任何一个英文句子必定有一个动词，请先注意以下例句的动词

1.   He was a teacher before.

2.   He went to school yesterday.

3.   He hit a dog.

4.   I saw you yesterday.

5.   He walks to school every day.

6.   He sent this book to me.

7.   They are good students.

8.   He wrote two novels.

9.   They ate all of the apples.

10. He swims every morning.

在以上的例子中，第3、4、6、8及9句子中的动词都是及物动词（transitive verbs）。这些动词后面都跟着一个名词，而这个名词是动词的受词（object），其它句子的动词，都是不及物动词，因为他们都没有任何受词。

我们将以上句子中，主词、及物动词和受词的关系分析如下：

一旦动词是及物动词，我们就可以将这个句子由原来的主动语气（active voice）改成被动语气（passive voice）。但我们也要警告读者，不要轻易用被动语气，因为有时被动语气的句子是不自然的。

在这以前，我们的句子都是主动语气，这种句子的基本形式如下：

所谓的被动语气，乃是将原来的受词变成主词。举例来说，主动语气中，我们说〝我看到一些狗〞，在被动语气中，我们说〝一些狗被我看到〞。在英文中，将主动语气改成被动语气，必须做以下的动作：

（1）    原有受词变成名词

（2）    动词变成verb to be＋过去分词（past participle）

（3）    原有主词变成在动词后面，但前面加by。

举例来说，主动语气的句子可以是

I saw a cat.
被动语气就成了
A cat was seen by me.

最重要的是，verb to be的时式必须和原句子的相同，以上的例子中，动词是过去式，所以verb to be也是过去式。除此以外，verb to be也要配合新的主词。请看以下的例子：

I saw two cats.

改成被动语气以后，句子是：

Two cats were seen by me.

以下是主动改被动的例子，最重要的是注意verb to be的形式：

【练习二十八】

将以下的句子由主动语气改成被动：

1.  He saw that movie last night.

2.  He wrote that letter to me.

3.  He teaches those English classes.

4.  God loves you.

5.  They bought two houses.

6.  I painted this room.

7.  He grows those roses.

8.  He helps his students.

9.  I sold the house.

10. My uncle bought this car.

【练习二十九】

将以下的句子由被动语气改成主动语气：

1.  The policeman was seen by me.

2.  Those two books were written by me.

3.  These sentences were corrected by my teacher.

4.  He was hit by a car.

5.  His door was locked by me.

6.  His house was built by my father.

7.  His boat was given to me by my father.

8.  This bird is rarely seen by people here.

9.  He is liked by every one.

10. They were given ten dollars by their friends.

11. This picture was taken by him.

12. Too much wine was drunk by the young men.

13. I was taught by Mr. Wang.

14. He was helped by his father.

15. They were served by that waiter.

16. His food was prepared by my mother.

17. His toy was made by my sister.

18. The book was returned to me by Jim.

19. That song was written by my brother.

20. I was invited by him to a party.

在上一节，我们所有的例子都只是肯定句子，句子中没有助动词，可是有些肯定句子还是有助动词的，以下是一些例子：

以下是更多的例子：

助动词不一定和时式有关，can、should、has to等等都是助动词，这些助动词在改成被动语气的时后，都应维持原状，只需加入verb to be和过去分词即可。以下是一些例子：

【练习三十】

将以下的句子改成被动语气：

1.  He has written three novels.

2.  He will write that letter.

3.  They will sing these songs tomorrow.

4.  He will give the speech.

5.  They are painting the house.

6.  I have given him three books.

7.  I can do this job.

8.  He had told me that story before we went there.

9.  Teachers should help the students.

10. He is writing the report now.

11. The students must read this book.

12. I have to give this letter to my mother tonight.

13. All citizens ought to obey the law.

14. He has eaten all of the cakes.

15. The reporters were taking pictures when the storm started.

16. He had finished the work before five o'clock last night.

17. Peter will write that letter.

18. John has received my letter.

19. Millions of people saw the movie “Gone with the wind”.

20. He has proved that theorem.

【练习三十一】

将以下句子改成主动语气：

1.  Two books have been written by Joseph.

2.  Football is being played by John.

3.  He should be given that lecture by his father.

4.  That report will be written by him.

5.  The letter has been received by the King.

6.  This movie should be seen by every one.

7.  This book ought to be read by every student.

8.  They are being helped by me.

9.  The movie is going to be seen by all of us.

10. This cake can be eaten by kids.

将一个否定句子或一个问句改成被动语气，其步骤如下：

（1）  将此句子改成肯定句子

（2）  将此肯定句子改成被动语气

（3）  将此被动语气的句子改成否定句子

现在举一个否定的例子：

I did not take this picture.

对应的肯定句子是：

I took this picture.

改成被动语气：

This picture was taken by me.

再改成否定句子：

This picture was not taken by me.

下面的例子都是用来解释如何将一个否定句子改成被动语气：

1.  They did not like the music.

(a). They liked the music.

(b). The music was liked by them.

(c). The music was not liked by them.

2.  I have not written that letter.

(a). I have written that letter.

(b). That letter has been written by me.

(c). That letter has not been written by me.

3.  You can not eat that cake.

(a). You can eat that cake.

(b). That cake can be eaten by you.

(c). That cake can not be eaten by you.

4.  He does not play music.

(a). He plays that kind of music.

(b). That kind of music is played by him.

(c). That kind of music is not played by him.

5.  I am not going to see you.

(a). I am going to see you.

(b). You are going    to be seen by me.

(c). You are not going to be seen by me.

6.  They will not see that movie.

(a). They will see that movie.

(b). That movie will be seen by them.

(c). That movie will not be seen by them.

7.  They did not help me.

(a). They helped me.

(b). I was helped by them.

(c). I was not helped by them.

8.  I did not tell that story.

(a). I told that story.

(b). That story was told by me.

(c). That story was not told by me.

在下面，我们将省略中间步骤，直接写出一个否定句子的被动语气，英文好的人应该是不需要中间步骤的：

【练习三十二】

将以下的否定句子改成被动语气：

1.  The farmers here do not grow apples.

2.  He did not meet me last night.

3.  I have not written that letter.

4.  John is not going to see that movie.

5.  I did not watch that movie.

6.  He does not speak English.

7.  He will not speak English.

8.  You should not eat that cake.

9.  My mother does not eat that kind of fish.

10. John has not written that report.

【练习三十三】

将以下句子改成主动语气：

1.  The book was not written by him.

2.  I am not going to be helped by you.

3.  That book has not been received by John.

4.  That song is not liked by college students.

5.  John is not loved by Mary.

6.  I will not be met by my student tomorrow.

7.  Meat is not eaten by vegetarians.

8.  The door was not opened by me.

9.  That ten dollars were not paid by me.

10. The car was not bought by me.

将问句改成被动语气，步骤类似上一节的步骤，我们先将问句变成肯定句子，然后将这个定句子变成被动语气，最后在将这个被动语气的句子变回，成为问句。

例如：

Do young kids enjoy classical music?

先改成肯定句子

Young kids enjoy classical music.

再改成被动语气

Music is enjoyed by young kids.

最后改成问句

Is music enjoyed by young kids?

为了使读者熟悉这些步骤，我们在下面举了很多的例子：

1. Did you eat that cake?

(a).   You ate that cake.

(b).   That cake was eaten by you.

(c).    Was that cake eaten by you?

2. Do farmers in Taiwan grow apples?

(a)  Farmers in Taiwan grow apples.

(b)  Apples are grown by farmers in Taiwan.

(c)  Are apples grown by farmers in Taiwan?

3. Have you finished the report?

(a)         You have finished the report.

(b)         The report has been finished by you.

(c)          Has the report been finished by you?

4. When did you write that letter?

(a)         You wrote that letter.

(b)         That letter was written by you.

(c)          When was the letter written by you?

5. Have you seen that movie?

(a)         You have seen that movie.

(b)         That movie has been seen by you.

(c)          Has the movie been seen by you?

6. When did Stevenson write that novel?

(a)         Stevenson wrote that novel.

(b)         That novel was written by Stevenson.

(c)          When was that novel written by Stevenson?

8. Is he painting his room?

(a)         He is painting his room.

(b)         His room is being painted by him.

(c)          Is his room being painted by him?

在下面，我们将省略中间步骤，直接写出一个问句的被动语气，英文好的人应该是不需要中间步骤的：

【练习三十四】

将以下句子改成被动语气：

1.  Is he writing a book?

2.  Did he write that book?

3.  Did you sign that letter?

4.  Where did you see that movie?

5.  When did you see that movie?

6.  Has he finished that job?

7.  Did mother give you the gift?

8.  Did your mother visit you last night?

9.  Do they grow roses?

10. Do they speak English?

11. Did you play that game of tennis?

12. Will you teach English?

【练习三十五】

将以下句子改成主动语气：

1.  Was the cake eaten by you?

2.  Is he liked by all of us?

3.  Is that kind of music loved by every one in Japan?

4.  Is fish eaten by old people?

5.  Are roses loved by most women?

6.  Was he called by you?

7.  Is soccer played by John?

8.  When was this music written by Mozart?

9.  When was he seen by you?

10. Were they seen by you last night?

【练习三十六】

将适宜的动词填入

1.  I          (send) two letters yesterday.           (do) you          (receive) them? Every letter           (write) by me. Please          (write) back to me soon.

2.  I          (invite) to a dancing party last week. The music          (be) so noisy. I          (leave) the party as early as I          (can).

3.  Did you          (write) that report? Yes, it          (write) by me.

4.  He          (not like) music when he was a child. After he          (get) into college, he          (teach) by a good music professor. Now, he          (enjoy) music very much and          (listen) to classical music every morning.

5.  I          (buy) a red car yesterday. It          (make) in Japan. It will __________ (deliver) to me tomorrow.

6.  I          (not go) to school yesterday because my bicycle          (steal).
I          (buy) a new bike yesterday.

7.  Where          (do) you go last night? I          (can) not          (find) you. You          (see) by no one.

8.  A:           (do) he          (smoke)?

B: No, he          (do not). Smoking has never          (try) by him.

9.  Was the book          (write) by him?

10. I          (buy) three books lately. One          (write) by Graham Greene.
I          (finish) reading it. There          (be) many interesting stories in it.

【练习三十七】

改错：

1.          ＊This is a book which wrote by Dickens.

2.          ＊Are the music enjoyed by those elderly people?

3.          ＊When are you visited by your father yesterday?

4.          ＊This book written by John.

5.          ＊He is invited to come to my home by my father yesterday.

6.          ＊This house is built in 1913.

7.          ＊This letter was wrote by him.

8.          ＊This letter has never finished.

9.          ＊Was you given a book?

10.         ＊I have never called by my father. I always call him first.