The Passive Voice

Verbs can be active or passive voice. This means that when the subject of the verb does the action of the verb, we can say the verb is active, alternatively a verb is in the passive voice if the subject has the action of the verb made.

The passive voice (la forma passiva) is a construction in which the direct object becomes the subject and the subject becomes the agent.

Only transitive verbs have passive form.

The Italian passive voice is form exactly the same way as in English: the verb of the active sentence is turned into to be with the same tense) + the verb's past participle:

It is formed in the following way:

subject + essere/venire + past participle (+ da person/agent)

Active sentence: Maria scrive una lettera = Mary writes a letter

Passive sentence: la lettera è scritta da Maria = the letter is written by Mary

The verb of the active sentence is scrive ( third singular person fro the Present Tense of scrivere, to eat ) so the passive voice takes è (3^rd person from the present tense of essere, to be), scritto ( past participle of scrivere is written).

In forming passive, by adding the auxiliary verb essere ( to be), the subject no longer carries out the action, but receive it. Who instead accomplishes the action determined in English by preposition by , in Italian is enclosed by preposition da .

Es.

La ragazza lava  il vestito           = the girl washes the dress

Il vestito è lavato dalla ragazza    = The dress is washed by the girl

Io leggo il libro        = I read the book

Il libro è letto da me = the book is read by me

Lui scriverà un articolo = he'll write an artiche

L'articolo sarà scritto da lui = the artiche will be written by him

Passive doesn't have particolar inflexions, because only the past participle  of the main verb is used. To get the passive form of the verb all you need to do is to add its past participle to the various tenses of the auxiliary verb, essere.

Intransitive verbs such as to sleep, to laugh, to die, to come, etc never have a direct object, so the second cannot become the subject  of the passive sentence. Transitive verbs, instead, can always be changed into passive forms.

The passive can also be formed with andare + past participle, but this implies an obligation or necessity, and is synonymous with dovere essere + past participle (has to be, must be):

The bills must be paid.
I conti devono essere pagati.
I conti vanno pagati.

Essere must be used for all compound tenses in the past.The compound tenses of an intransitive verb are even more similar to passive, because they both take essere. However, they can be told by the meaning of the verb. For instance, comparing the passive form of amare( to love, transitive)with andare ( to go intransitive), you will observe that the auxiliary verb is identical, although the meaning leaves little doubt whether the form is active or passive:

Transitive verb in passive form

Sono amato = I am loved

Ero amato= I was loved

Fui amato= I was loved

Sarò amato = I'll be loved

Intransitive verb

Sono andato = I went/ I have gone

Ero andato = I had gone

Fui andato = I had gone

Sarò andato = I'll have gone

As a general rule, when essere is followed by a past participle ( amato, guardato, andato) only if the latter verb is transitive, it is a passive form ( sono guardato, sono amato), otherwise it is an active form ( sono andato).

All in all:

1)We choose a passive structure when we focus on the action itself rather

than who performs the action.

The new machine has been installed

2. We can use by to mention who performs the action.

All her clothes are designed by Dior

3. We often use the passive to describe a process, system or procedure.

Before a product is launched focus groups are set up and a name is

chosen

4. We often use the passive in impersonal constructions beginning with it.

These constructions are frequently found in reports and the minutes of

meetings.

Es: It was agreed that the budget should be increased

Exercise:

Change the sentences from active to passive form:

• 1) Tom buys a new car every year = Tom compra una macchina nuova ogni anno
• 2) Carlo will buy a new house tomorrow = carlo comprerà una nuova casa domani.
• 3) Maria would eat a soup = Maria vorrebbe mangiare una minestra.
• 4) They sing a song = loro cantano una canzone.
• 5) She does the housework = Lei fa i lavori domestici.
• 6) Mother waters the plant = la mamma bagna la pianta.
• 7) He reads the newspaper = Egli legge il giornale

Answers:

• 1) A new car is bought by Tom every year.
• 2) A new house will be bought by Carlo tomorrow.
• 3) A soup would be eaten by Maria.
• 4) The song is sung by them.
• 5) The housework is done by her.
• 6) The plant is watered by mom.
• 7) The newspaper is read by him.

By Elisa Bressan