6.1.1

Present Passive Voice

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Present Passive Voice

To form the present passive, use the present tense of 'être' followed by a past participle. The passive is usually only used in the 'il/elle' and the 'ils/elles' forms.

Illustrative background for 1) Present tense of 'être'Illustrative background for 1) Present tense of 'être' ?? "content

1) Present tense of 'être'

  • This tense is only usually used with the il/elle/on or ils/elles form of 'être'.
    • Il/elle/on est - he/she/one is
    • Ils/elles sont - they are
Illustrative background for 2) Add past participleIllustrative background for 2) Add past participle ?? "content

2) Add past participle

  • Le foot est joué - Football is played.
  • La police est avertie - The police are warned.
  • Les livres sont lus - The books are read.
  • Les tartes sont faites - The tarts are made.
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Examples of passive sentences

  • Le livre est lu par de nombreuses personnes.
    • The book is read by many people.
  • La tarte aux pommes est mangée par moi.
    • The apple pie is eaten by me.
  • Les touristes sont vus comme une source d'espoir pour la population locale.
    • Tourists are seen as a source of hope by the local people.
  • Les pièces sont écrites par William Shakespeare.
    • The plays are written by William Shakespeare.

Jump to other topics

1Identity & Culture

2Areas of Interest

3Study & Employment

4Common Tenses

4.1Present Tense

4.2Perfect Tense

4.3Imperfect Tense

4.4Imperfect vs Perfect

4.5Future Tense

5Advanced Tenses

6Extra Grammar

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