LEARNING THE FRENCH

PASSIVE VOICE

This learning guide is divided into differentparts with a quick recap after each topic.

1) WHAT IS THE PASSIVE VOICE?

2) ENGLISH AND FRENCH PASSIVE

3) HOW TO FORM THE PASSIVE?

4) WAYS TO AVOID THE PASSIVE VOICE?

1) WHAT IS THE PASSIVE VOICE?

2) ENGLISH AND FRENCH PASSIVE

3) HOW TO FORM THE PASSIVE?

4) WAYS TO AVOID THE PASSIVE VOICE?

MEANING

Passive voice is used to show the subject is the person or thingthat the action happens to.

Example between the passive and the active voice:

PASSIVE

I (the subject) was promoted (thepassive verb) by my boss (the agent)

ACTIVE

My boss (the subject) promoted(the passive verb) me (theagent)

1. WHAT IS THE PASSIVE VOICE?

MEANING

PASSIVE

I (the subject) was promoted (thepassive verb) by my boss (the agent)

ACTIVE

My boss (the subject) promoted(the passive verb) me (theagent)

See the difference?

Quick tip: QUICK

TIP

In English, the passive voice is often avoided in writing andis considered a bad way to write because of the following:

It makes a sentence too wordy and seems to go around incircles.

Example: The flowers on the table were left byMichael as a surprise to Jenny.

You could have just said:Michael left the flowers on the table as a surprise

to Jenny.It is more direct to the point and less confusing.

It often sounds unclear because people are wired to thinkthat an action is done by the subject. Twisting it the otherway so that the receiver of the action becomes the subjectwould lead to some confusion.

QUICK

TIP

In English, the passive voice is often avoided in writing andis considered a bad way to write because of the following:

It makes a sentence too wordy and seems to go around incircles.

Example: The flowers on the table were left byMichael as a surprise to Jenny.

You could have just said:Michael left the flowers on the table as a surprise

to Jenny.It is more direct to the point and less confusing.

It often sounds unclear because people are wired to thinkthat an action is done by the subject. Twisting it the otherway so that the receiver of the action becomes the subjectwould lead to some confusion.

Quick tip (continued): QUICK

TIP

There are cases however when the passive voice cannotbe avoided, and that is when you do not know who thedoer of the action is.

Example: She was sent a love letter.

Or when you want to put an emphasis on the thingor person doing the action.

Example: The artwork was painted by a child.

QUICK

TIP

There are cases however when the passive voice cannotbe avoided, and that is when you do not know who thedoer of the action is.

Example: She was sent a love letter.

Or when you want to put an emphasis on the thingor person doing the action.

Example: The artwork was painted by a child.

FRENCH

The French passive voice works in the same way as English.

EnglishTo be + the past participle

FrenchÊtre + the past participle

In French, however, the passive is not used as often as wedo in English. It is usually used for formal speech or whenspeaking in old school literary tones.

2. ENGLISH AND FRENCH PASSIVE

FRENCH

The French passive voice works in the same way as English.

EnglishTo be + the past participle

FrenchÊtre + the past participle

In French, however, the passive is not used as often as wedo in English. It is usually used for formal speech or whenspeaking in old school literary tones.

FRENCH

Here is a list of the conjugated forms of être which you canuse to change the tense of the passive sentences you areforming:

PRONOUN PRESENT FUTURE IMPERFECT

je (j') suis serai étais

3. HOW TO FORM THE PASSIVE?

FRENCH

je (j') suis serai étais

tu es seras étais

il est sera était

nous sommes serons étions

vous êtes serez étiez

ils sont seront étaient

FRENCH

SUBJUNCTIVE CONDITIONAL SIMPLE PAST IMPERATIVE

sois Serais fus

sois Serais fus sois

soit Serait fut

soyons Serions fûmes soyons

soyez Series fûtes soyez

3. HOW TO FORM THE PASSIVE? (CONTINUED)

FRENCH

Present participle: étantPast participle: été

soyez Series fûtes soyez

soient Seraient furent

The easy guide on forming the past participle of the verbwhen using être

FRENCH

• If the infinitive ends with an -er, replace the -er with -é.Examples: donner becomes donné, tomber becomes tombé

• If the infinitive ends with an -ir, remove the r at the end.Examples: finir becomes fini, partir becomes parti

• If the infinitive ends with a -re, replace the -re with -u.Examples: attendre becomes attendu, descendre becomes descendu

Irregular verbs in the past participle is the same in perfect tense.

The past participle of the verb following être has to agree withthe subject of the passive verb (not with the agent of the action).

FRENCH

• If the infinitive ends with an -er, replace the -er with -é.Examples: donner becomes donné, tomber becomes tombé

• If the infinitive ends with an -ir, remove the r at the end.Examples: finir becomes fini, partir becomes parti

• If the infinitive ends with a -re, replace the -re with -u.Examples: attendre becomes attendu, descendre becomes descendu

Irregular verbs in the past participle is the same in perfect tense.

The past participle of the verb following être has to agree withthe subject of the passive verb (not with the agent of the action).

To make the past participle “agree”, you add the followingendings:

FRENCH

MASCULIN ENDINGS EXAMPLES

Singular - tombépartidescendu

Plural -s tombéspartisdescendus

FRENCH

tombéspartisdescendus

FEMININE ENDINGS EXAMPLES

Singular -e tombéepartiedescendue

Plural -es tombéespartiesdescendues

FRENCH

The passive is not widely used in common discussion inFrench. So if you find yourself wanting to avoid using thepassive voice, here are ways on how to do it:

1. Use c’est (or it’s in English)2. Use the indefinite pronoun “on”3. Use reflexive verbs

4. WAYS TO AVOID THE PASSIVE VOICE?

FRENCH

The passive is not widely used in common discussion inFrench. So if you find yourself wanting to avoid using thepassive voice, here are ways on how to do it:

1. Use c’est (or it’s in English)2. Use the indefinite pronoun “on”3. Use reflexive verbs

1. Use c’est (or it’s in English) FRENCH

Example:

Passive: The artwork was painted by a child.L’oeuvre d’art a été peinte par a un enfant.

Change it to:

It’s a child who painted the artwork.C’est un enfant qui a peint l’oeuvre d’art.

4. WAYS TO AVOID THE PASSIVE VOICE?(CONTINUED)

FRENCH

Example:

Passive: The artwork was painted by a child.L’oeuvre d’art a été peinte par a un enfant.

Change it to:

It’s a child who painted the artwork.C’est un enfant qui a peint l’oeuvre d’art.

2. Use the indefinite pronoun ‘on’ FRENCH

Examples:

On leur a envoyé une lettre.Someone sent them a letter.

On m’a dit que tu ne venais.They told me you weren’t coming.

4. WAYS TO AVOID THE PASSIVE VOICE?(CONTINUED)

FRENCH

Examples:

On leur a envoyé une lettre.Someone sent them a letter.

On m’a dit que tu ne venais.They told me you weren’t coming.

3. Use reflexive verbs FRENCH

If you can remember the discussions on previous lessonson this website, reflexive verbs in French appear with thepronoun se or the shortened form s’ before it. Theseaction words are used when the subject is the sameperson as the object. To put it simply, it means “to____oneself”.

Example:Les melons se vendent 3 euros la pièce.Melons are sold for 3 euros each.

4. WAYS TO AVOID THE PASSIVE VOICE?(CONTINUED)

FRENCH

If you can remember the discussions on previous lessonson this website, reflexive verbs in French appear with thepronoun se or the shortened form s’ before it. Theseaction words are used when the subject is the sameperson as the object. To put it simply, it means “to____oneself”.

Example:Les melons se vendent 3 euros la pièce.Melons are sold for 3 euros each.

SUMMARY

A quick recap of this topic:

1. In the passive voice, the receiver of the actionbecomes the subject, instead of the one doing theaction himself.

2. The passive form of the verbs in French is formed byusing the conjugated form of the verb être + the pastparticiple.

3. The past participle of the verb following être has toagree with the subject of the passive verb (not withthe agent of the action).

4. The passive voice is not often used in French. To avoidusing it, there are alternative ways such as using theindefinite pronoun “on”, by using c’est, or through thehelp of reflexive verbs.

SUMMARY

A quick recap of this topic:

1. In the passive voice, the receiver of the actionbecomes the subject, instead of the one doing theaction himself.

2. The passive form of the verbs in French is formed byusing the conjugated form of the verb être + the pastparticiple.

3. The past participle of the verb following être has toagree with the subject of the passive verb (not withthe agent of the action).

4. The passive voice is not often used in French. To avoidusing it, there are alternative ways such as using theindefinite pronoun “on”, by using c’est, or through thehelp of reflexive verbs.

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