Passive voice
Le passive déplace l'attention de celui qui agit vers ce qui subit l'action ; c'est le choix normal quand l'agent est inconnu, évident ou sans importance. Ici tu revois la structure be + past participle et l'endroit ou le temps est porte.
Apprentissage rapide
Le passive déplace l'attention de qui fait vers ce qui est affecte ; c'est le choix normal quand l'agent est inconnu, évident ou sans importance.
À retenir
- be + past participle ; c'est be qui porte le temps : is built, was built, has been built.
- Ce qui était l'objet devient le sujet.
- by ne nommé l'agent que s'il vaut la peine d'être nommé.
Exemples
- 1English is spoken as an official language in dozens of countries worldwide.
- 2This magnificent stone cathedral was built more than five centuries ago.
Piège courant à éviter
Le temps vit dans be, pas dans le participe ; changer le temps d'une phrase passive, c'est changer be et laisser le participe tel quel.
Approfondir
La règle
Focus on the action
The Passive Voice is used when the focus of the sentence is on the action itself or on the person or object that experiences or receives the action, rather than on who performed it. Active Voice focuses on the agent:
- Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928.
Passive Voice focuses on the recipient/result:
- Penicillin was discovered in 1928.
The form
Structural Formula (A2 Level): Subject + appropriate form of BE + Past Participle (third form of the verb) (+ by agent).
Present and past passive
(1) Present Simple Passive: am / is / are + past participle:
- English is spoken by millions of people across the globe
- Millions of packages are delivered every single day
- Butter is made from cow's milk
(2) Past Simple Passive: was / were + past participle:
- This historical stone castle was built in the twelfth century
- The telephone was invented in the nineteenth century
- Two valuable paintings were stolen from the gallery last night
With or without by
Mentioning the Agent with BY: If the person or entity performing the action is relevant, add by + agent at the end of the clause:
- Hamlet was written by William Shakespeare.
If the agent is unknown, obvious, or unimportant, omit by entirely:
- My bicycle was stolen yesterday.
Anatomie de la phrase
Des phrases de cette leçon, découpées dans l'ordre qu'exige l'anglais.
SujetThis magnificent stone cathedralAuxiliairewasVerbebuiltTempsmore than five centuries ago.
SujetCoffee beansAuxiliaireareVerbegrownLieuin tropical regions of South America and Africa.
SujetOur school websiteAuxiliairewasVerbedesignedAgentby two talented former students.
SujetThe missing walletAuxiliairewasVerbefoundAgentby a conscientious park workerLieuon the grass.
Guide visuel
How to read this A2 topic
At A2, the challenge is choosing between similar time frames, pronouns, and quantity patterns.
1. Look for the time clue
Yesterday, now, every day, already, and since often decide the tense.
I watched it yesterday.
2. Choose the pattern first
Pick the whole grammar structure before choosing the final word.
I am going to study.
3. Check word position
Adverbs, objects, and pronouns must sit in natural English order.
I know him well.
Passive voice
Use be + past participle when the receiver of the action is more important than the doer.
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| present simple | They clean the room. | The room is cleaned. |
| past simple | They cleaned the room. | The room was cleaned. |
| present perfect | They have cleaned the room. | The room has been cleaned. |
| modal | They must clean the room. | The room must be cleaned. |
Contrasts that often decide the answer
Event or background
Simple forms move events forward; continuous forms show an action in progress.
I left while she was talking.
Fact or stance
Modals, hedges, and reporting structures show how certain or responsible the speaker sounds.
This may indicate a problem.
Clause or compressed phrase
Advanced writing often compresses full clauses into participle, noun, or prepositional phrases.
Having reviewed the data, we revised the plan.
Exemples
- 1English is spoken as an official language in dozens of countries worldwide.
- 2This magnificent stone cathedral was built more than five centuries ago.
- 3Millions of electronic components are manufactured in this modern factory.
- 4The important documents were delivered safely to the embassy this morning.
- 5Coffee beans are grown in tropical regions of South America and Africa.
- 6Our school website was designed by two talented former students.
- 7Fresh organic bread is baked in the neighborhood bakery early every morning.
- 8The missing wallet was found by a conscientious park worker on the grass.
- 9Over two hundred trees were planted along the city avenues this spring.
- 10These handcrafted ceramic cups are imported directly from southern Japan.
Exceptions
Intransitive Verbs Cannot be Passive: Only transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object in the active voice) can form the passive. Intransitive verbs expressing occurrence, arrival, or bodily states (arrive, sleep, die, happen, fall, wait) cannot be made passive: say "A serious accident happened yesterday", never "An accident was happened yesterday".
Erreurs fréquentes
Omitting the auxiliary verb be
Erreur
The historical bridge built in 1905.
Correct
The historical bridge was built in 1905.
Passive voice strictly requires a form of be.
Using base verb instead of past participle
Erreur
German is speak here.
Correct
German is spoken here.
The main verb must be in the past participle.
Creating passive from intransitive verbs
Erreur
The guests were arrived early.
Correct
The guests arrived early.
Arrive is intransitive.
Récap
L'essentiel de la leçon sur une carte, avant de te tester.
À retenir
- be + past participle ; c'est be qui porte le temps : is built, was built, has been built.
- Ce qui était l'objet devient le sujet.
- by ne nommé l'agent que s'il vaut la peine d'être nommé.
Erreurs fréquentes
Erreur: The historical bridge built in 1905.
Correct: The historical bridge was built in 1905.Erreur: German is speak here.
Correct: German is spoken here.Erreur: The guests were arrived early.
Correct: The guests arrived early.
Teste-toi
Transforme cinq phrases actives en passives, puis entraîne-toi sur ce point.
Points de grammaire associés
Poursuivez votre apprentissage avec d'autres notions de ce niveau.