A voz passiva é muito usada na língua inglesa, principalmente na linguagem formal. Na estrutura, temos o verbo to be como auxiliar e o verbo principal precisa estar no passado particípio. O tempo verbal da voz ativa é definido pelo verbo to be; neste caso, ele sempre estará no mesmo tempo verbal que o verbo principal na oração ativa. Introduzimos o agente da passiva após a preposição by.
Exemplos:
Active: They have made a number of attempts to discover the mayas’ code.
Passive: A number of attempts have been made to discover the mayas’ code.
Active: John gave Mary a present.
Passive: Mary was given a present (by John).
Active: Someone built this house in 1850.
Passive: This house was built in 1850.
Active: The writers have written a lot of books about this subject.
Passive: A lot of books have been written about this subject.
Active: We could have conserved more wheat last year.
Passive: More wheat could have been conserved last year.
Casos Especiais:
A voz passiva geralmente é usada quando o sujeito da oração é indeterminado e faz o papel de gerador da ação.
Exemplos:
Material from the Earth’s interior is continually being brought to the surface.
The ocean oors is recycled into the Earth’s interior, and is replaced in less than 200 million years.
Alguns anúncios são usados na voz passiva.
Exemplos:
ENGLISH SPOKEN – KEYS CUT WHILE YOU WAIT – NO CHANGE GIVEN – CHILDREN UNDER 14 NOT ADMITTED – SECOND-HAND BOOKS BOUGHT AND SOLD – CHEQUES NOT ACCEPTED.
Expressões do tipo: They/ People + say/believe or Everybody + says/ knows…etc., or are, frequentemente são usadas na voz passiva.
Exemplos:
Active: Everybody says he is the best student in class.
Passive: It’s said he’s the best in class / He’s said to be the best in class.
Passive: You are supposed to be in class.
Active: Everyone supposes you are in class
Observação
Duas formas diferentes de se dizer a mesma coisa na voz passiva.
Exemplos:
It is believed that the bride is wearing a white dress. / The bride is believed to be wearing a white dress.
Voz passiva com os verbos: consider, report, expect, know, say, assume, feel, nd, presume, repute, understand.
Exemplos:
I am considered to be an expert on crickets.
The Millers are reported to be making a tour of the USA.
The report is expected to be published in May.
A camel is said to be able to go without water for 28 days.
John Lennon is known to have been interested in oriental religions.
Da Vinci is said to have designed the rst submarine.
Nota: other verbs which are used in this pattern are:
Voz passiva no infinitivo.
Exemplos:
It was the rst/last/second/best one to be made/ to have been made.
I would like to be invited/ I would like to have been invited.
Alguns casos de voz passiva com o verbo “to be”.
Exemplos:
These cakes are not to be eaten until they are ready.
I was to have been invited, but they lost my address!
Not to be opened before christmas day.
To be taken three times a day before meal.
The books to be catalogued are on your desk.
There are a lot of letters to be written.
There is a lot to be done.
There is nothing to be done.
Here are some books to be read.
Nota: a expressão “be born” já está na voz passiva.
Exemplos:
I was born in…
How many babies are born every day?
A voz passiva usando “by” e “with”.
Exemplos:
Penicillin was discovered by Fleming in 1928.
Many towns in Mexico were destroyed by the earthquake.
The building was occupied by security forces.
The helicopter was piloted by the soldier.
The meat should be cut with a sharp knife.
He was killed with a brick.
This book was made with a new material.
