The passive voice Flashcards
in which language is the passive voice more common?
english- little used in French
the mouse eats the cheese
VS
the cheese is eaten by the mouse
le souris mange le fromage
vs
le fromage est mangé par la souris
how do you form the passive vous?
conjugated etre + past participle of main verb
eg
il a été construit - it has been built
it is being built
vs
it has been built
il est construit
vs
il a été construit
it was built [active]
vs
it was built [passive - literary]
il était consruit
vs
il fut construit
it will be built
vs
it would be built
il sera contruit
vs
il serait construit
par
vs
de
par - suggests a more active role
de - suggests the agent plays a less active role, OR used after verbs expressing emotion or opinion
this teacher is appreciated by his students
ce professeur est aprécié de ses étudiants
this ring was found by the police
cette bague a éte trouvée par la police
this manager is respected by his employees
ce gérat est estimé de ses employées
the thief is followed by his accomplices
le voleur est suive de ses complices
the thief is followed by the police
le voleur est suivi par la police
the castle is surrounded by a moat
VS
the castle is surrounded by invaders
le chateu est entouré de douves
vs
le chateur est entouré par les envahisseurs
when is the voix passive sometimes used?
to emphasis the subject
OR
to avoid specifying the agnt of the action
no decision wll be made before thenew directo’rs arrival
aucune décision ne sera prise avant l’arrivée du nouveau directeur
