Passive voice(2 objects)

When there are two objects in an active sentence, there are two possible active sentences and two possible passive sentences. 

(ACTIVE) Possibility 1: The trainer gave the trainees the materials.

(ACTIVE) Possibility 2: The trainer gave the materials to the trainees. 

There are two objects in each of the following sentences: 

Object 1 = indirect object: the trainees

Object 2 = direct object: the materials

An indirect object is very often a person, a direct object is a thing. When a direct object is followed by an indirect one, we put the preposition “to” in front of the indirect object. 

Each of the objects (direct and indirect) can be the subject in the passive sentence. 

(PASSIVE) Possibility 1: The materials were given to the trainees (by the trainer).

(PASSIVE) Possibility 2: The trainees were given the materials (by the trainer).

PASSIVE VERB TENSES

PRESENT SIMPLE

ACTIVE VOICE: She sends her children some money.

PASSIVE VOICE 1: Her children are sent some money. 

PASSIVE VOICE 2: Some money is sent to her children.  

PAST SIMPLE

ACTIVE VOICE: She sent her children some money.

PASSIVE VOICE 1: Her children were sent some money. 

PASSIVE VOICE 2: Some money was sent to her children.   

FUTURE SIMPLE

ACTIVE VOICE: She will send her children some money.

PASSIVE VOICE 1: Her children will be sent some money. 

PASSIVE VOICE 2: Some money will be sent to her children.   

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

ACTIVE VOICE: She is sending her children some money.

PASSIVE VOICE 1: Her children are being sent some money. 

PASSIVE VOICE 2: Some money is being sent to her children.  

PAST CONTINUOUS

ACTIVE VOICE: She was sending her children some money.

PASSIVE VOICE 1: Her children were being sent some money. 

PASSIVE VOICE 2: Some money was being sent to her children.  

PRESENT PERFECT

ACTIVE VOICE: She has sent her children some money.

PASSIVE VOICE 1: Her children have been sent some money. 

PASSIVE VOICE 2: Some money has been sent to her children.  

PAST PERFECT

ACTIVE VOICE: She had sent her children some money.

PASSIVE VOICE 1: Her children had been sent some money. 

PASSIVE VOICE 2: Some money had been sent to her children.  

MODALS

ACTIVE VOICE: She must send her children some money.

PASSIVE VOICE 1: Her children must be sent some money. 

PASSIVE VOICE 2: Some money must be sent to her children.

USE:

The Passive is used: 

When the agent (= the doer of the action) is unknown, unimportant or obvious from the context. 

The Prime Minister was shot. 

This church was built in 1950. 

The criminals have been arrested. 

To make more polite or formal statements. 

The room hasn’t been cleaned yet. 

The questions weren’t answered. 

When the action is more important than the agent, as in processes, instructions, events, reports, headlines, new items, and advertisements.

30 people were killed in the earthquake. 

10 people have been rushed to the nearest hospital. 

To put emphasis on the agent

The new library will be opened by the Mayor. 

We were taught English by a senior professor.