The passive voice is one of the three types of verbal voices in the Portuguese language.
The function of verbal voices is to indicate whether the subject practices or receives/suffers the verbal action of a prayer.
In this text, we will discuss what is passive voice, know the two existing types and test what was learned with commented feedback exercises.
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What is passive voice?
The passive voice is the verbal voice that indicates that the subject of the prayer undergoes or receives a certain action, instead of performing it.
Types of passive voice
Passive voice is subdivided into two types: analytic passive voice and synthetic passive voice.
Both have a patient subject, that is, a subject who suffers or receives an action. What differs the two types of passive voice is the sentence structure that each one follows.
Check out the explanation below for a better understanding.
analytic passive voice
The analytical passive voice follows the following structure:
Example:
christian failed.
When analyzing the verbal elements of the sentence, we see that:
- was: verb to be (inflected in the 3rd person singular of the Pretérito Perfeito, in the Indicative Mode);
- disapproved: past participle (from the verb to disapprove).
See a few more sentences in the analytical passive voice:
- The car was bought by me.
- the software was developed by the director.
- The restaurant will be refurbished.
- Roberto was scolded by the teacher.
In addition to having its own structure, another particularity of the analytic passive voice is that it can (optionally) present the passive agent. This characteristic is not covered by the synthetic passive voice.
The passive agent is responsible for executing the action of a verb in the passive voice.
Example:
The picture was taken by the boy.
In the sentence above, "by the boy" is the agent of the passive.
synthetic passive voice
The synthetic passive voice, also called pronominal voice, indicates a more impersonal idea.
Therefore, its structure is as follows:
Example:
see yourself a great lack of responsibility on the part of the government.
When analyzing the action of the sentence, we can observe that:
- up: particle with passive function (indicates passive voice; the subject suffers/receives an action).
- see: third person verb (verb to see; Present tense).
See some more sentences in the synthetic passive voice:
- for sale used furniture.
- buy yourself junk yard.
- No see yourself a person on the street.
- opened up vacancies for high school teacher.
- rose up the price of costumes near Carnival.
IMPORTANT
Don't confuse the use of "if":
- "If" as a passive particle: it has the function of passivating the verb; to make it passive in order to indicate that the subject suffers/receives an action (passive voice).
- "If" as an index of subject indeterminacy: it has the function of indicating that the sentence has an indeterminate subject.
In addition to the passive voice, there are two more verbal voices in the Portuguese language: a active voice The reflective voice.
Difference between active voice, passive voice and reflective voice
The differentiation between reflective voice, active voice and passive voice is due to the function of the subject of the prayer.
Active voice
The active voice is the one where there is a verbal action performed by the subject.
Example:
The girl drew the picture.
In the sentence above, “the girl” is the person who practices the action of drawing the picture.
The active voice subject is designated as agent subject.
passive voice
In sentences indicative of passive voice, the subject suffers or receives the action.
Example:
The drawing was made by the girl.
In the sentence above, "the drawing" is the subject who suffers/receives the action of being made.
The subject of the passive voice is designated as patient subject.
reflective voice
The reflective voice has a subject who practices and, at the same time, suffers/receives the verbal action.
Example:
The child was injured with the scissors.
In the sentence above, “the child” is the subject who practices the verbal action of hurting himself and who also receives this same action.
The subject of the reflective voice is a subject agent and patient at the same time.
To learn more about this topic, see also:
- reflective voice
- reflexive pronouns
Patient subject X agent subject
patient subject it is the designation given to the subject who integrates passive and reflective voice sentences. It has the function of receiving or suffering an action.
already the agent subject, is what happens in active voice and reflective voice sentences. Unlike the patient subject, he practices the action of the sentence.
Examples:
The) Gabriela made the chocolate cake. - SUBJECT AGENT
b) The Chocolate Cake was made by Gabriela. - PATIENT SUBJECT
ç) Gabriela got hurt with the knife. - AGENT AND PATIENT SUBJECT
Note that in sentence a), we have an example of an active voice where Gabriela is the acting subject; she practices the action of baking the cake.
In letter b), we have an example of a passive voice, where the chocolate cake is the patient subject; he suffers/receives the action of being done.
In the example of letter c), the prayer is indicative of a reflective voice, as the subject practices and receives/suffers the action of hurting himself with the knife.
Exercises on passive voice
1. (UBC)
Tick the alternative where a pronominal passive voice occurs.
a) People live very well in Brazil.
b) Registration closes today.
c) The boy was accidentally injured.
d) None of the above.
Correct alternative: b) Registration ends today.
a) WRONG. In alternative a), the particle "if" does not have a passive function, as in the passive voice. In this sentence, it performs the function of the subject's indeterminacy index, that is, it does not indicate that the subject suffered/received an action, but that the subject is indeterminate; that the sentence has no specific subject.
b) CORRECT. In letter b) the phrase is an example of pronominal passive voice, also called synthetic passive voice, as it is formed by the particle "if" + conjugated verb in the third person.
Furthermore, the phrase indicates an action (the act of ending) suffered/received by the patient subject (the inscriptions), and not practiced by him.
c) WRONG. The sentence in letter c) is an example of a reflective voice: the subject practices and suffers the action.
d) WRONG. As letter b) is the correct answer, this alternative becomes invalid.
2. (Univás) All the verbs below are in the passive voice, except:
a) The gates were closed by the janitor.
b) There are no more good articles.
c) The books were purchased by the student.
d) By Sunday it will have arrived.
e) The documents were found.
Correct alternative: d) By Sunday she will have arrived.
a) WRONG. Sentence a) follows the verbal structure of a passive (analytical) voice: auxiliary verb to be (were) + past participle (closed).
b) WRONG. Sentence b) follows the verbal structure of a passive (synthetic) voice: particle "if" with a passive function + third person verb (find).
c) WRONG. Sentence c) follows the verbal structure of a passive (analytical) voice: auxiliary verb to be (were) + past participle (bought).
d) CORRECT. Sentence d) does not have a passive voice structure and does not indicate that a subject suffered/received an action. The "will have arrived" is a verb inflection of the Composite Past Future, a tense used to indicate a future event that will be concluded before another future event.
e) WRONG. Sentence e) follows the verbal structure of a passive (analytical) voice: auxiliary verb to be (were) + past participle (found).
3. (ITA/2017) Check the option where the highlighted verb is in the pronominal passive voice.
a) So, fomented the conception that the media would be able to unconditionally manipulate a submissive, passive and uncritical audience. (ref. 1)
b) The messages transmitted by the major media vehicles do not are received automatically and in the same way by all individuals. (ref. 2)
c) "The various types of receiver are situated in a complex network of references [...]" (ref. 3)
d) "[...]complex network of references in which interpersonal and media communication complete each other and modify" [...] (ref. 4)
e) "The synthesis and conclusions that a viewer will make after watching a newscast cannot be anticipated by anyone; [...]" (ref. 5)
Correct alternative: a) Thus, fomented the conception that the media would be able to unconditionally manipulate a submissive, passive and uncritical audience. (ref. 1)
a) CORRECT. In the sentences that constitute the pronominal passive voice, also called synthetic passive voice, there is the presence of the passive particle "if". This particle indicates that the subject of the sentence suffered/received the verbal action.
In the sentence, the word "conception" is the patient subject who receives the action of the verb "to foster".
b) WRONG. Letter b) corresponds to a prayer in the passive voice. However, its structure is indicative of analytic passive voice (auxiliary verb ser + past participle verb) and not of pronominal passive voice.
c) WRONG. Despite having a pronominal verb, the clause of the letter c) indicates an active voice, that is, the subject is an agent; practice the action.
d) WRONG. The sentence of the letter d) indicates a reflexive passive voice, that is, the subject is at the same time agent and patient.
e) WRONG. The letter e) corresponds to a prayer in the passive voice. However, its structure is indicative of analytic passive voice (auxiliary verb ser + past participle verb) and not of pronominal passive voice.
To improve your knowledge of the Portuguese language, also check the texts below:
- Terms integrating the sentence: complements and passive agent
- Syntactic analysis: clause terms and verbal predication
- Classification of verbs: regular, irregular, defective and more
- Exercises on verbal voices: detailed explanation in the commented template
