What is Present Passive?
The present passive is a grammatical structure used to emphasize the action being performed rather than who performs it. In this construction, the subject receives the action.
For example, "The book is read by the teacher" focuses on the act of reading rather than the teacher performing the reading.
Understanding the Present Passive
The present passive uses the present form of the verb "to be" followed by a past participle. For instance, "The book is read by the teacher." Here, the action (reading) takes center stage, not the teacher.
Examples:
The report is written by Sarah.
The room is cleaned by the staff.
The project is managed by John.
When to Use the Present Passive
Use the present passive to highlight the action, especially in formal writing. It's common in newspapers, scientific reports, and instructions.
Examples:
News: "The decision is made by the committee."
Science: "The experiment is conducted by researchers."
Instructions: "The device is operated by pressing the button."
Forming the Present Passive
To form the present passive, combine the present tense of "to be" (am, is, are) with a past participle.
Structure:
Subject + am/is/are + past participle
Examples:
Active: The chef cooks the meal.
Passive: The meal is cooked by the chef.
Active: The team completes the project.
Passive: The project is completed by the team.
Rules for Forming the Present Passive
Identify the object in the active sentence: The object in the active sentence becomes the subject in the passive sentence.
Active: The manager reviews the report.
Passive: The report is reviewed by the manager.
Use the correct form of the verb "to be": Choose the correct present tense form of "to be" (am, is, are) based on the new subject.
Singular subjects: Use "is."
The book is read by many people.
Plural subjects: Use "are."
The books are read by many people.
Use the past participle: Use the past participle form of the main verb.
Active: The company launches the product.
Passive: The product is launched by the company.
Examples:
Active: The technician fixes the computer.
Passive: The computer is fixed by the technician.
Active: The artist paints the mural.
Passive: The mural is painted by the artist.
Additional Rules and Examples
Use in Present Continuous Passive: Combine "am/is/are being" with the past participle.
Active: The chef is cooking the meal.
Passive: The meal is being cooked by the chef.
Examples:
Active: The teacher is explaining the lesson.
Passive: The lesson is being explained by the teacher.
Active: The workers are building the house.
Passive: The house is being built by the workers.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Learners often misplace auxiliary verbs or use incorrect past participles. Here are some common mistakes and how to correct them:
Misplacement of auxiliary verbs:
Mistake: The letters are delivers by the postman.
Correction: The letters are delivered by the postman.
Incorrect use of past participles:
Mistake: The cake is bake by Jane.
Correction: The cake is baked by Jane.
Using the wrong form of "to be":
Mistake: The projects is completed by the team.
Correction: The projects are completed by the team.
Practice Exercises
To reinforce your understanding, try these exercises:
Fill-in-the-blank:
The letters ____ (deliver) by the postman.
The cake ____ (bake) by Jane.
The results ____ (analyze) by the scientists.
The movie ____ (watch) by many people.
The homework ____ (check) by the teacher.
Answers:
The letters are delivered by the postman.
The cake is baked by Jane.
The results are analyzed by the scientists.
The movie is watched by many people.
The homework is checked by the teacher.
Sentence transformation:
Active: The gardener plants the flowers.
Passive: The flowers are planted by the gardener.
Active: The engineer designs the system.
Passive: The system is designed by the engineer.
Active: The company releases a new product.
Passive: A new product is released by the company.
Active: The committee evaluates the proposal.
Passive: The proposal is evaluated by the committee.
Active: The artist creates a masterpiece.
Passive: A masterpiece is created by the artist.