LA VOIX PASSIVE
 
 
 

Click to view a table of tenses in English with active and passive
 
 

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Comment la construire

+ S + BE + Part. Passé

? BE + S + Part. Passé + ?

- S + BE + nég + Part. Passé
 


                Il suffit de conjuguer TO BE au temps voulu et de l'accorder avec le sujet.
 
 
 

Remarque : Ne pas confondre avec le Present Perfect  (HAVE)

Quand l’utiliser
 

Beaucoup plus fréquente qu'en français, la voix passive

- Met en relief le sujet.

           The World Cup, and not the European Cup, was won by Italy in 1983.

- Remplace souvent le 'ON' français.    'On a volé la cuisse de Jupiter'; Qui est 'on'?

           It has been stolen (by unidentified people).

- Passif à deux compléments. (typiquement anglais, surprenant parfois pour les Français.

Mrs Thatcher gave THEM some MONEY.

Money was given to themby Mrs T.

Ou encore
 

Mrs Thatcher gave THEM some MONEY.

They were given money by Mrs T.


Autre usage du passif fréquent dans la presse

M. Gates is said to be the richest man in the world.
 




 

Table of tenses in English with active and passive
 
 

TENSE                         ACTIVE                                 PASSIVE

SIMPLE

Present                         He takes                                   It is taken

Past                             He took                                     It was taken

Present Perfect            He has taken                              It has been taken

Past perfect                 He had taken                             It had been taken

Future                         He will take                               It will be taken

Future perfect             He will have taken                      It will have been taken

Conditional                 He would take                           It would be taken

Past Conditional          He would have taken                 It would have been taken
 

Modal verbs               He may                                     He may
                                        might                                        might
                                        could                                        could
                                        can                                           can
                                        (etc,)       take                          (etc.)          be taken

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CONTINUOUS

Present                         He is taking                             It is being taken

Past                              He was taking                         It was being taken

Present perfect             He has been taking                          *

Past perfect                  He had been taking                         *

Future                          He will be taking                             *

Future perfect               He will have been taking                 *

Conditional                   He would be taking                        *

Past conditional             He would have been taking            *

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OTHERS

Infinitive                     (to) take                                  (to) be taken

Perfect infinitive         (to) have taken                         (to) have been taken

Gerund                     taking                                         being taken

Imperative                 Take!                                         be taken!


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