Easy as 1-2-3 (4)

Changing Active Voice to Passive Voice

 

 

1) Identify: the Subject (who/what performs the action);

Verb (the action) AND its Tense;

Object (who/what "receives" the action).

 

 

2) Move: the object before the verb

(it becomes the "subject" of the passive sentence);

 

the subject after the verb (it becomes the "agent" in the passive sentence);

 

Include the word "by" in front of the agent.

 

 

3) Add: a form of the auxiliary verb BE;

use the same tense as the main verb was in the active sentence.

 

simple present: am/is/are

present progressive: am/is/are being

simple past: was/were

past progressive: was/were being

future w/going to: am/is/are going to be

simple future: will be

present perfect: has/have been

past perfect: had been

future perfect: will have been

 

 

4) Change: the main verb into its PAST PARTICIPLE form.

 

Example:

 

Active Voice: A thief stole my new car last night.

subj. main V object

simple past

 

Passive Voice: My new car was stolen by a thief last night.

new subj. aux. V main V agent

"be" past participle