Passive Voice: Be + Past Participle
Domina la voz pasiva para comunicación formal, reportes profesionales y escritura académica
¿Qué es la Passive Voice?
La Passive Voice (voz pasiva) invierte el foco de la oración: en lugar de enfatizar quién hace la acción, enfatiza qué se hace oa quién le sucede. Es esencial para comunicación formal y profesional.
Active vs Passive Voice
🎯 Active Voice (Voz Activa)
Subject + Verb + Object
Enfoque: QUIÉN hace la acción
• The team completed the project
• Apple launched a new iPhone
• The manager will sign the contract
🔄 Passive Voice (Voz Pasiva)
Subject + Be + Past Participle (+ by agent)
Enfoque: QUÉ se hace/pasó
• The project was completed (by the team)
• A new iPhone was launched (by Apple)
• The contract will be signed (by the manager)
⚖️ ¿Cuándo Usar Cada Una?
Usa Active Voice cuando:
- • El actor es importante o interesante
- • Quieres ser directo y claro
- • En conversación informal
- • Para crear conexión personal
Usa Passive Voice cuando:
- • El actor es desconocido o irrelevante
- • Quieres sonar formal u objetivo
- • En reportes, noticias, ciencia
- • Para evitar responsabilidad directa
Formación de la Passive Voice
📋 Fórmula Universal
They make cars
Cars are made
They made cars
Cars were made
They will make cars
Cars will be made
They have made cars
Cars have been made
They can make cars
Cars can be made
¿Cuándo Usar Passive Voice?
❓1. Cuando el Actor es Desconocido o Irrelevante
Cuando no sabemos quién hizo algo o no importa mencionarlo:
• The office window was broken last night (no sabemos quién)
• English is spoken in many countries (por millones de personas)
• The documents have been signed (ya está hecho, quién no importa)
📰2. En Contextos Formales y Noticias
Para sonar objetivo y profesional en reportes, noticias y documentos:
• The new policy has been implemented company-wide
• Three suspects were arrested in connection with the case
• The budget will be reviewed next quarter
🔬3. En Procesos y Procedimientos
Para describir cómo se hacen las cosas, especialmente en contextos técnicos:
• Data is collected through online surveys
• The software is updated automatically every month
• New employees are trained for two weeks
🛡️4. Para Evitar Culpas o Responsabilidad
Cuando queremos ser diplomáticos y no señalar responsables directos:
• Mistakes were made in the calculation (sin culpar a nadie específico)
• The deadline was missed due to technical issues
• Some changes will need to be made to the proposal
🎯5. Para Enfatizar el Resultado/Objeto
Cuando lo importante es qué pasó, no quién lo hizo:
• The contract has been signed (lo importante: está firmado)
• All tasks have been completed (lo importante: están hechas)
• The problem has been solved (lo importante: ya no existe)
By vs With: Agent vs Instrument
👤 BY (Agent - Quien hace)
Para la persona o entidad que realiza la acción
• The report was written by the marketing team
• The meeting will be led by our CEO
• The decision was made by the board of directors
• The painting was created by Picasso
🔧 WITH (Instrument - Con qué)
Para herramientas, instrumentos o medios usados
• The document was signed with a digital pen
• The wall was painted with a brush
• The data was analyzed with advanced software
• The message was sent with encrypted technology
⚡ Casos Especiales y Combinaciones
Puedes usar ambos en la misma oración:
• The contract was signed by the CEO with a digital signature
• The presentation was created by the team with PowerPoint
Omite BY cuando:
- • Es obvio: "Taxes are collected" (por el gobierno)
- • Es general: "Cars are made in factories"
- • No es relevante: "The window was broken"
Incluye BY cuando:
- • Es importante: "Written by Shakespeare"
- • Es sorprendente: "Designed by a 12-year-old"
- • Añade valor: "Approved by experts"
Ejercicios Interactivos
The report _____ (write) by the marketing team.
¿Cuál transforma correctamente a passive voice?
The meeting _____ (cancel) due to bad weather.
Corrige: "The project is completed by the team yesterday".
¿Cuándo usar passive voice?
English _____ (speak) in many countries around the world.
Passive Voice en Contexto Profesional
En Reports y Análisis:
• "The survey was conducted among 500 customers"
• "Three key trends have been identified in the market"
• "Sales figures were analyzed using advanced algorithms"
• "Significant improvements have been observed in productivity"
En Procedimientos y Políticas:
• "New security measures will be implemented next month"
• "All documents must be approved by the manager"
• "Employees are required to attend the training session"
• "Personal data is protected according to GDPR regulations"
En Comunicados y Noticias Corporativas:
• "The merger has been completed successfully"
• "500 new jobs will be created in the next two years"
• "The company was founded in 1995"
• "Record profits were achieved in Q3"
En Emails y Correspondencia Formal:
• "Your application has been received and is being reviewed"
• "The meeting has been rescheduled for next Tuesday"
• "All invoices should be submitted by the end of the month"
• "Your request is being processed by our team"
Errores Comunes con Passive Voice
❌ The project is completed by the team yesterday
✅ The project was completed by the team yesterday
Con "yesterday" usa past simple (was), no present (is)
❌ The email was send to all employees
✅ The email was sent to all employees
Past participle de "send" es "sent", no "send"
❌ The problem has been solve
✅ The problem has been solved
Siempre past participle después de "been"
❌ The meeting will held tomorrow
✅ The meeting will be held tomorrow
No olvides "be" en passive voice con modales
❌ I am agree with the proposal
✅ I agree with the proposal
"Agree" es intransitivo, no puede ser passive
Consejos para Dominar Passive Voice
Estrategias de Comprensión
- • Identifica si necesitas enfatizar la acción o el actor
- • Pregúntate: "¿Quién importa menos?"
- • Practica transformando active → passive
- • Memoriza past participles irregulares
- • Nota cuándo omitir "by + agent"
Aplicación Profesional
- • Usa en emails formales y reportes
- • Perfecto para procedimientos y políticas
- • Ideal para comunicados corporativos
- • Esencial en presentaciones de resultados
- • Clave en documentación técnica
📋 Referencia Rápida - Passive Voice
Estructura
BE + past participle
+ by agent (opcional)
+ with instrument
Tiempos
Present: is/are done
Past: was/were done
Future: will be done
Cuándo Usar
Actor desconocido
Contexto formal
Enfoque en acción
No Usar Con
Verbos intransitivos
Conversación informal
Cuando actor importa
Resumen: Passive Voice
La Passive Voice es fundamental para comunicación profesional sofisticada. Te permite escribir con objetividad, crear documentos formalesy comunicar resultados con el tono apropiado para contextos internacionales.
Características Clave
- • BE + past participle (estructura fija)
- • Enfoque en la acción, no el actor
- • Tono formal y objetivo
- • Flexibilidad con "by" agent
Impacto Profesional
- • Escritura más formal y elegante
- • Comunicación objetiva y diplomática
- • Reportes y análisis profesionales
- • Documentación técnica precisa