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I once asked a class, to test their knowledge of passive voice, whether they could convert the 
following sentence into the passive form:

The majority of the students attempted the impossible and wrote: "He was slept soundly" This 
shows how hazy a notion students have about passive voice. The very first thing the student

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should be told is that only transitive verbs can have the passive form. Look for the object of the

verb; if you do not find one, don't attempt to turn it into the passive torm. 1he sentence: "He

was slept soundly" is wrong because 'slept' has no object. 
we use the passive voice to give importance to the object ofa sentence, that is to say, when 
the object of a sentence is more important than the subject. Consider the following sentences:

They are building a bridge across the river. 
Tonight we will screen the film "The Ten Commandments. 
In both these sentences the object is more important than the subject. So these sentences will

appear more natural when turned into the passive form.

A bridge is being built across the river. 
Tonight the film 'The Ten Commandments' will be screened.

It is important to note that the agent is usually left out if it is not important as in the above

sentences. In some sentences the agent is clear from the context.

John fought Tom and Tom was defeated. 
The passive voice was taught us by a teacher who really disliked passive voice, a friend

reminisces. 
This sentence is grammatically all right but modern usage is in favour of the personal object

We were taught passivevoice... passive voice.

Similarly, the more correct' passive form of the sentence "He gave me a book" is "I was given 
a book" and not "A book was given to me'" 
Students are advised to limit passive voice to those cases where the object is arguably more 
important than the subject. "The Prime Minister addressed Parliament" is much better than 
"Parliament was addressed by the Prime Minister" However the passive voice is preferred if 
the subject is very long. "George wanting to study German really surprises me" becomes a lot 
better when rewritten as "I am really surprised by George wanting to study German" Further 
the passivevoice is preferred when something is pointed out to somebody. "That picture was 
painted by Raphael is better than its active voice form if one is really pointing to it.

In a college I visited I found the following sentence on the notice board.

A meeting is proposed to be held in the Main Hall at 2 pm tomorrow

Well, this is what I mean by being "too passive. Fowler calls it a 'double passive. Sentences like 
"He was ordered to be released" are all right because the active voice form is "They ordered 
him to be released" and here 'him is the object of 'ordered. But in the above sentence 'meeting 
is not the object of proposed' but of 'hold. This sentence should be rewritten as: 
It is proposed to hold a meeting... tomorrow.

The wrong use of the double passive is very common in newspaper language. Sentences 
such as "The mystery was sought to be explained', "Hundreds were feared to have been killed', 
"The plan is attempted to be systematised, etc., are examples of double passives.

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Theoretically all active voice sentences with transitive verbs in them can be converted to the 
passive voice. But in actual practice this is not always possible. Consider the following sen-

He saw himself in the mirror. 
They could not see each other.

Passive conversion is not possible in these sentences because of the co-reference between the 
subject and the object. It may be noted that some sentences change their meaning slightly 
when turned into the passive form. For example,

John cannot do it. 
It cannot be done by John.

Cannot' in the first sentence shows 'ability' but it the second sentence it shows 'possibility/ It is

not usual to convert future continuous, perfect continuous and future perfect continuous into 
the passive form. Consider the following sentences:

I will be watching Hamlet tomorrow at this time. 
By this time tomorrowI will have been finishing the work.

The passive forms of these sentences are: "Hamlet will be being watched at this time tomor 
row and "By this time tomorrow the work will have been being finished" respectively. But

students are advised to avoid such structures. 
An easy way to convert sentences into the passive form is suggested below:

1. 
Find out the object of the sentence. 
Examine the verb carefully. If the verb comprises two words the first one is an auxiliary

verb. If it comprises three words the first two are auxiliaries. 
2.

Begin the sentence with the object of the active voice sentence and retain the auxiliaries
in the verbs, of course, after making the necessary changes. 
4

Then apply the formula: be + the past participle. But what form of 'be'? If the tense is

continuous, use 'being; if it is perfect, use 'been. For example,

I have finished the work. 
The work has been finished.

They are painting the new building. 
The new building is being painted.

a. 
Some sentences will sound better if turned into the passive voice. Write three active

b. 
Give examples of those tense forms that are not turned into the passive form.

d. 
People believe that John has spent a term in prison. (Passivise.)

C. 
Mention the different steps for passivisation.

So far NASA has sent 200 rockets into the space. (Passivise.) 
e.

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f. 
They made him sign the document through intimidation. (Passivise.)

8 
In ancient days people believed that diseases were the gods' punishment for evildoine 
n. 
The class teacher awarded the proficiency prize to John. (Passivise.) 
ing

Chapter 51 Passivisation