French Grammar
Passive Voice Mechanics: Foundational Formats
Shifting focus from the active agent to the object receiving the action using standard passive sentence structures.
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Shifting focus from the active agent to the object receiving the action using standard passive sentence structures.
Grammar
Active and Passive Sentences
In an active sentence, the subject performs the action. In a passive sentence, the subject receives the action. The passive voice is formed with the auxiliary être and the past participle of the main verb. The past participle agrees in gender and number with the passive subject. For the conjugation of être, see the verb être; for the formation of past participles, see the regular avoir framework and irregular participles with avoir.
Active vs. Passive
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| Les citoyens respectent la loi. | La loi est respectée par les citoyens. |
| La mairie a construit ce pont. | Ce pont a été construit par la mairie. |
| L'entreprise embauchera trois personnes. | Trois personnes seront embauchées par l'entreprise. |
| Les employés faisaient le ménage. | Le ménage était fait par les employés. |
Formation of the Passive
The transformation from active to passive follows a set procedure:
1. The direct object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
2. The auxiliary être is placed in the same tense and mood as the active verb.
3. The past participle of the main verb is added, agreeing in gender and number with the new subject.
4. The original subject (the agent) is introduced by the preposition par, or sometimes by de after verbs of perception or feeling.
Examples across tenses:
- Present: La loi est votée par le parlement.
- Passé composé: La loi a été votée.
- Imparfait: La loi était votée chaque année.
- Futur simple: La loi sera votée demain.
For the conjugation of être in these tenses, refer to the respective conjugation lessons.
Important Rules
The past participle always agrees with the passive subject. Only verbs that take a direct object can be transformed into the passive; verbs that require an indirect object (such as parler à) cannot.
When the agent is unknown or irrelevant, the par phrase may be omitted: Ce roman a été écrit en 1950.
The passive voice is especially frequent in formal and journalistic writing.
Examples
- Beaucoup d'immigrés sont accueillis chaque année en France.The present passive sont accueillis agrees with the masculine plural subject.
- Cette loi a été adoptée par le gouvernement en 2020.The passé composé passive: a été adoptée agrees with the feminine singular subject.
Related searches
These are the main phrases this lesson covers: