THE PASSIVE VOICE OF THE VERB

Verbs can be active or passive voice. This means that when the subject of the verb performs the action of the verb, we say that the verb is in the active voice. A verb is in the passive voice if the subject has the action of the verb done to it, e.g.:
Active Voice = Calvino is writing a book = Calvino scrive un libro.
Passive Voice = The book is written by Calvino = Il libro è scritto da Calvino

The passive is formed by using the appropriate tense of essere and the past participle of the verb, e.g.:

1. Lots of book have been written on this theme,
   = Molti libri sono stati scritti su questo tema
2. This film is being produced by Visconti.
   = Questo film è prodotto da Visconti.

Note the following points about the passive:

1. The passive voice always requires at least two words, sometimes three.
2. The past participle always agrees with the grammatical subject of the sentence.
3. Any tense can have a passive voice, e.g.:

   present:   molte informazioni sono date dal professore
                  a lot of information is given by the teacher

future:    molte informazioni saranno date dal professore.
              a lot of information will be given by the teacher

 

imperfect: molte informazioni erano date dal professore.
              a lot of information was given by the teacher

perfect:   molte informazioni sono state date dal professore.
              a lot of information has been given by the teacher.

pluperfect: molte informazioni erano state date dal professore.
              a lot of information had been given by the teacher.

          conditional: molte informazioni sarebbero date dal professore.

                   a lot of information would be given by the teacher.

past conditional: molte informazioni sabbero state date dal professore.

                                    a lot of information would have been given by the teacher.

N.B. The verb venire can be used instead of essere in the present, future, imperfect and conditional, e.g.:

Poche macchine veranno vendute l'anno prossimo.
= Few cars will be sold next year.

Although the passive voice is available as outlined above, a very neat way to create it is by using the pronoun si with the third person of the active voice of the verb. This construction is called si passivante. This is how to use it:

1. Si danno troppi soldi al sud.
   = Too much money is given to the South.
2. Non si mangia carne ogni giorno.
   = Meat is not eaten every day.

You will often see this construction in newspaper advertisements or selling or renting articles. Then the si is attached to the verb, e.g.:

1. Vendesi bicicletta.
   = Bicycle for sale.
2. Affittasi piccolo appartamento.
   = Small appartment for rent.

Students usually find the passive is awkward to form correctly in Italian; the best solution is to use the si passivante contruction, but if that is not possible, try to turn the sentence around and write it in the active voice, e.g. instead of trying to write "the tickets had already been posted by my parents" turn it into "my parents had already posted the tickets

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