SPN 315 The Passive Voice and Passive Constructions Sep 25, 12

Ch 5. The Passive Voice and Passive Constructions

A.    The Passive Voice

The use of the passive voice (la voz pasiva) in Spanish is similar to its use in English. The passive voice uses a form of SER + a past participle + (agent).

Ejemplo: La película fue filmada por un director peruano.

Spanish prefers the use of the active voice (in general), especially in everyday communication. However, newscasters use the passive voice, and it prefers frequently in written communication, especially in newspaper and magazine articles. It is used:

·       is used to underscore the agent who performs the action: Los niños fueron recibidos por la directora.

·       is used in written language, especially journalistic style. The agent is usually expressed: Los manifestantes fueron detenidos por la policía.  

·       Appears most frequently in the past and future tenses: El poema fue escrito por Vallejo; La reunión será organizada por la directiva.

B.    The Passive Construction with the Pronoun ‘SE’

Spanish has another passive construction that is actually used more frequently than SER + past participle. It is called pasiva pronominal or pasiva refleja because one of its components is a the reflexive pronoun SE. This construction consists of the pronoun SE + the third person of the verb, singular or plural. The verb agrees with the subject receiving the action.

Se habla español. Spanish is spoken. Se cierran las puertas a las 11. The doors are closed at 11.   

The passive construction with ‘SE’ is also an impersonal construction because the agent is never mentioned.

When is the Passive Construction with ‘SE’ used?

·       In everyday communication: Se dice que Obama va a salir nuevamente como presidente.

·       If the subject is not a person: Se vende esta casa.

·       When the agent is deliberately omitted: Se cometieron muchos errores.

·       To underscore an impersonal construction: Se pueden visitar las ruinas de la ciudad.   

C.    Impersonal Constructions Used to Substitute for Passive Constructions

There other Spanish constructions in which the agent or “doer” is omitted. These include a variety of impersonal constructions.

·       The tú form with the pronoun te: Te matas a trabajar y nadie te ayuda.

·       Uno as the subject of the sentence: ¡Uno no sabe qué hacer!

·       The third-person plural form of the verb: Cuentan que ella tiene mucho dinero.