Lecture for

Week 5
Passive Voice
vs.
Active Voice
Introduction

Active Voice Sentences

Passive Voice Sentences

Passive Voice in 8 Different Tenses

I. Active vs. Passive Voice: Key Differences

● Active: In active voice sentences, the subject performs the action expressed by the verb.
The focus is on who is doing the action.

● Structure:
• Subject + Verb + Object
● Examples of "Active Voice" Sentences :
• The manager (subject) wrote (verb) the report (object).
(the manager is the agent of action: "wrote")
• The courier (subject) delivered (verb) the package (object).
(the courier is the agent of action: "delivered")
• The audience (subject) applauded (verb) (the CEO’s speech).
(the audience is the agent of action: "applauded")
I. Active vs. Passive Voice: Key Differences
● Passive: In passive voice sentences, the object of the action becomes the subject, and the
action is performed on the subject. The focus is on the action itself or what is being done, rather
than who is performing the action.

● Structure:
• Subject + form of "to be" + Past Participle (Verb 3) + (optional) "by" + agent.
● Examples of "Passive Voice" Sentences:
• The report (subject) was written (verb) by the manager (agent).
(the report is the receiver of the action: "was written")
• The package (subject) was delivered (verb) the courier (object).
(the package is the receiver of the action: "was delivered")
• The CEO’s speech (subject) was applauded (verb) (by the audience).
(the CEO’s speech is the receiver of the action: "was delivered")
Example Question
“The lazy employee _______ by the manager."
(A) fired
(B) has fired
(C) fires
(D) was fired
2. Passive Voice in 8 Different Tenses

A. Present Simple Passive

• Form: am/is/are + past participle
• Example: The emails are sent every morning.
• Active Equivalent: They send the emails every morning.

B. Past Simple Passive

• Form: was/were + past participle
• Example: The proposal was approved yesterday.
• Active Equivalent: They approved the proposal yesterday.

C. Future Simple Passive

• Form: will be + past participle
• Example: The contract will be signed tomorrow.
• Active Equivalent: They will sign the contract tomorrow.
2. Passive Voice in 8 Different Tenses

D. Present Continuous Passive

• Form: am/is/are + past participle
• Example: The documents are being reviewed right now.
• Active Equivalent: They are reviewing the documents right now.

E. Past Continuous Passive

• Form: was/were + being + past participle
• Example: The issue was being discussed when the manager arrived.
• Active Equivalent: They were discussing the issue when the manager arrived.
2. Passive Voice in 8 Different Tenses

F. Present Perfect Passive.

• Form: have/has + been + past participle
• Example: The project has been completed.
• Active Equivalent: They have completed the project.

G. Past Perfect Passive.

• Form: had + been + past participle
• Example: The order had been processed by the time the customer called.
• Active Equivalent: They had processed the order by the time the customer called.

H. Future Perfect Passive.

• Form: will have been + past participle
• Example: The report will have been submitted by the deadline.
• Active Equivalent: They will have submitted the report by the deadline.
3. Key Differences Between Active and Passive Voice

Focus:
• Active Voice: The focus is on the subject doing the action (e.g., The manager wrote the report).
• Passive Voice: The focus is on the action or the object being acted upon (e.g., The report was written
by the manager).

Agent:
• In active sentences, the agent (the one performing the action) is always clear.
• In passive sentences, the agent is often omitted when it’s either unknown or unimportant. For
example, The project was finished (without mentioning who finished it).

Verb Form:
• Active: Uses simple verb forms (e.g., wrote, is reviewing, will complete).
• Passive: Requires the verb “to be” followed by a past participle (e.g., was written, is being reviewed,
will be completed).
4. Answering Strategies for Questions in Passive Voice
Strategy 1: Identify Passive Voice Clues
• Look for “to be” + past participle. Common forms of “to be” include am, is, are, was, were,
will be, has been, have been, had been, etc.
• Check if the subject of the sentence is the one receiving the action rather than performing it.

Strategy 2: Recognize the Tense

• Pay attention to time markers (e.g., “yesterday,” “next week,” “currently”).
• Choose the correct form of the verb "to be" based on the tense.

Strategy 3: Consider the Subject and Verb Agreement

• Ensure that the verb form agrees with the subject in both number (singular or plural) and
tense.

Strategy 4: Eliminate Active Voice Choices

• If the sentence clearly focuses on the action or the object of the action, eliminate choices that
are in the active voice.
 5. Practice
Questions and
Explanation
Let’s look at a few sample questions that
test your understanding of the passive
voice in different tenses.
Question 1: Present Simple Passive
"The report ______ by the marketing team every
week."
(A) writes
(B) is written
(C) has been written
(D) will be written
Question 2: Past Simple Passive
"The proposal _______ by the board of directors
yesterday."
(A) will approve
(B) approved
(C) has been approved
(D) was approved
Question 3: Future Perfect Passive
"By the end of the year, the new software _______
by the IT department."
(A) will install
(B) will be installing
(C) will have been installed
(D) is installed
Question 4: Present Continuous Passive
"The new policy _______ currently _______ by the
HR department."
(A) is / being reviewed
(B) was / reviewed
(C) is / reviewed
(D) has / been reviewed
 6. Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

● Mistake 1: Confusing Passive and Active Voice

● Tip: Look for the subject and determine if the subject performs the action (active) or receives the
action (passive).

● Example:
• The email will send tomorrow. (Incorrect)
(Subject: “thing” | No “agent of action” | No “sender of the email”)
● Correction:
• The email will be sent tomorrow. (Correct)
(Tip: some form of “to be" is required in passive)
 6. Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

● Mistake 2: Using the Wrong Form of “To Be”

● Tip: Ensure subject-verb agreement in both tense and number.

● Example:
• The report were completed. (Incorrect)
(Subject: “a singular thing” = “it” )
● Correction:
• The report was completed. (Correct)
(Agreement: “he, she and it” require a verb change)
 6. Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

● Mistake 3: Using the Wrong Tense for the Time Frame

● Tip: Use time indicators (e.g., “yesterday,” “next week”) to determine the appropriate tense.

● Example:
• The proposal has been discussed yesterday. (Incorrect)
(Subject: “yesterday” = specific time expression)
● Correction:
• The proposal was discussed yesterday. (Correct)
(Tip: “past perfect” used with two or more past events.)
7. Practice Questions
Let’s go through four more sample
questions together.
Example Question
"The presentation ______ by the marketing
team next Monday."
(A) will give
(B) has been given
(C) was given
(D) will be given
Example Question
"The contracts ______ by the time the clients
arrive tomorrow."
(A) will sign
(B) will have been signed
(C) are being signed
(D) have been signed
Example Question
"The employee’s performance ______
currently ______ by the supervisor."
(A) is / being reviewed
(B) was / reviewed
(C) will be / reviewed
(D) has / been reviewed
Example Question
"The project ______ already ______ when the
CEO asked for an update."
(A) was / completed
(B) had / been completed
(C) has / been completed
(D) is / completed
8. Conclusion
Mastering the passive voice in various tenses is essential for
succeeding in TOEIC Part 5. By understanding the differences
between active and passive voice, recognizing tense markers, and
practicing the appropriate verb forms, you can effectively tackle
incomplete sentence questions.
Remember to:
1. Focus on whether the subject is performing or receiving
the action.
2. Choose the correct tense based on time indicators.

.
3. Eliminate incorrect voice or tense options
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