More on Passives

Why do we use passive sentences?
  • We use the passive voice when the receiver of the action is more important than the one who did it:
The new video game was published today. (We are interested in the video game, not the company that published it)
  • We can use the passive when we don't know who did the action:
The jewels were stolen yesterday. (It was a robber but we don't know who)
  • We use the passive when we don't need to say who did the action:
The prisoners were taken into prison after the trial. (We know that the police did it)

STEP BY STEP: Formation of the Passive Voice

Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle
A valuable painting was stolen from the Museum by a famous thief (passive)

Watch these presentations about the present simple passive and the past simple passive:

Present Simple Passive

   Past Simple Passive


Passive Sentences with two objects 
Rewriting an active sentence with two objects (direct object and indirect object) into the passive voice means that one of the two objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an object. Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you want to focus on:

They gave medals to the winners.
a) The winners were given medals 
b) Medals were given to the winners
*Important: we usually prefer the first example because people are more important.

Remember that the first option (changing an indirect object into a passive subject) doesn't exist in Spanish, so the way to translate both is by using an Impersonal construction:

(a/b) A los ganadores se les dio medallas


Impersonal Passive

Some verbs of reporting (say,report, state, rumour) and belief (believe,think) make an impersonal construction using "It" as the subject. Therefore this passive is called Impersonal Passive.

They say that Literature is more difficult than Maths. 
→   It is said that Literature is more difficult than Maths.

Note the structure:
It is said/reported/rumoured/believed/thought that.......


¿Por qué se usa la pasiva?
  • Usamos la pasiva cuando el afectado de una acción es más importante que quien lo hizo:
The new video game was released today.(Han sacado el nuevo videojuego hoy).(Nos interesa el videojuego, no quien lo saca)
  • Podemos usar la pasiva cuando no sabemos quién hizo la acción:
Las joyas fueron robadas ayer.(Era un ladrón, claro, pero no sabemos quién)
  • Usamos la pasiva cuando no queremos decir quién hizo la acción
The prisoners were taken to jail after the trial (Se llevaron a los prisioneros a la cárcel después del juicio.) (We know that the police did it)
PASO A PASO: Formación de la pasiva
Sujeto + BE (en un tiempo verbal) + Participio

A valuable painting was stolen from the Museum by a famous thief (pasivo)(Un cuadro valisoso fue robado del Museo por un ladrón famoso)


Ver las presentaciones de arriba sobre la pasiva en presente y pasado simple.


Oraciones pasivas con doble objeto

Volver a escribir una oración activa con dos complementos objeto (CD y CI) en la voz pasiva implica que uno de los dos objetos se va a convertir en el sujeto paciente (sujeto pasivo), mientras que el otro se quedará como complemento objeto. La elección de cuál complemento objeto va a ser el sujeto paciente dependerá de lo que queramos enfatizar:

They gave medals to the winners.
a) The winners were given medals 
b) Medals were given to the winners
*Importante: se prefiere utilizar el primer ejemplo ya que las personas son más importantes.

Recuerda que la primera opción (cambiar el CI como sujeto pasivo) no existe en español, así que la forma de traducirlo al español es mediante una constucción impersonal con "se":

(a/b) A los ganadores se les dio medallas


Pasiva Impersonal

Algunos verbos que se usan para informar –say (decir), report (informar), state (afirmar), rumour (rumorear) y para indicar creencia - believe (creer), think (pensar) forman una construcción impersonal usando "It" como sujeto, y esta pasiva se llama Pasiva Impersonal.

They say that Literature is more difficult than Maths. 
→   It is said that Literature is more difficult than Maths
Se dice que la literatura es más difícl que la matemática

Fíjae en la estructura:
It is said/reported/rumoured/believed/thought that
... ( = Se dice/informa/rumorea/cree que...)


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