Learn how to use passive voice correctly

Hello! We are José Alfaro and Carlos Rodríguez, students of the Advance Program at CCCN.
We were asked to give you on this blog some tips to “Learn how to use passive voice correctly” as a project of the course: Grammar II.

 The passive voice is used when we want to focus attention on a person or thing affected by an action.

1. Construction:

It usually uses the verb to be + a verb in past participle 

Example: The room was (to be) cleaned (past participle).

***For more information and examples follow the link:

Link: http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive

2. The object and the Passive Voice:

The object becomes the subject of the sentence

Example: Active: Carl kicks the ball (object)

Example: Passive: The ball (object) is kicked by Carl

***For more information and examples follow the link::

Link: http://www.gr8ambitionz.com/2012/07/passive-voice.html

3. The Use of BY:

The agent is introduced using by 

Example: The Gioconda was painted by Leonardo da Vinci

***For more information and examples follow the link:

Link: http://www.usingenglish.com/articles/use-by-agent-in-passive-voice.html

4. Intransitive verbs

You can not use the passive voice with Intransitive verbs, because these do not take action on a direct object.

***For more information and examples follow the link:

Link: http://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/intransitive_verbs.htm

5. Who is the agent?

Use it when you do not know who the agent is

Example: She does not know who did it, but her hair was being cutted.

***For more information and examples follow the link:

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv65.shtml

6. You know to much

Use it when is obvious who the agent is

Example: Her hair was blowed.

***For more information and examples follow the link:

Link: http://www.headsupenglish.com/index.php/lower-intermediate-students/lower-intermediate-skill-builders/lower-intermediate-grammar/337-passive-voice

7.  Agent or no agent, that is the question

Use It when it is not important to know who the agent is

Example: The car is being sold.

***For more information and examples follow the link:

Link: http://www.grammaring.com/the-use-of-the-passive-voice

8. It helps to talk about the agent

Use it when the agent has already been mentioned

Example: My grandma baked some cakes yesterday. They were sold already. 

***For more information and examples follow the link:

Link: http://www.multimedia-english.com/grammar/passive-voice-51

9. People in general

Use it when people in general are the agents

Example: The house is built. 

***For more information and examples follow the link:

Link: http://writeworld.tumblr.com/post/27429931401/that-pesky-passive-voice

10. Giving some respect

Use it to be polite

Example: A letter is being given.

***For more information and examples follow the link:

Link: http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-lesson-passive-voice.php

Finally, this video should be helpful for you to understand more about passive voice:

We hope this information can help you to improve your knowledge and if you want to test how much you learn about this topic, take a look over the next links: 

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive/exercises?simple-present

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive/exercises?simple-past