Past Simple Passive

Structure:

The structure of Past Simple Passive is: Subject + was/were + past participle of the verb

Explanation:

In the Past Simple Passive, the subject of the sentence receives the action in the past. It is used when the focus is on the action or the recipient of the action, rather than the doer. This structure emphasizes the fact that the action occurred in the past, and the subject is affected by it.

We use "was" or "were" depending on the subject (was for singular subjects and were for plural subjects), followed by the past participle of the main verb. This form is used for actions that were completed at a specific time in the past, but the subject is the recipient of the action, not the one performing it.

Examples:

Example 1 (Basic sentence):

Active: The chef cooked the dinner.

Passive: The dinner was cooked by the chef.

Example 2 (With an object):

Active: The company launched a new product last week.

Passive: A new product was launched by the company last week.

Example 3 (Adding more detail):

Active: They built a new bridge over the river.

Passive: A new bridge was built over the river.

Example 4 (Using an indefinite subject):

Active: People ate the food at the party.

Passive: The food was eaten at the party.

Example 5 (Including a more specific subject and action):

Active: Researchers discovered a new type of cancer treatment last year.

Passive: A new type of cancer treatment was discovered by researchers last year.

Example 6 (Passive with complex sentence structure):

Active: The artist painted a masterpiece, and it was displayed in a gallery.

Passive: A masterpiece was painted by the artist, and it was displayed in a gallery.

Example 7 (Complex action with result):

Active: They repaired the broken road, and it was reopened to traffic.

Passive: The broken road was repaired, and it was reopened to traffic.