English – Grammar: Passive Voice (Simple Present and Past) – 2nd Year Middle School – Algeria

Grammar: Passive Voice (Simple Present and Past)

Lesson Objectives:

• Understand the difference between active and passive voice.
• Form the passive in present and past simple.
• Transform active sentences to passive.

Active vs Passive:

In active voice, the subject does the action: The boy kicks the ball. In passive voice, the subject receives the action: The ball is kicked by the boy. The passive focuses on the action or the receiver, not the doer.

Formation:

Passive voice: Subject + verb TO BE (conjugated) + past participle + (by + agent).

Present Simple Passive: am/is/are + past participle. Example: English is spoken in many countries.

Past Simple Passive: was/were + past participle. Example: The letter was written yesterday.

Examples:

• Active: The chef cooks the meal. -> Passive: The meal is cooked by the chef.
• Active: The students painted the mural. -> Passive: The mural was painted by the students.

Exercises:

1. Transform: (People speak French in France. -> French __ in France).
2. Transform: (The children broke the window. -> The window __ by the children).
3. Write 2 active sentences and their passive forms.

Useful Links:

See also: Present Simple and Past Simple.