The passive voice

I. The Passive Voice is usually used:

a) when the active subject is unknown or when the speaker is more interested in the verb activity itself than in the active subject. In such cases the doer of the action with by is not used (it is omitted).

Active	Passive
Someone has left this letter on the table.	The letter has been left on the table.
Somebody has already switched off the light.	The light has already been switched off.
Students mustn’t take these books away.	These books must not be taken away.

b) Sometimes the active subject (the doer of the action must be mentioned to complete the sense of the sentence, then it is introduced by the preposition by).

Active	Passive
Jack London wrote this novel.	This novel was written by Jack London.
A friend told me the news this morning.	I was told the news by a friend this morning.

The Passive Voice is extensively used in Modem English. There are more passive construction in English than in Russian. In Russian only the direct object of a transitive verb in the active voice can be used as the subject in the Passive Voice.

Verbs with two objects can have two passive constructions, but it is more usual in English to make the indirect object the subject of the Passive Voice.

Active	Passive
I showed them the way.	They were shown the way. The way was shown to them.
Someone gave him a book.	He was given a book. A book was given to him.
People speak well of Mary.	Mary is well spoken of.
She will look after you well.	You will be well looked after.

In the Passive Voice an adverb of manner is usually placed in front of the verb it qualifies.

Active	Passive
She painted the picture beauti­fully.	The picture was beautifully painted.
She has brought up her daughter very badly.	Her daughter has been very badly brought up.

II. The Passive Voice is formed by means of the appropriate tense form of the auxiliary verb to be and the Second Participle of the notional verb.

	Indefinite	Continuous	Perfect
Present	The article is translated.	The article is being translated.	The article has been translated.
Past	The article was translated.	The article was being translated.	The article had been translated.
Future	The article will be translated.	––––––––	The article will have been translated.
Future in-the-Past	The article would be translated.	––––––––	The article would have been translated.

Appendix 1