Use of (se) to express the passive voice
PASIVO PERSONAL
When the subject of the passive sentence is a specific individual or being(s), a special SE passive construction is required. In this construction, the verb is ALWAYS third person singular and the preposition A precedes the subject of the passive sentence.
Consider these sentences:
1. Mother Theresa was respected.
2. The nuns were admired.
If these sentences were translated:
1a. Se respetaba la Madre Teresa.
2a. Se admiraban las monjas.
Their English equivalents would be:
1b. Mother Theresa respected herself.
2b. The nuns admired themselves (or admired "each other")
Though these sentences are completely grammatical, they do not convey the meaning of the original sentences # 1 & #2, which are PASSIVE sentences. To get the passive meaning required for #1 & #2, these sentences must be rendered in Spanish thus:
1c. SE RESPETABA A la Madre Teresa.
2c. SE ADMIRABA A las monjas.
If the subject represents a being or entity capable of performing the action expressed by the verb, the "PERSONAL PASSIVE" MUST BE USED. If not, the sentence will be understood to be REFLEXIVE or RECIPROCAL.
If the subject is a pronoun instead of a noun, the pronouns LE, LES are used for masculine subjects, and LA, LAS for feminine subjects.
3. She was respected.
SE LA respetaba.
4. He was not admired.
No SE LE ADMIRABA.
Haga oraciones pasivas con SE en el tiempo verbal indicado.
MODELO: [interrogar - PASADO] / los revolucionarios
SE INTERROGÓ A los revolucionarios. (The revolutionaries were questioned)
[castigar - PRESPERF] / el prisionero
SE HA CASTIGADO AL prisionero. (The prisoner has been punished.)
[castigar - PRESPERF] / él
SE LE HA CASTIGADO. (He has been punished.)
1. [atacar - PASADO] / varios policías durante la protesta.
_________________ varios policías durante la protesta.
2. [encarcelar - PRESPERF] / el inmigrante ilegal.
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3. [encarcelar - PRESPERF] / los inmigrantes ilegales.
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4. [encarcelar - PASADO] / (ellos)
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5. [proteger - PASADO] / los exiliados políticos.
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6. [proteger - PASADO] / ellos
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7. Me alegro que [proteger - PRESPERF] / los exiliados políticos
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8. Me alegro que [proteger - PRESPERF] / (ellos)
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9. [nombrar - PRESPERF] / mi madre presidente de la empresa.
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10. No es sorprendente que [nombrar - PRESPERF] / mi madre presidente de la empresa .
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11. No es sorprendente que [nombrar - PASADO] / (ella) presidente de la empresa.
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12. [excluir - PRESPERF] / los ciudadanos hispanos.
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13. Es injusto que [excluir - PRESPERF] / los ciudadanos hispanos.
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14. [castigar - PASADO] / el criminal.
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15. [castigar - PASADO] / los criminales.
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16. [admirar - PRES] / la profesora.
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17. [admirar - PRES] / esas dos profesoras.
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18. [admirar - PRES] / (ellas)
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19. [admirar - PRES] / ese novelista.
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20. [invitar - PASADO] / los estudiantes del Sindicato.
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Answers
Respuestas - PASIVO PERSONAL
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When the subject of the passive sentence is a specific individual or being(s), a special SE passive construction is required. In this construction, the verb is ALWAYS third person singular and the preposition A precedes the subject of the passive sentence.
Consider these sentences:
1. Mother Theresa was respected.
2. The nuns were admired.
If these sentences were translated:
1a. Se respetaba la Madre Teresa.
2a. Se admiraban las monjas.
Their English equivalents would be:
1b. Mother Theresa respected herself.
2b. The nuns admired themselves (or admired "each other")
Though these sentences are completely grammatical, they do not convey the meaning of the original sentences # 1 & #2, which are PASSIVE sentences. To get the passive meaning required for #1 & #2, these sentences must be rendered in Spanish thus:
1c. SE RESPETABA A la Madre Teresa.
2c. SE ADMIRABA A las monjas.
If the subject represents a being or entity capable of performing the action expressed by the verb, the "PERSONAL PASSIVE" MUST BE USED. If not, the sentence will be understood to be REFLEXIVE or RECIPROCAL.
If the subject is a pronoun instead of a noun, the pronouns LE, LES are used for masculine subjects, and LA, LAS for feminine subjects.
3. She was respected.
SE LA respetaba.
4. He was not admired.
No SE LE ADMIRABA.
Haga oraciones pasivas con SE en el tiempo verbal indicado.
MODELO: [interrogar - PASADO] / los revolucionarios
SE INTERROGÓ A los revolucionarios. (The revolutionaries were questioned)
[castigar - PRESPERF] / el prisionero
SE HA CASTIGADO AL prisionero. (The prisoner has been punished.)
[castigar - PRESPERF] / él
SE LE HA CASTIGADO. (He has been punished.)
1. [atacar - PASADO] / varios policías durante la protesta.
SE ATACÓ A varios policías durante la protesta.
2. [encarcelar - PRESPERF] / el inmigrante ilegal.
SE HA ENCARCELADO AL inmigrante ilegal.
3. [encarcelar - PRESPERF] / los inmigrantes ilegales.
SE HA ENCARCELADO A los inmigrantes ilegales. (Note: Verb stays in the singular)
4. [encarcelar - PASADO] / (ellos)
SE LES ENCARCELÓ. ("LES" used because subject is a pronoun - not a noun.)
5. [proteger - PASADO] / los exiliados políticos.
SE PROTEGIÓ A los exiliados políticos.
6. [proteger - PASADO] / ellos
SE LES PROTEGIÓ. (Subject is masculine pronoun "ellos".)
7. Me alegro que [proteger - PRESPERF] / los exiliados políticos
Me alegro que SE HAYA PROTEGIDO A los exiliados políticos.
(Verb is in the subjunctive because you have a subjunctive trigger: " Me alegro...". What you just did was a personal passive sentence with the subjunctive!!! (WOW!!!)
8. Me alegro que [proteger - PRESPERF] / (ellos)
Me alegro que SE LES HAYA PROTEGIDO.
9. [nombrar - PRESPERF] / mi madre presidente de la empresa.
SE NOMBRÓ A mi madre presidente de la empresa.
10. No es sorprendente que [nombrar - PRESPERF] / mi madre presidente de la empresa .
No es sorprendente que SE HAYA NOMBRADO A mi madre presidente de la empresa.
11. No es sorprendente que [nombrar - PASADO] / (ella) presidente de la empresa.
No es sorprendente que SE LA NOMBRARA presidente de la empresa.
12. [excluir - PRESPERF] / los ciudadanos hispanos.
SE HA EXCLUIDO A los ciudadanos hispanos.
13. Es injusto que [excluir - PRESPERF] / los ciudadanos hispanos.
Es injusto que SE HAYA EXCLUIDO A los ciudadanos hispanos.
14. [castigar - PASADO] / el criminal.
SE CASTIGÓ AL criminal.
15. [castigar - PASADO] / los criminales.
SE CASTIGÓ A los criminales.
16. [admirar - PRES] / la profesora.
SE ADMIRA A la profesora.
17. [admirar - PRES] / esas dos profesoras.
SE ADMIRA A esas dos profesoras.
18. [admirar - PRES] / (ellas)
SE LAS ADMIRA.
19. [admirar - PRES] / ese novelista.
SE ADMIRA A ese novelista.
20. [invitar - PASADO] / los estudiantes del Sindicato.
SE INVITÓ A los estudiantes del Sindicato.
Category: Study Spanish