Passive voice is really easy when you understand its rules.
You are going to use passive voice when the focus is not in the agent, but in the action.
Those pyramids were built around 400 AD.
Too many books have been written about the Second World War.
The structure for the passive voice is:
- To be + Past Participle of the main verb.
- The object of the sentence becomes the subject of it.
- To be is going to be in the same tense of the main verb.
- If you want to mention the agent of the action you can usually use by to introduce it.
- And remember that Portuguese can help you with this subject.
Active Voice = AV Passive Voice = PV
AV: I made a cake. PV: A cake was made (by me).
The main verb (made) is in the past, so to be is going to be in the past.
Past Participle of the main verb: make = made.
AV: She writes books. PV: Books are written (by her).
The main verb (write) is in the present, so to be is going to be in the present.
Past Participle of the main verb: write = written.
and so on…
AV: She is going to write a book. PV: A book is going to be written (by her).
AV: She will write a book. PV: A book will be written (by her).
AV: She would write a book. PV: A book would be written (by her).
AV: She has written a book. PV: A book has been written (by her).
AV: She can write books. PV: Books can be written (by her).
AV: She could write books. PV: Books could be written (by her).