Voice
• Voice tells whether the verb is active or passive.
In the active voice, the subject performs the
action of the verb. In the passive voice, the
subject receives the action.
• Some famous rock star was singing the
National Anthem. (active)
• The National Anthem was being sung by some
famous rock start. (passive)
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• That tutor was helping many students.
(active)
• Many students were being helped by that
tutor. (passive)
• Voice is relevant only for verbs that can be
transitive, since there needs to be an
agent (performing the action) and the
subject (being acted upon).
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Voice—The two part analysis
1) What is the action, who is doing it, and
what is being acted upon?
2) Is the actor or thing acted upon the subject?
If the actor is the subject, the voice
is active.
If the thing acted upon is the
subject, the voice is passive.
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Simple Present Passive
PRESENT PARTICIPLE
(with present of to be—am, are, is)
I am sent we are sent
you are sent you are sent
(s)he is sent they are sent
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Present Progressive Passive
PRESENT PARTICIPLE
(with am, are, is + being)
I am being sent we are being sent
you are being sent you are being sent
(s)he is being sent they are being sent
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Imperfect-Past Progressive
The imperfect is used to talk about an
activity that was in progress at a
specific point of time in the past.
My car was being serviced last Tuesday.
Residents were still being evacuated.
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Imperfect-Past Progressive
The imperfect is often used with the
simple past to show that one action was
in progress when another took place.
The system was being tested when the power
went out.
The suspect was being questioned even before
his lawyer arrived. 7
Imperfect Active
This is the PRESENT PARTICIPLE
with the correct form of to be (was, were)
I was going we were going
you were going you were going
(s)he was going they were going
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Imperfect Passive Singular
I WAS BEING taken
you WERE BEING taken
he/she/it WAS BEING taken
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Imperfect Passive Plural
We WERE BEING taken
you WERE BEING taken
they WERE BEING taken
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Middle-Passive Endings+ Thematic Vowels
Person/Number Primary Secondary
1st singular I -omai -omhn
2nd singular you -esai=-h| -eso=-ou
3rd singular he/she/it -etai -eto
1st plural we -omeqa -omeqa
2nd plural you -esqe -esqe
3rd plural they -ontai -onto 11
Augment
The imperfect tense adds what is called
augment at the beginning of the verb.
If the first letter of the verb is a consonant, the
augment is –e.
If the first letter of the verb is a vowel, the
augment is a lengthening of the vowel.
In compound verbs the augment comes after
the prefix
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Augment
Present Middle Imperfect Middle
gra&fetai e)gra&feto
swzo&meqa e0swzo&meqa
ble/ph| e0ble/pou
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Augment
Present Tense Imperfect Tense
a)poktei/nomai a)pekteino&mhn
suna&gontai sunh/gonto
die/rxetai dih/rxeto
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IMPERFECT MIDDLE PASSIVE
Number Singular Plural
Person
First e0gino&mhn e0gino&meqa
Second e0gi/nou e0gi/nesqe
Third e0gi/neto e0gi/nonto
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IMPERFECT MIDDLE/PASSIVE
Number Singular Plural
Person
First h0rxo&mhn h0rxo&meqa
Second h1rxou h1rxesqe
Third h1rxeto h1rxonto
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IMPERFECT SINGULAR
Number Active Middle/Passive
Person
First e1luon e0luo&mhn
Second e1luej e0lu/ou
Third e1lue e0lu/eto
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IMPERFECT PLURAL
Number Active Middle/Passive
Person
First e0lu/omen e0luo&meqa
Second e0lu/ete e0lu/esqe
Third e1luon e0lu/onto
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