Lesson X - Grammar Music
So far the Active Voice has been taught here. And the Active Voice will be used by you most often. It is the normal order (S + V + O).
But sometimes, just sometimes, the Passive Voice gets used because:
We don't think a certain sentence needs a subject.
Now look back at the first sentence on this page. You didn't really need a subject when we said "has been taught." You knew who was teaching it: us. If "Batteries Are Not Included"...Who's not including them?
So let's see what makes up the Passive Voice. Then you will know it when you see it.
Usually you have a Subject, a Verb, and an Object in most sentences.
(S + V + O) We (S) clean (V1) the street.(O)
But in Passive Voice we have NO subject. Instead something has been done to the Object. (You may want to add: by the.... after a Passive Voice sentence, so you know the silent Subject. Like this:
(O + AM/IS/ARE + V3) The street (O) is (AM/IS/ARE) cleaned.(V3) (by the city)
Now, take this Present Simple sentence:
(S + V1)
We eat eggs in the morning.
And put it in the Passive Present:
(O + AM/IS/ARE + V3)
eaten are eggs were
In the morning, ____ ____ ____(by us)