La Voz Pasiva y Activa

La Voz Pasiva y Activa

• prefers the active voice in most contexts

• the passive voice is less used in English

• most of the times “se” is a better alternative when the “doer” is not mentioned

• the passive voice is restricted to more formal contexts.

• It is less natural than the active voice.

Transformación: activa > pasiva

Activa:

→ Yo compré un coche nuevo

• yo = (active) subject

• un coche nuevo = direct object

Pasiva:

Un coche nuevo fue comprado por mí

• un coche nuevo = passive subject

• comprado = passive verb

• por mí = the “doer”

1. needs to be in the same tense as the active subject (indefinite article of to be = was)

2. participle that agrees in gender and number with the passive subject (masculine singular participle of to buy: bought)

Transformación: pasiva > activa

Pasiva:

La ministra fue insultada por los manifestantes

• La ministra = passive subject

• Por los manifestantes = the “doer”

Activa:

Los manifestantes insultaron a la ministra

• Los manifestantes = (active) subject

• A la ministra = direct object → “a” comes before if it refer to a person/people

¿Cómo EVITAR la pasiva? - Transformation to the active

Ideal for when there is a “doer”

• España fue invadida por los musulmanes (passive) → Los musulmanes invadieron España (active)

¿Cómo EVITAR la pasiva? - Verb in 3rd person plural

There is not a “doer”, but WE KNOW that people did it, understood it was a human action

• Fue asesinado en Las Vegas (passive) → Lo asesinaron en Las Vegas (active)

¿Cómo EVITAR la pasiva? - Duplication of direct object

Instead of using the passive, Spanish often prefers a more colloquial active structure:

• Put the direct object at the beginning (this was the passive subject)

• Add “a” if it’s a person

• Repeat it with a direct object pronoun (lo, la, los, las)

• Place the real subject (agent) at the end

Formula:
(A + objeto directo) + pronombre + verbo + sujeto

Examples

Passive:

• Pedro y Luis fueron empujados por la muchedumbre

→ Active alternative:

• A Pedro y a Luis los empujó la muchedumbre

Passive:

• El edificio será devorado por las llamas

Active alternative:

• El edificio lo devorarán las llamas

Notes

• This structure is more natural and common in spoken Spanish

• It may feel unusual because the subject comes at the end

• The pronoun duplication (los, lo, etc.) is essential

¿Cómo EVITAR la pasiva? - Use “se”

Often used to avoid the passive voice when there is no agent.

• More impersonal and formal

• The agent is unimportant, unknown, or absent

Se usa mucho picante en México

Aquí se cena a las 21:00

Present Simple

Active: Subject + verb (present) + object → I write the letter

Passive: Object + am/is/are + past participle → The letter is written (by me)

Present Continuous

Active: Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing + object → I am writing the letter

Passive: Object + am/is/are + being + past participle → The letter is being written (by me)

Past Simple

Active: Subject + verb (past) + object → I wrote the letter

Passive: Object + was/were + past participle → The letter was written (by me)

Past Continuous

Active: Subject + was/were + verb-ing + object → I was writing the letter

Passive: Object + was/were + being + past participle → The letter was being written (by me)

Present Perfect

Active: Subject + have/has + past participle + object → I have written the letter

Passive: Object + have/has + been + past participle → The letter has been written (by me)

Past Perfect

Active: Subject + had + past participle + object → I had written the letter

Passive: Object + had + been + past participle → The letter had been written (by me)

Future (going to)

Active: Subject + am/is/are + going to + verb + object → I am going to write the letter

Passive: Object + am/is/are + going to be + past participle → The letter is going to be written (by me)

Future in the Past

Active: Subject + was/were + going to + verb + object → I was going to write the letter

Passive: Object + was/were + going to be + past participle → The letter was going to be written (by me)

Conditional

Active: Subject + would + verb + object → I would write the letter

Passive: Object + would + be + past participle → The letter would be written (by me)

Past Conditional

Active: Subject + would have + past participle + object → I would have written the letter

Passive: Object + would have + been + past participle → The letter would have been written (by me)

Modals (present)

Modals = could/should/must

Active: Subject + modal + verb + object → I could write the letter

Passive: Object + modal + be + past participle → The letter could be written (by me)

Modals (past)

Modals = could/should/must

Active: Subject + modal + have + past participle + object → I could have written the letter

Passive: Object + modal + have been + past participle → The letter could have been written (by me)