Passive voice

How do active sentences work?

the doer of the action is the subject

• my friend sold the house

> subject (my friend) is performing the action of selling the house

> active element (friend) is emphasised (first bit of sentence)

How does passive voice work?

the receiver of an action is the subject

• the house was sold by my friend

> the subject is now what underwent the action (the house)

> emphasis on the passive element (subject) and performer/ agent moved to the end

What must happen when in the passive?

must agree the past participle to the subject

> La maison est vendue (the house is sold)

> La souris est mangée par le chat (the mouse is eaten by the cat)

What does passive always take?

the relevant tense of être + past participle

Translate- The house was/ was being sold (imperfect)

La maison était vendue

Translate- The house was/ has been sold (perfect)

La maison a été vendue

Translate- The house had been sold (plus-perfect)

La maison avait été vendue

Translate- The house will be sold (future)

La maison sera vendue

Translate- The house would be sold (conditional)

La maison serait vendue

Translate- The house will have been sold (future perfect)

La maison aura été vendue

Translate- The house would have been sold (conditional perfect)

La maison aurait été vendue

Translate- He is arrested at the border (present)

Il est arrêté à la frontière

Translate- We are very quickly informed (present)

Nous sommes très vite informés

Translate- I will be invited to the meeting (future)

Je serai invitée à la réunion

Translate- The woman will be admired (future)

La dame sera admirée

Translate- The work was finished (imperfect)

Le travail était fini

Translate- The windows were closed (imperfect)

Les fenêtres étaient fermées

Translate- I was invited to the party (perfect)

J’ai été invitée à la soirée

Translate- The letter was sent (perfect)

La lettre a été envoyée

Translate- He has been recognised (plus-perfect)

Il avait été reconnu

Translate- The wine had been served (plus-perfect)

Le vin avait été servi

Translate- I would be invited to the meeting (conditional)

Je serais invitée à la réunion

Translate- You would be obliged to stay at home (conditional)

Tu serais obligé de rester chez toi

Translate- He will have been arrested at the border (future perfect)

Il aura été arrêté à la frontière

Translate- The shoes will have been found (future perfect)

Les chaussures auront été trouvés

Translate- The work would have been finished (conditional perfect)

Le travail aurait été fini

Translate- The thief would have been caught (conditional perfect)

Le voleur aurait été attrapé

Do the french prefer to use the active or passive voice?

active

> however this needs an agent

What happens when we don’t know who (only used if a person) is doing the verb?

use on when avoiding the passive

> On a fait les devoirs (the homework was done)

> On parle français ici (French is spoken here)

What happens to verbs that take an indirect object?

can never be used in the passive

> On m’a donné un cadeau ( Someone has given me a present/ I have been given a present)

NOT

> J’ai été donné un cadeau (means that YOU have been given, not a present)

Where does the indirect pronoun go?

before auxiliary

Translate- We were asked to leave by the police (avoid the passive)

La police nous a demandé de partir

Translate- We were asked to leave (avoiding the passive)

On nous a demandé de partir

Translate- The question was answered by the teacher (avoiding the passive)

La prof a répondu à la question

Translate- He was allowed to stay (avoiding the passive)

On lui a permis de rester

What happens when the verb relates to a thing not a person?

use a reflexive construction when avoiding the passive

> Le français se parle au Québec (French is spoken in Quebec)

> Les fraises se récoltent en juin (Strawberries are harvested in June)

• reflexive constructions are only used in the 3rd person singular and plural

Translate- Chocolate is eaten here (using se to avoid the passive)

Le chocolat se mange ici

Translate- This wine will be sold easily (using se to avoid the passive)

Ce vin se vendra facilement

Translate- The novels weren’t read in the right order (using se to avoid the passive)

Le roman ne se lisaient pas dans le bon ordre

Translate- The doors are opened inwards (using se to avoid the passive)

Les portes s’ouverts vers l’intérieure