Voix Passive : Accorder le Crédit avec 'par'
by + agent quand tu veux donner le créditou "préciser l'auteur" de l'action, pour que ce soit super
clair!
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'by' in passive sentences to mention who or what performed the action while keeping the focus on the result.
- Place 'by' after the past participle to introduce the doer: 'The song was sung by Adele.'
- Only use 'by' if the person or thing doing the action is important information.
- Don't confuse 'by' (the doer) with 'with' (the tool used): 'The door was opened by John with a key.'
Overview
The evidence was discovered by a local farmer. Ce petit mot by est un élément puissant en anglais.by + agent intervient. C'est le pont parfait entre vouloir souligner le résultat et devoir mentionner le créateur. Dans ce guide, vous apprendrez à équilibrer vos phrases pour qu'elles paraissent naturelles, professionnelles et sophistiquées.How This Grammar Works
Mon colocataire a mangé ma pizza, le colocataire est la star (et le méchant). Mais si le plus choquant est la pizza disparue ? Vous pourriez dire :
Ma pizza a été mangée !C'est une passive classique.
Ma pizza a été mangée par mon colocataire (by my roommate). L'agent est simplement la personne ou la chose qui a fait l'action. En le plaçant à la fin après by, vous déplacez l'attention.
Formation Pattern
to be. Il doit correspondre au temps de votre phrase active d'origine.
taken ou written).
by.
When To Use It
Un remède a été découvert par des scientifiques (by scientists) car le remède est la grande nouvelle.The Great Gatsby was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald.La porte a été ouverte par une ombre. C'est beaucoup plus effrayant.Le verre a été cassé par Jim semble moins agressif que Jim a cassé le verre !.
Common Mistakes
with au lieu de by. Rappelez-vous : by est pour la personne (l'agent) et with pour l'outil (l'instrument). On ne dirait pas La lettre a été écrite avec Shakespeare. Une autre erreur est d'oublier le verbe to be. The photo taken by me est incomplet. Il faut The photo was taken by me. Attention aux pronoms ! Si l'agent est un pronom, il doit être de forme objet : by him, by her, by them. Ne dites pas by he. Enfin, n'abusez pas de l'agent. S'il s'agit de "quelqu'un ou les gens", supprimez-le.Contrast With Similar Patterns
by + agent et with + instrument. by répond à Qui ? alors que with répond à Quel outil ?. Exemple : Le gâteau a été coupé.par le chef(agent)avec un couteau en argent(instrument)
Mon vélo a été volése suffit à lui-même.
by + agent uniquement si cela apporte une valeur ajoutée ou un crédit nécessaire.Quick FAQ
R: Non ! Seulement s'il est intéressant, important ou surprenant.
by avec des choses ou seulement des personnes ?R: Avec des choses aussi !
La ville a été détruite par la tempête.
R: On le voit plus à l'écrit formel, mais on l'utilise à l'oral pour mettre l'accent.
Passive Voice with 'By' Across Tenses
| Tense | Subject | Verb 'Be' | Past Participle | By + Agent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
The reports
|
are
|
written
|
by the staff.
|
|
Past Simple
|
The report
|
was
|
written
|
by the manager.
|
|
Present Continuous
|
The report
|
is being
|
written
|
by the intern.
|
|
Past Continuous
|
The report
|
was being
|
written
|
by Sarah.
|
|
Present Perfect
|
The report
|
has been
|
written
|
by the team.
|
|
Future (Will)
|
The report
|
will be
|
written
|
by the director.
|
|
Modals
|
The report
|
must be
|
written
|
by you.
|
Meanings
The passive voice with 'by' is used to identify the 'agent' (the person or thing that performs the action) when the sentence structure is passive. It allows the speaker to emphasize the receiver of the action while still providing credit or responsibility to the doer.
Artistic & Intellectual Credit
Used to attribute books, paintings, songs, or inventions to their creators.
“This novel was written by George Orwell.”
“The symphony was composed by Beethoven.”
Official & Legal Responsibility
Used in news or legal documents to state who performed an official action.
“The law was passed by the parliament.”
“The decision was made by the CEO.”
Unexpected Agents
Used when the doer of the action is surprising or particularly noteworthy.
“The window was broken by a falling branch.”
“The cake was eaten by the dog!”
Reference Table
| Structure | Exemple | Signification | Quand l'utiliser |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Voix Active
|
Sarah wrote the report.
|
Sarah (agent) a fait l'action.
|
Mettre l'accent sur l'auteur.
|
|
Voix Passive (sans agent)
|
The report was written.
|
Le rapport (receveur) a subi l'action.
|
Agent inconnu/sans importance.
|
|
Voix Passive (avec 'by')
|
The report was written by Sarah.
|
Le rapport (receveur) a subi l'action, Sarah est l'auteur.
|
L'agent est important/reçoit le crédit.
|
|
Passif Présent Simple
|
The coffee is brewed by her.
|
Elle prépare le café.
|
Actions routinières, crédit.
|
|
Passif Passé Simple
|
The song was sung by him.
|
Il a chanté la chanson.
|
Actions passées, crédit/identification.
|
|
Passif Futur Simple
|
The project will be managed by them.
|
Ils géreront le projet.
|
Plans futurs, attribution.
|
Spectre de formalité
The manuscript was authored by an unknown scholar. (Literature)
The book was written by a local author. (Literature)
It was written by some guy I know. (Literature)
This was penned by my homie. (Literature)
Carte Conceptuelle : Voix Passive avec 'By'
Structure
- Subject + Be + V3 + by + Agent Formation
- Be (conjugué) Verbe auxiliaire
- Participe Passé (V3) Forme du verbe principal
Quand l'utiliser
- Donner Crédit/Blâmer Assigner la responsabilité
- Agent Important/Inattendu Mettre en évidence l'auteur
- Contextes Formels Ton objectif
- Clarté Lever l'ambiguïté
Distinctions Clés
- By (Agent) Qui ou quoi fait l'action
- With (Instrument) Outil utilisé pour l'action
- Omettre 'by' si non important Pas besoin de l'auteur
Exemples
- was written by Sarah Crédit pour l'écriture
- is designed by Apple Entreprise comme agent
- will be delivered by drone Méthode/agent
By vs. With dans la Voix Passive
Dois-je utiliser 'By + Agent' ?
La phrase est-elle passive ?
L'agent (l'auteur) est-il connu ou important ?
L'agent est-il en fait un outil/instrument ?
Agents dans les Phrases Passives
Personnes
- • The book was read by a student.
- • The meal was prepared by the chef.
Organisations
- • The car was manufactured by Tesla.
- • The software was developed by Google.
Animaux
- • The food was eaten by the dog.
- • The sheep were herded by the dog.
Forces/Causes
- • The tree was struck by lightning.
- • The bridge was damaged by the earthquake.
Exemples par niveau
The book was written by him.
El libro fue escrito por él.
The cake was made by my dad.
El pastel fue hecho por mi papá.
The car was washed by Sam.
El coche fue lavado por Sam.
The photo was taken by her.
La foto fue tomada por ella.
The window was broken by a ball.
La ventana fue rota por una pelota.
The songs were sung by a famous choir.
Las canciones fueron cantadas por un coro famoso.
The house was built by my grandfather in 1950.
La casa fue construida por mi abuelo en 1950.
The emails were sent by the secretary.
Los correos fueron enviados por la secretaria.
The new law was signed by the President yesterday.
La nueva ley fue firmada por el Presidente ayer.
The bridge was designed by a French architect.
El puente fue diseñado por un arquitecto francés.
The missing child was found by a local hiker.
El niño desaparecido fue encontrado por un excursionista local.
The dinner was prepared by a professional chef.
La cena fue preparada por un chef profesional.
The experiment was conducted by a team of researchers from Oxford.
El experimento fue realizado por un equipo de investigadores de Oxford.
The company was founded by two brothers in their garage.
La empresa fue fundada por dos hermanos en su garaje.
The mural was painted by an anonymous artist overnight.
El mural fue pintado por un artista anónimo durante la noche.
The decision was heavily criticized by the local media.
La decisión fue fuertemente criticada por los medios locales.
The initiative was spearheaded by a coalition of environmental NGOs.
La iniciativa fue encabezada por una coalición de ONGs ambientales.
The manuscript was discovered by chance by a young librarian.
El manuscrito fue descubierto por casualidad por un joven bibliotecario.
The city's infrastructure was severely damaged by the hurricane.
La infraestructura de la ciudad fue gravemente dañada por el huracán.
The role was originally intended to be played by a younger actor.
El papel estaba originalmente destinado a ser interpretado por un actor más joven.
The silence was eventually broken by the rhythmic ticking of the clock.
El silencio fue finalmente roto por el tictac rítmico del reloj.
The policy was implemented by the government in the face of mounting public pressure.
La política fue implementada por el gobierno ante la creciente presión pública.
The intricate patterns were woven by hand by artisans in the remote village.
Los intrincados patrones fueron tejidos a mano por artesanos en la remota aldea.
The verdict was reached by the jury after three days of deliberation.
El veredicto fue alcanzado por el jurado tras tres días de deliberación.
Facile à confondre
Learners use 'by' for tools and 'with' for people.
In many languages, the word for 'from' is used for the passive agent.
Learners say 'He is known by everyone.'
Erreurs courantes
The book was written from Mark.
The book was written by Mark.
The cake was make by Mom.
The cake was made by Mom.
The car was wash by Sam.
The car was washed by Sam.
It was by him written.
It was written by him.
The window was broken by a hammer.
The window was broken with a hammer.
The song was sang by her.
The song was sung by her.
The letter was by me sent.
The letter was sent by me.
The house was built of my father.
The house was built by my father.
The decision was made by the meeting.
The decision was made at the meeting.
He was known by everyone.
He was known to everyone.
The room was filled by smoke.
The room was filled with smoke.
Structures de phrases
The ___ was ___ by ___.
Has the ___ been ___ by ___ yet?
The ___ is being ___ by ___ right now.
It is believed that the ___ was ___ by ___.
Real World Usage
This sculpture was created by a local artist.
The bank was robbed by three masked men.
Photo by @TravelGuru.
The project was managed by me and two colleagues.
The pyramids were built by thousands of workers.
Your ticket is being handled by our senior engineer.
L'agent, c'est important !
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.
By vs. With
The lock was broken by the thief with a crowbar.
Garde le focus !
The book was read by millions of people.
Formel vs. Informel
The new law was passed by the parliament.
Vérifie tes pronoms
The report was written by him.
Smart Tips
Always use 'by' to credit the creator. It's the most natural way to speak in English.
Pause and check if you should use 'with' instead of 'by'.
Put it at the end of the sentence with 'by' to make the sentence easier to read.
Ask yourself: 'Is it important to know who did this?' If no, delete the 'by' phrase.
Prononciation
The 'By' Connection
The word 'by' is usually unstressed. It sounds like /baɪ/ but is said very quickly, linking the verb to the agent.
End-Focus
The book was written by SHAKESPEARE. ↘
The stress often falls on the agent at the end of the sentence because it is the new information.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
B.Y. stands for 'Behold the Yesterday-doer' — it brings the person from the past action back to the end of the sentence.
Association visuelle
Imagine a movie poster where the title is huge at the top (the Object), and the director's name is in small letters at the bottom after the word 'By'. The focus is the movie, but the credit is at the end.
Rhyme
When the action is done and the object is first, use 'by' for the person or the bubble will burst!
Story
A famous painting was stolen from a museum. The news said 'The painting was taken' (Passive). Everyone asked 'Who?'. The news updated: 'The painting was taken BY a clever thief.' The 'by' solved the mystery.
Word Web
Défi
Look around your room. Find three items and say who they were made or bought by. (e.g., 'This lamp was bought by my sister.')
Notes culturelles
In Western academic writing, the passive with 'by' is used to show objectivity. However, modern styles (like APA) now encourage the active voice ('We found that...') to be more direct.
The BBC and other UK news outlets frequently use the passive with 'by' to report crimes or official statements to avoid sounding biased.
In galleries worldwide, 'by' is the standard way to attribute work. You will almost never see 'from' or 'of' on a painting's label.
The use of 'by' to indicate an agent comes from Old English 'be', which originally meant 'near' or 'at'. Over time, it evolved to mean 'through the agency of'.
Amorces de conversation
What is your favorite book, and who was it written by?
Think of a famous invention. Who was it invented by?
Was your house built by a company or an individual?
If your life were a movie, who would it be directed by?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
The famous novel was written ___ an acclaimed author.
Find and fix the mistake:
The delicious pizza was eaten with my brother.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'La présentation fue dada por la profesora.'
Answer starts with: ["T...
Score: /4
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesThe letter was written ___ a fountain pen ___ my grandfather.
Which sentence correctly gives credit to the artist?
Find and fix the mistake:
The cake was eaten from the dog.
Active: 'Steve Jobs founded Apple.'
Match the following:
broken / by / was / window / the / him
You must always use 'by' in every passive sentence.
A: Who fixed your computer? B: It ___ by my brother.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
14 exercisesThis famous cathedral ___ built ___ hundreds of workers.
The delicious cake was baked by a special recipe.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: 'El problema fue resuelto por mi colega.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the sentences:
The decision has already ___ made ___ the committee.
The new rules was announced by the principal.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'El trabajo de casa fue terminado por todos los estudiantes.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the fragments:
Many classic novels ___ still read ___ students today.
The new software is being developed by a small team of engineers now.
Score: /14
FAQ (8)
Don't use `by` if the agent is obvious (e.g., 'He was arrested'), unknown (e.g., 'My bike was stolen'), or unimportant (e.g., 'The road was paved').
Yes, but it's rare. Usually, we use the specific noun or a person's name. 'The window was broken by it' is grammatically correct but 'The window was broken by the wind' is better.
The passive voice itself is often formal, but adding `by` is just a way to provide information. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
Use `by` for the person or force that does the action. Use `with` for the tool or object used to do it. 'The tree was cut by the lumberjack with an axe.'
Absolutely. 'The office is cleaned by a professional crew every night.'
In creative writing, 'by' can make sentences feel long and slow. However, in academic and technical writing, it is essential for accuracy.
Yes. 'He got caught by the police.' This is more informal than 'He was caught by the police.'
Usually, yes. However, you can add time phrases after it: 'The book was written by him in 1990.'
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
por
Spanish speakers might confuse 'by' with 'for' because 'por' can mean both.
par
French sometimes uses 'de' for states (e.g., 'aimé de tous'), whereas English usually sticks to 'by' or 'to'.
von
German word order is much more flexible, often placing the 'von' phrase before the verb.
ni / ni yotte
Japanese passives often imply that the subject is 'adversely affected' by the action, which English doesn't necessarily do.
min qibal
In Arabic, it is often considered stylistically better to avoid mentioning the agent in a passive sentence.
bèi
In Chinese, the 'bèi' structure is traditionally used for negative or unpleasant events, though this is changing in modern usage.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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