B1 · 중급 챕터 7

Focusing on Actions with the Passive Voice

5 총 규칙
60 예문
6 분
이 챕터의 규칙 빠른 연습

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Shift the focus from who did it to what happened.

  • Construct passive sentences using the verb 'to be' and past participles.
  • Describe ongoing processes and historical events where the action is the star.
  • Identify when to include the person performing the action using 'by'.
Master the art of objective reporting and professional descriptions.

배울 내용

Ever wonder how to talk about events or give credit for achievements without always focusing on who did it? This chapter unlocks the power of the passive voice, helping you share news and highlight actions with confidence. You'll soon be reporting like a pro!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to transform active sentences into the basic passive form using 'be' + V3.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to describe daily routines and facts using the Present Simple Passive.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to narrate historical events or past actions using the Past Simple Passive.
  4. 4
    By the end you will be able to assign responsibility or credit in a passive sentence using the 'by' agent.
  5. 5
    By the end you will be able to use passive reporting structures to share news or common beliefs.

챕터 가이드

Overview

Welcome to
Focusing on Actions with the Passive Voice,
your guide to mastering a truly versatile aspect of B1 English grammar! Have you ever wanted to talk about an event or achievement without always having to say who was responsible? Perhaps you’ve read a news report and noticed how things are described in a very objective way.
That’s the magic of the passive voice. This chapter is designed to help you shift your focus from the doer to the action itself, giving you more flexibility and sophistication in your English.
By understanding how to use be with a past participle (V3), you'll unlock the ability to describe what happens to things (Present Simple Passive) and what happened to things (Past Simple Passive). We’ll also explore how to still give credit with by when the doer is important, and how professional English uses the passive voice for reporting news and rumors. This will significantly improve your ability to communicate clearly and confidently, allowing you to sound more natural and professional in various situations.
Get ready to enhance your English focusing on actions with the passive voice!

How This Grammar Works

At its heart, the passive voice is about changing the focus of a sentence. Instead of saying *who* did something (the active voice), you focus on *what* was done or *what* something happened to. The fundamental building block for all passive sentences is the auxiliary verb 'be' followed by the past participle (V3) of the main verb.
For example,
The car is repaired
or
The letter was written.
Let’s look at how this core structure adapts across different situations. For actions happening regularly or states of being, we use the Present Simple Passive. This is formed with am/is/are + V3.
If a problem with your car is fixed every year, you might say,
The engine is checked annually.
Here, the focus is on the engine and the regular action, not necessarily who checks it. When we talk about past actions where the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious, we use the Past Simple Passive. This uses was/were + V3.
For instance,
The ancient city was discovered in the desert
focuses on the city and the discovery, not who discovered it.
Sometimes, even in the passive voice, the doer *is* important. In these cases, you can give credit with by by adding 'by' followed by the agent at the end of the sentence.
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci
still highlights the painting first, but acknowledges the artist.
This is particularly useful when the action is more significant than the actor, but the actor is still noteworthy. Finally, the passive voice is extremely common for reporting news and rumors. This allows for objectivity and formality, often when the source isn't clear or needs to be generalized.
Phrases like
It is believed that...
or
The new policy was announced yesterday
are perfect examples, focusing on the information itself rather than the speaker or announcer.

Common Mistakes

Learning the passive voice can sometimes lead to a few common errors. Let's make sure you avoid them!
  1. 1✗ Incorrect form of 'be' or forgetting it
* ✗ The book written last year.
* ✓ The book was written last year.
* *Explanation:* You must always include a form of the verb 'be' (am, is, are, was, were) in passive sentences.
  1. 1✗ Using the wrong past participle
* ✗ The report is wrote by my colleague.
* ✓ The report is written by my colleague.
* *Explanation:* Remember to use the correct past participle (V3) form of the verb, not the past simple form.
  1. 1✗ Confusing active and passive when using 'by'
* ✗ She was cooking the dinner by her.
* ✓ The dinner was cooked by her.
* *Explanation:* The agent with 'by' comes after the passive verb structure, indicating the person who performed the action. The original sentence was trying to force a passive structure onto an active meaning.

Real Conversations

Here’s how the passive voice sounds in everyday chats:

A

A

Hey, what happened to the old building on Elm Street?
B

B

Oh, it was demolished last month. A new apartment complex is being built there now.
A

A

Did you hear about the new art exhibit?
B

B

Yes, I did! I heard a lot of the sculptures were created by local artists. It is said to be very impressive.
A

A

This report looks great. Who put it together?
B

B

Actually, the data was collected by the whole team, and then the final presentation was designed by Sarah.

Quick FAQ

Q

Why is English focusing on actions with the passive voice important for B1 learners?

It's crucial for understanding news, formal reports, and sounding more sophisticated. It allows you to describe situations where the action or result is more important than who did it, which is very common in English.

Q

When should I definitely use by in a passive sentence?

Use by when the agent (the person or thing doing the action) is important or interesting to know, but you still want to keep the focus on the action or the recipient of the action. If the agent is unknown, unimportant, or obvious, you can omit by.

Q

Can the passive voice be used in questions?

Absolutely! Just like active sentences, passive sentences can be turned into questions. For example:

Was the car repaired?
or
Is the message understood?

Q

How can I practice using the passive voice effectively?

Try describing processes (e.g.,

How coffee is made
), summarizing news articles, or rewriting active sentences you find into passive ones. Listening to news broadcasts also helps you hear it naturally.

Cultural Context

In English, the passive voice is more prevalent in formal, academic, scientific, and journalistic writing. It helps maintain objectivity and can make reports sound more authoritative by depersonalizing statements. For instance,
Mistakes were made
sounds more formal and less accusatory than You made mistakes. In informal, everyday conversations, the active voice is generally preferred, as it’s more direct and personal.
Overusing the passive voice in casual talk can sometimes make you sound overly formal or even evasive, so it's all about choosing the right tool for the right situation!

주요 예문 (8)

1

The email **is sent** every Monday morning.

이메일은 매주 월요일 아침에 발송됩니다.

수동태: 기본 형태 (be + V3)
2

The old castle **was built** in the 12th century.

그 오래된 성은 12세기에 지어졌습니다.

수동태: 기본 형태 (be + V3)
3

The coffee is brewed fresh every morning.

커피는 매일 아침 신선하게 내려집니다.

영어 수동태: 사물이 어떻게 되는가 (현재 단순 수동태)
4

Books are read in the library.

책은 도서관에서 읽힙니다.

영어 수동태: 사물이 어떻게 되는가 (현재 단순 수동태)
5

The email `was sent` an hour ago.

이메일은 한 시간 전에 발송되었어요.

과거 단순 수동태: 그것에 무슨 일이 일어났나요?
6

My bike `was stolen` from outside the cafe.

내 자전거가 카페 밖에서 도난당했어요.

과거 단순 수동태: 그것에 무슨 일이 일어났나요?
7

The new bridge was designed by a famous architect.

그 새로운 다리는 유명한 건축가에 의해 설계되었어요.

수동태: 'by'를 사용하여 공로를 표하다
8

The email will be sent by the marketing team tomorrow.

그 이메일은 내일 마케팅팀에 의해 발송될 거예요.

수동태: 'by'를 사용하여 공로를 표하다

팁과 요령 (4)

💡

수동태 찾아내기

항상 'to be' 동사(is, was, are, were, been, being)가 바로 뒤에 과거분사(V3)와 함께 오는지 확인하세요. 둘 다 없으면 수동태가 아닐 가능성이 높아요! 아주 쉬워요!
The movie was directed by him.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 수동태: 기본 형태 (be + V3)
💡

'Be' + V3 형태를 확인하세요

항상 'be' 동사(am, is, are) 뒤에 과거분사(V3)가 오는지 확인해 보세요. 둘 중 하나라도 없으면 수동태가 아니에요!
The car is repaired.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 영어 수동태: 사물이 어떻게 되는가 (현재 단순 수동태)
💡

'Was/Were'를 찾아보세요

문장에서 동사 앞에 'was'나 'were'가 있는지 항상 확인해야 해요. 만약 없다면, 능동태 문장이거나 문법 오류일 수 있어요!
The door was opened.
처럼요.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 과거 단순 수동태: 그것에 무슨 일이 일어났나요?
💡

행위자가 중요해요!

누가 또는 무엇이 행동을 했는지 아는 것이 문장의 정보 가치를 높이거나 의미를 명확히 할 때만 'by + 행위자'를 사용하세요. 너무 뻔하거나 중요하지 않을 때는 굳이 안 써도 괜찮아요!
The painting was painted by Picasso.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 수동태: 'by'를 사용하여 공로를 표하다

핵심 어휘 (6)

manufactured made in a factory discovered found for the first time announced made known publicly organized planned and coordinated published printed for sale believed thought to be true

Real-World Preview

palette

The Art Gallery Tour

Review Summary

  • Subject + to be + Past Participle (V3)
  • am/is/are + V3
  • was/were + V3
  • ... + by + person
  • It is + said/thought/reported + that...

자주 하는 실수

Many learners forget the verb 'to be'. You always need a form of 'be' (is, are, was, were) to make a passive sentence.

Wrong: The movie watched by me yesterday.
정답: The movie was watched by me yesterday.

You must use the Past Participle (V3), not the Past Simple (V2). 'Wrote' is V2; 'written' is V3.

Wrong: The song was wrote by her.
정답: The song was written by her.

In English, we use 'by' to indicate the person who performed the action, not 'from' or 'of'.

Wrong: The book was written from Mark Twain.
정답: The book was written by Mark Twain.

Next Steps

You've unlocked a major level of English fluency! Using the passive voice makes your writing sound sophisticated and objective. Keep practicing!

Read a short news article and highlight every passive sentence.

Describe how your favorite food is made using the Present Simple Passive.

Continue to: Advanced Passive Forms and Natural Phrasing

빠른 연습 (10)

문장에서 틀린 부분을 찾아 고치세요.

Find and fix the mistake:

The delicious pizza was eaten with my brother.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The delicious pizza was eaten by my brother.
행위자('my brother')를 소개할 때 'with'를 사용한 것이 잘못되었어요. 'by'는 행위자에, 'with'는 도구에 사용돼요. 내 동생은 도구가 아니죠!

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 수동태: 'by'를 사용하여 공로를 표하다

'by'를 사용한 수동태 문장이 올바른 것을 고르세요.

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The new song was produced by the popular DJ.
1번 선택지는 'was produced' (produce의 수동태) 다음에 'by'를 써서 행위자를 올바르게 소개하고 있어요. 2번과 3번 선택지는 문법적으로 틀렸어요.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 수동태: 'by'를 사용하여 공로를 표하다

수동태에 맞는 올바른 동사 형태를 선택하세요.

The old house ___ last year.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: was demolished
주어 'The old house'는 단수이므로 'was'를 사용하고, 'demolish'의 과거분사는 'demolished'예요.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 과거 단순 수동태: 그것에 무슨 일이 일어났나요?

올바른 수동태 형태를 고르세요.

The world's best coffee ___ in Colombia.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: is grown
'coffee'는 단수이므로 'grown'의 과거분사와 함께 'is'를 사용합니다.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 영어 수동태: 사물이 어떻게 되는가 (현재 단순 수동태)

수동태 문장을 완성하기 위해 올바른 'be' 동사 형태를 고르세요.

The new library ___ opened next month.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: will be
행동이 '다음 달에' 일어날 것이기 때문에, 미래 단순 수동태 형태인 'will be' + V3가 필요합니다.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 수동태: 기본 형태 (be + V3)

문장에서 틀린 부분을 찾아 고치세요.

The books was read by many students.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The books were read by many students.
'Books'는 복수 주어이므로 'was' 대신 'were'를 사용해야 해요.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 과거 단순 수동태: 그것에 무슨 일이 일어났나요?

올바른 수동태 보고 표현을 사용한 문장을 고르세요.

올바른 문장을 고르세요:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: It is reported that the store is closed.
It is...that 구조에 대한 수동태 형태인 is reported가 일반적인 뉴스를 보여주는 올바른 표현이에요.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 수동태를 사용하는 시점 (뉴스 및 소문 보도)

행위자를 소개하는 올바른 전치사를 고르세요.

The famous novel was written ___ an acclaimed author.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: by
수동태 문장에서 행위자(작가)를 소개할 때는 'by'를 사용해요. 'with'는 도구를 나타낼 때 사용하죠.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 수동태: 'by'를 사용하여 공로를 표하다

문장을 완성할 올바른 형태를 고르세요.

It ___ that the new student is from Canada.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: is believed
It is believed that... 구조는 일반적인 현재의 믿음이나 소문을 전달하는 데 올바른 표현이에요.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 수동태를 사용하는 시점 (뉴스 및 소문 보도)

문장에서 틀린 부분을 찾아 고치세요.

Find and fix the mistake:

The concert cancelled because of the rain.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The concert was cancelled because of the rain.
원래 문장에 'be' 동사가 빠져있습니다. 'cancelled'는 과거의 사건을 나타내므로, 'was'가 'to be' 동사의 올바른 과거 단순 형태입니다.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 수동태: 기본 형태 (be + V3)

Score: /10

자주 묻는 질문 (6)

가장 기본적인 구조는 'to be' 동사(is, was, are 등)의 형태 뒤에 주동사의 '과거분사'(V3)가 오는 거예요. 예를 들어,
The book is read.
행동을 하는 사람이나 사물('행위자')을 모르거나 중요하지 않을 때, 또는 행동 자체나 행동을 받는 사람/사물을 강조하고 싶을 때 사용해요. 예를 들어,
The window was broken.
주된 목적은 누가 행동을 하는지보다 그 행동 자체나 행동을 받는 대상에 초점을 맞추는 거예요. 예를 들어,
The report is written
은 작성자보다 보고서가 강조되죠.
'be' 동사의 현재 시제 형태(am, is, are) 뒤에 동사의 과거분사(V3)를 붙여서 만들어요. 예를 들어,
English is spoken globally
처럼요.
핵심 아이디어는 과거에 일어난 행동과 주어가 '당한' 일에 초점을 맞추는 거예요. 누가 그 행동을 했는지보다는요. 예를 들어, 'The car was repaired'는 자동차와 수리된 사실을 강조하지, 정비사를 강조하지 않죠.
'to be' 동사의 과거형(단수 주어는 was, 복수 주어는 were)과 본동사의 과거분사(V3)를 결합해서 만들어요. 예를 들어, 'The report was written' 또는 'The gifts were given'처럼요.
이전 챕터
Advanced Verb Patterns and Meaning Changes
다음 챕터
Advanced Passive Forms and Natural Phrasing
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