Passive Sentence
When
a reader reads a sentence, he/she (consciously or subconsciously) tries to
figure out who is doing what in the sentence in order to determine meaning.
Essentially, this provides the reader with the knowledge of who the subject is
and what is the subject doing (verb) or how the subject is in a state of being.
When
the subject and verb of a sentence construction are not clear, it creates
confusion for the reader and slows down the process of both reading and
comprehension. If you've ever sensed that teachers and grammarians look down on
the passive sentence (also known as passive voice), it is because of this
confusion. There are times, however, when passive voice functions even more
effectively in a sentence than active voice.
A
sentence is written in passive voice when the subject of the sentence has an
action done to it by someone or something else.
eg.
The dog was being washed by the girl.
More Example:
Passive:
The decision to enact capital punishment was made by the judge.
Active:
The judge decided to enact capital punishment.
The
'judge' in this example is the actor; we create clearer, more assertive
sentence structure when we move 'the judge' to the beginning of the sentence
where he can precede the verb 'decided.'
Passive Voice: Present
In
the present, the passive voice uses the verbs is and are + past participle of
the main verb.
The
passive voice present is often used to describe:
·
Processes
First the apples are picked, then they are cleaned, and finally they’re packed and shipped to the market.
·
General
thoughts, opinions, and beliefs
1. New York is considered the most diverse city in the U.S.
2. It
is believed that
Amelia Earhart’s plane crashed in Pacific Ocean.
3. Hungarian is seen as one of the world’s most difficult languages to learn.
4. Skin cancers are thought to be caused by excessive exposure to the sun.
Passive Voice: Past
In the
past, the passive voice uses the verbs was and were + past participle of the
main verb.
The passive
voice past is often used to describe:
·
Events
in history
George
Washington was elected president in
1788.
·
Crimes
/ Accidents
1. Two people were killed in a drive-by shooting on Friday night.
2. Ten children were injured when part of the school roof collapsed.
…as well as
in many other situations when the person who did the action is unknown or
unimportant.
Passive Voice: Present Perfect
In
the present perfect, the passive voice describe something has been done by
someone at sometime up to now. The present perfect passive expresses and
emphasizes a previous action or event that began in the past and continued up
to the present and whose consequences have implications for the present.
Passive
sentences in the present perfect tense have the following structure:
Object of the active
sentence + has/have + been + past participle form
of the verb + by + subject of the active sentence
Active
: They have cleaned the clinic.
Passive:
The clinic has been cleaned by them.
Active
: Thomas has written many books.
Passive:
Many books have been written by Thomas.
Active
: Have the police caught the man?
Passive:
Has the man been caught by the police?
Active
: UPS has delivered the letters.
Passive:
The letters have been delivered by UPS.
Reference:
https://www.espressoenglish.net/passive-voice-examples-exercises-present-past/
https://www.grammarbank.com/present-perfect-passive.html
https://www.englishpractice.com/improve/active-passive-voice-present-perfect-tense/