Unit 3Passive Voice

NotesPart 1

Learning Goals: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Understand the concept of voice as it pertains to language.

2. Understand the concepts of active voice and passive voice in English.

3. Switch voices within a sentence.

Voice

• Usually, when we consider the word voice we are referring to sound coming from someone’s throat.

• But there is another type of voice…• grammatical voice, used when speaking of verbs.

• In this sense, voice means whether or not the subject is doing the action of the verb.

The 2 Voices of Language

• There are 2 voices of verbs.• Active voice• Passive voice

• An active voice verb is one where the subject is doing the action..

• A passive voice verb is one where the subject is being acted upon..

Consider these sentences:The boy threw

the ball.• In this sentence the

subject is boy and the verb is threw.

• The subject, boy, is doing the action of throwing.

The ball was thrown by the boy.

• In this sentence, the subject is ball and the verb is was thrown.

• The action of throwing is happening to the subject.

Both sentences mean essentially the same thing, but they go about it differently. In the first one the focus is on the boy, while in the second one the focus is on the ball.

Which voice is each of these sentences?

8. The children are learning the song.

9. The secretary will print the document.

10. The shop will be closed.

11. The trash needs to be taken out.

12. They are buying new shoes.

13. This was painted by Picasso.

1. A mistake has been made.

2. Are you being picked up by your mom?

3. Did you paint this?

4. I didn’t read that book.

5. My bike was stolen.

6. Rita wrote a letter.

7. She always pays.

ctive?

assive?

or

To change the voice…• It is really important for you to be able to move

between voices easily, so let’s learn how to do that.

• Take a look at those original sentences again:

The boy threw the ball.The ball was thrown by the boy.

•The passive voice verb (was thrown) uses 1) a form of “be” as a helping verb, AND 2) the actual verb is in a form called the “past participle”.

(We’ll learn more about this later. For right now just think of it as the “-ed” form of the verb)

• The direct object of the active voice sentence becomes the subject in the new sentence.• The ball was thrown

• Then, the subject of the active voice sentence becomes part of a prepositional phrase using “by” in the new sentence.• by the boy

• So this means if you have an active voice verb that you wish to make passive,1. Switch the subject and object.

2. Add a form of “be” (be careful that you keep it in the same tense).

3. Change the verb to the past participle (–ed ) form of the verb.

Active: He stole my bike.

Passive: The bike was stolen by him.

Let’s play with tenses:• The man is stealing my bike.• My bike is being stolen by the man.

• The man was stealing my bike.• My bike was being stolen by the man.

• The man will steal my bike.• The bike will be stolen by the man.

• The man has stolen my bike.• My bike has been stolen by the man.

• The man had stolen my bike.• My bike had been stolen by the man.

• Did you notice that there may be more than one helping verb?

• One of them is for the tense; while the other is for the voice.

My level of understandi

ngCheck for understanding

4I understand the concept of passive voice; I can tell the voice of a verb when I see it in English; AND I can change the voice of the verb on my own – no notes!

3I understand the concept of passive voice; I can tell the voice of a verb when I see it in English; AND I can change the voice of the verb on my own with my notes

2 I understand the concept of passive voice; AND I can tell the voice of a verb when I see it in English.

1 I understand the concept of passive voice.

Quid agis? How are you doing?

Class Practice 3.1• Tell what voice each of the following is and then change

the voice of the sentence.

1. Everyone understands English.

2. The managers were interviewing her for the job.

3. The prize was won by my team.

4. The professor told him not to talk in class.

5. The song will be sung by the choir.

6. The Statue of Liberty was designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.

7. The Statue of Liberty was given to the U.S. by France.

8. They were not told by me!

9. This surprises me.

10. Tom is writing the letter.

Part 2

Learning Goals: By the end of the lesson students will be able to:

1. Recognize and produce the Latin present tense passive voice endings.

2. Conjugate and translate a 1st or 2nd conjugation verb in the present tense, passive voice.

3. Translate words, phrases, and sentences using passive voice.

Do you remember…?

• Let’s take a moment to remember the main points about passive voice in English:• In passive voice, the subject is NOT doing the action; rather, the

subject is being acted upon. • The action is happening to the subject.

• English requires 2 things for a verb to be passive:• A form of the verb be (which changes according to the tense)• The past participle (the -ed form of the verb)

Passive Voice in Latin

• Latin makes things so much easier! • All you need to do is remember a rule

and some endings.• The rule:

2nd p. part / drop –re / add the endings

• The endings: -r-ris

-tur

-mur

-mini-ntur

1st Conjugation:

amo, -are, -avi, -atus - love

amor – I am loved

I am being loved

amaris – you are loved

you are being loved

amatur – h/s/i is loved

h/s/i is being loved

amamur – we are loved

we are being loved

amamini – you are loved

you are being loved

amantur – they are loved

they are being loved

For the 1st one, simply add the

ending directly onto the 1st p. part.

Stem vowel for 1st conjugation is –a as usual

2nd Conjugation:

moneo, -ēre, -ui, -itus - warn

moneor – I am warned

I am being warned

moneris – you are warned

you are being warned

monetur – h/s/i is warned

h/s/i is being warned

monemur – we are warned

we are being warned

monemini – you are warned

you are being warned

monentur – they are warned

they are being warned

Stem vowel for 2nd conjugation is –e as usual

Let’s see them at work:

• Pupae a parvis puellis aliquibus amantur.• Dolls are loved by some little girls.

• Servi, qui in villā laborabant, in agros a vilicō iubentur.• The slaves, who used to work in the country

house, are being ordered into the fields by the overseer.

• Cur cistae nostrae in viam a servis portantur?• Why are our trunks being carried into the street by

the slaves?

My level of understandin

gCheck for understanding

4I know the rule for forming the Latin present passive; I know the present passive endings for Latin; AND I can conjugate and translate a passive voice verb in Latin on my own without no notes!

3I know the rule for forming the Latin present passive; I know the present passive endings for Latin; AND I can conjugate and translate a passive voice verb in Latin with my notes.

2 I know the rule for forming the Latin present passive; AND I know the present passive endings for Latin.

1 I know the rule for forming the Latin present passive.

Quid agis? How are you doing?

Class Practice 3.2

1. deletur

2. desiderant

3. exspector

4. iuvaris

5. laudo

6. movemur

7. navigamini

8. portatis

9. terrentur

10.videmus

I. Translate the following, change the voice of each and then translate the new verb.

II. Translate the following sentence.

Urbs a malis viris deletur.

Part 3

Learning Goals: By the end of the lessons students will be able to:

1. Conjugate and translate 3rd, 3rd –io, and 4th conjugation verbs in the present tense, passive voice.

2. Recognize where these conjugations differ from each other and what the differences are.

3. Translate words, phrases, and sentences using passive voice.

3rd Conjugation:

• pono, -ere, posui, positus – put, place

ponor – I am put

I am being put

Ponēris* – you are put

you are being put

ponitur – h/s/i is put

h/s/i is being put

ponimur – we are put

we are being put

ponimini – you are put

you are being put

ponuntur – they are put

they are being put

For the 1st one, sim

ply add the

ending directly onto the 1st p. part.

* OK, OK, I know…IMPOSSIBLE, right? I have no explanation for this! Unfortunately, it’s just a thing that happens! We all just have to deal with it! The –e that is too weak in active voice somehow lengthens, but only in 2nd person singular and only for 3rd conjugation (including 3rd –io).

3rd –io Conjugation:

• capio, -ere, cepi, captus – take, seize

capior – I am seized

I am being seized

capēris* – you are seized

you are being seized

capitur – h/s/i is seized

h/s/i is being seized

capimur – we are seized

we are being seized

capimini – you are seized

you are being seized

capiuntur – they are seized

they are being seized

For the 1st one, sim

ply add the

ending directly onto the 1st p. part.

* 3rd –io verbs also have the lengthened –e in 2nd person singular, just like for pono. Additionally, we would expect to see caperis, but as you can tell these verbs lose the –i from the 1st p. part in this place.

4th Conjugation:

• audio, -ire, audivi, auditus – hear

audior – I am heard

I am being heard

audiris* – you are heard

you are being heard

auditur – h/s/i is heard

h/s/i is being heard

audimur – we are heard

we are being heard

audimini – you are heard

you are being heard

audiuntur – they are heard

they are being heard

For the 1st one, sim

ply add the

ending directly onto the 1st p. part.

* 4th conjugation verbs are completely regular. No weirdness happens in 2nd person singular.

My level of understandin

gCheck for understanding

4I know the rule for forming the Latin present passive; I know the present passive endings for Latin; AND I can conjugate and translate a passive voice verb in Latin on my own without no notes!

3I know the rule for forming the Latin present passive; I know the present passive endings for Latin; AND I can conjugate and translate a passive voice verb in Latin with my notes.

2 I know the rule for forming the Latin present passive; AND I know the present passive endings for Latin.

1 I know the rule for forming the Latin present passive.

Quid ago? How am I doing?

Part 4

Learning Goals: By the end of the lessons students will be able to:

1. Form and translate the present passive infinitive for all conjugations of verbs.

2. Recognize and use the abl. of agent.

3. Translate words, phrases, and sentences using the present passive infinitive and the abl. of agent.

More on Passive Voice

• Now that you have the basics of passive voice down, let’s add one more dimension. • Let’s learn to make the infinitive passive.

• What you already know about the infinitive:• In Latin it is the 2nd p. part of every verb.• In English the infinitive is “to + verb.”

• to eat • to ask • to see

• This can be made passive too.• All it takes is a form of be and the past participle

(the –ed form) of the verb (just like anything passive).• to be eaten • to be asked• to be seen

• Just follow these 2 simple rules and you can’t go wrong.• For 1st, 2nd, and 4th conjugation verbs:

• For 3rd and 3rd –io conjugation verbs:

2nd p. part / change the final –e to –i.

2nd p. part / drop the -ere /add –i.

Active Infinitive Passive Infinitive

amare – to love amari – to be loved

habēre – to have haberi – to be had

ponere – to put poni – to be put

capere – to take capi – to be taken

audire – to hear audiri – to be heard

It’s really easy!

Another Quick Note:

• Last year I alerted you every time you were exposed to a verb whose 4th p. part ends in –urus and told you this would be significant in Latin 2.• venio, -ire, veni, venturus – come

• Now it’s time to learn what that’s about:• Verbs whose 4th p. parts end in –urus can’t be made passive.

• This is really important! • I’ve been known to see who is paying attention by

giving one of these verbs to conjugate in the passive voice. • If this should happen I’m expecting to see as your answer,

“this verb can’t be made passive.”

Abl. of (Personal) Agent:

• We know that in passive voice the subject is not doing the action of the verb. But who is?

• The one doing the action of a passive voice verb is called the agent (from ago – do).

• It occurs only with passive voice and uses the preposition a, ab and is translated by. • Ex: A matre puella vocatur – the girl is being

called by (her) mother.

Class Practice 3.3I. Fill in the following chart. I’ve done an example for you.

Word Translation Change the voice Translation

paramini you are carried paratis you carry

1. agis

2. clamamus

3. debēre

4. facit

5. invenire

6. munimini

7. regi

8. videor

Class Practice 3.3 continued

II. Translate the following:

1. Claudius ab amicō qui non est puer bonus ridetur.

2. Iulia, quae est ancilla in casā meā, ā dominā laudatur.

3. Iulia, cur ā dominā casae laudaris?

Here are the ablatives you know now:1. Time (when or within which) – tells when an action occurred; no

preposition is used; translates best using in, on, at, or no preposition. Ex: hōc tempore – at this time; brevī tempore – in a short time.

2. Means – tells with what an action was done; no preposition is used; translates best using with or by. Ex: baculō – with a stick.

3. Manner – tells how an action was done; sometimes uses the preposition cum; translates best using with. Ex: magnō cum murmure – with a great murmur.

4. Cause – tells why an action was done; no preposition is used; translates best using because of. Ex: meā culpā – because of my fault.

5. Place: tells where an action was done; always uses a preposition (they vary); translate according to the preposition. Ex: in agris – in the fields

6. Agent: tells by whom an action was done; occurs only with passive voice verbs; always uses the preposition a, ab; translates best using by. Ex: A matre puella vocatur – the girl is being called by (her) mother.

Let’s see all this at work:• Aliqui populi a Caesare regi voluerunt.

• Some people wanted to be ruled by Caesar.

• Pantheon, quod est templum pulcherrimum, a Titō aedificatur.• The Pantheon, which is a very beautiful temple, is being built

by Titus.

• Titus, qui est imperator, Pantheonem aedificari vult.• Titus, who is the emperor, wants the Pantheon to be built.

• Ista poema a Catullō, qui est poeta clarus, recitatur.• That poem is being recited by Catullus, who is a famous poet.

• Mater, quae irata est, hoc cubiculum a mē purgari vult!• Mother, who is angry, wants this bedroom to be cleaned by

me!

My level of understandin

gCheck for understanding

4I understand the concepts of the present passive infinitive and the abl. of agent; I can recognize them in a Latin sentence; AND I can translate them from English to Latin.

3I understand the concepts of the present passive infinitive and the abl. of agent; I can recognize them in a Latin sentence; AND I can translate them from Latin to English.

2I understand the concepts of the present passive infinitive and the abl. of agent; AND I can recognize them in a Latin sentence.

1 I understand the concepts of the present passive infinitive and the abl. of agent.

Quid ago? How am I doing?