The passive (Edexcel GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
The passive
What is the passive voice?
The passive voice is a grammatical construction that shows when an action is being done to someone or something, rather than someone doing the action. In English, we form it using the verb "to be" plus a past participle (e.g., "The car was sold").
Spanish has two main ways to form the passive voice, and both are important for your GCSE exam.
Spanish offers two distinct methods for forming the passive voice:
- ser + past participle (similar to English structure)
- reflexive se construction (uniquely Spanish approach)
Both methods are essential for GCSE success and appear frequently in exam texts.
Method 1: Using ser + past participle
This method works similarly to English and uses the verb ser (to be) followed by a past participle. This construction will feel familiar to English speakers as it mirrors the structure you already know.
How to form past participles
Regular past participles follow a simple pattern:
| Verb type | Remove | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ar verbs | -ar | -ado | hablar → hablado |
| -er verbs | -er | -ido | vender → vendido |
| -ir verbs | -ir | -ido | vivir → vivido |
Important agreement rule
The past participle must agree with the subject (the person or thing the action is done to). This means:
- Add -s for plural subjects
- Change -o to -a for feminine subjects
- Use -as for feminine plural subjects
This is different from English, where past participles never change form!
Worked Examples: Agreement in Practice
-
El coche fue vendido la semana pasada = The car was sold last week (vendido - masculine singular agrees with el coche)
-
Los ordenadores son apagados al final de la clase = The computers are turned off at the end of the lesson (apagados - masculine plural agrees with los ordenadores)
-
La habitación fue limpiada esta mañana = The room was cleaned this morning (limpiada - feminine singular agrees with la habitación)
Notice how the past participles change to match their subjects in gender and number.
Method 2: Using the reflexive se
This second method might sound strange to English speakers, but it's extremely common in Spanish. Instead of using ser, you make the verb reflexive by adding se. This construction appears frequently in newspapers, formal writing, and everyday conversation.
The reflexive se construction can seem confusing because it literally translates as "something does itself," but native Spanish speakers understand it with passive meaning. Don't try to translate it word-for-word!
How it works
The construction follows this pattern: se + verb (3rd person) + subject
This literally translates as "something does itself," but in English we understand it as passive meaning.
Examples and translations
| Spanish | Literal meaning | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Se usa principalmente para bajar música | "It uses itself mainly for downloading music" | The website is mainly used for downloading music |
| Se publicarán los resultados la próxima semana | "The results will publish themselves next week" | The results will be published next week |
Choosing the right tense
When translating from English, look at the form of "to be" to decide which Spanish tense to use:
| English "to be" | Spanish tense | Example |
|---|---|---|
| is/are | Present | es usado |
| was/were | Preterite | fue vendido |
| will be | Future | será visto |
This tense-matching approach works for most passive constructions. The key is identifying the English "to be" form first, then applying the corresponding Spanish tense to your ser + past participle construction.
Practice translations
Translation Practice: English to Spanish Recognition
Try translating these sentences into English:
- La novela fue escrita en dos mil diecinueve
- Los ejercicios se hacen en línea
- Los resultados serán anunciados el viernes
- Se invita a mucha gente a la fiesta
- Las instalaciones fueron mejoradas antes de la visita
Answers:
- The novel was written in 2019
- The exercises are done online
- The results will be announced on Friday
- Many people are invited to the party
- The facilities were improved before the visit
Key Points to Remember:
- The passive voice shows when something is done to a subject, not by the subject
- Method 1: ser + past participle (similar to English structure)
- Method 2: se + verb (very common in Spanish, sounds odd in English)
- Past participles with ser must agree with their subject (-o/-a, -os/-as)
- Choose your tense by looking at the English "to be" form: is/are = present, was/were = preterite, will be = future