Ser in passive voice

When you want to emphasize what happens rather than who does something in Spanish, you’ll reach for the passive voice constructed with “ser.” This powerful grammatical tool shifts focus from the actor to the action itself, creating more formal and objective expressions.

How to Form the Passive Voice

The formula is straightforward: ser + past participle + (optional) por + agent

The past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject:

  • La carta fue enviada (The letter was sent)
  • Los documentos fueron firmados (The documents were signed)
  • Las casas fueron construidas (The houses were built)

When to Use the Ser Passive Voice

  • 1. Formal Writing and Reports:
    • El informe será presentado mañana (The report will be presented tomorrow)
    • Los resultados fueron analizados por el equipo (The results were analyzed by the team)
  • 2. News and Announcements:
    • La ley fue aprobada por el congreso (The law was approved by congress)
    • El premio será otorgado en diciembre (The prize will be awarded in December)
  • 3. Historical Events:
    • América fue descubierta en 1492 (America was discovered in 1492)
    • La ciudad fue fundada por los españoles (The city was founded by the Spanish)

Time Periods and Tenses

You can use the ser passive voice in any tense:

  • Present:
    • El museo es visitado por miles de turistas (The museum is visited by thousands of tourists)
  • Past (Preterite):
    • La película fue dirigida por Almodóvar (The movie was directed by Almodóvar)
  • Future:
    • El proyecto será completado el próximo mes (The project will be completed next month)
  • Imperfect:
    • La carta era leída cada noche (The letter was read every night)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Don’t confuse it with estar:
    • Correct: El libro fue escrito (The book was written)
    • Incorrect: El libro estuvo escrito (The book was written – incorrect form)
  2. Remember gender and number agreement:
    • Correct: Las puertas fueron cerradas (The doors were closed)
    • Incorrect: Las puertas fueron cerrado (The doors were closed – incorrect agreement)

Real-World Examples

  • In Literature:
    • “Cien años de soledad” fue escrito por Gabriel García Márquez (“One Hundred Years of Solitude” was written by Gabriel García Márquez)
    • Los poemas fueron publicados póstumamente (The poems were published posthumously)
  • In Business:
    • El contrato será firmado por ambas partes (The contract will be signed by both parties)
    • Las negociaciones fueron conducidas por expertos (The negotiations were conducted by experts)
  • In Media:
    • La noticia es transmitida en vivo (The news is transmitted live)
    • Las imágenes fueron captadas por testigos (The images were captured by witnesses)

Remember that while the passive voice with “ser” is a valuable tool in Spanish, it’s used less frequently than in English. Spanish often prefers active voice or “se” passive constructions for more casual communication.

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