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Learn to Speak French Online:
French Grammar Guidebook

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Passive Voice

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The Passive Voice is pressed into service when we don't want to name a particular party as responsible for the action or when we want to shift focus from the doer to the person or thing receiving the action. Consider the following everyday usages of the passive voice:
 

An accurate account of events cannot be given at this time. 
At no time were any laws violated.
The food will be distributed on Friday.
Everybody was invited.

The passive voice in English is formed as follows:

Subject + conjugated form of "to be" + Past Participle (optional: + by + person)

The helping verb "to be" indicates the tense.

French uses the exact same model to form the passive voice:

Subject + conjugated form of être + Past Participle (optional: + par + person)
 

Je suis invité chez l'un de mes collègues.
I'm invited to one of my colleagues.
J'étais invité.
I was invited.
Le voleur a été capturé par la police.
The thief was caught by the police.
Ne vous inquiétez pas. Votre chien sera retrouvé.
Don't worry. Your dog will be found.


Examples of Passive Voice

  • Oui, je suis invité chez l'un de mes collègues.
  • Voici ce que j'ai lu dans le journal. Les trois voleurs des bijoux de maman ont été capturés par la police hier.
  • L'article continue en disant que les trois seront interrogés aujourd'hui à Paris.