Active sentencesSubject Verb Object

created The Spice Cirls.A businessman

Madonna influences Britney´s music.

They chose six Spice Girls.

Passive sentencesSubject Verb Agent

The Spice Girls were created by a businessman.

Britney's music is influenced by Madonna.

Six Spice Girls were chosen.

The winner of the competition was announced during the show

Use the passive voice when …

• You don´t know who does the action.

• You are not interested in who does the action.

•It isn´t important who does the action.

• You don´t want to say who does the action.

( It´s not important who announced the winner.)

The passive voice usage

• When you want to say who the agent of the action is, use the preposition by + agent.

• He was interviewed by reporters from all over the world.

• The movie was directed by Almodóvar.

Note: The object of a an active sentence becomes the subject of the passivesentence. The subject of passive constructions is not the person or thing that does the action.

People broadcast the programs.

The programs are broadcast.

(active)

(passive)

To form the passive, use the verb be + the past participle.

- The Spice Girls were created by a businessman.

- The bridge is being built at the moment.

- This room has been painted recently.