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Present Passive Voice

To form the 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.

1) Present tense of 'être'

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.
2) Add past participle

2) Add past participle

  • La police est avertie - The police are warned.
  • Les livres sont lus - the books are read.
  • Les tartes sont faites - the tarts are made.
Examples of passive sentences

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.
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