It’s a grammatical structure used in sentence construction to shift the focus from the doer of an action to the object upon which the action is performed. In active sentence form, we would say the postman has delivered the letter, whereas in passive form, we would say the letter has been delivered. As we can see, the passive form in the English language focuses attention on the fact that the letter has been delivered, while the active voice emphasizes that it was the postman who did it.

In English, it can be used in all types of sentences - declarative, interrogative and negative. It is also present in nearly all tenses of the English language, which can confuse beginner students. Therefore, let's delve into understanding it!

When and why the passive voice is used in the English language

The purpose of using this structure in sentences: 

• The action is more important than the doer of this action. When the news reports on a robbery, English often uses it and draws attention to the victims: “Yesterday, an elderly woman was robbed in the entrance hall."

• We need to indicate that there is no specific doer of the action, nobody knows them, or their identity can be understood from the context. For example, when saying that coffee is grown in Brazil, we don't know the names of the farmers, but we focus on the country of origin of the coffee beans.

• In English, negative events can be described by using it. For instance, if a forgotten container of food at work becomes moldy, you would simply say, "My lunch is spoiled."

• When we don't need to specify the person involved. For example, when you're telling someone that your car was well repaired. Obviously, it was the mechanics who did it, but unnecessary details would only clutter the context.

Formation of the passive voice in different tenses

You need to use the auxiliary verb "to be" in the appropriate tense and add the past participle form of the main verb. To understand the passive form better, familiarize yourself with the following table:

To understand the passive voice of verbs better, it's not enough to just familiarize yourself with the general rules. It's important to fully immerse yourself in this grammatical topic, work through examples, and reinforce your knowledge through practice exercises.

Passive voice – let's learn grammar rules together with the Booyya course

Do you know why most students give up and don't complete learning English? They often feel overwhelmed by the vast amount of information, trying to learn everything at once. Understanding this, experienced teachers have created concise and focused courses on the Booyya platform, dedicated to specific topics. This way, you receive just one very meaningful lesson, rather than a whole textbook of rules.

What does this course cover? It consists of two parts:

1. The text that enables you to learn the grammar rules in the context.

2. Through exercises you can memorize theoretical information quickly and easily, as well as identify and correct your own mistakes.

The course is designed for students with an intermediate level of proficiency, who have a significant vocabulary and are prepared to work with English-language materials. Its main feature is interactive exercises, which can be easily and conveniently completed even from a mobile phone.