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Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn to form the passive voice with "ser + participio" in Spanish, focusing on expressions like "es presentada" (is presented) and "es visitada por" (is visited by), mastering agreement and use of "por".
  1. The participle agrees in gender and number with the subject.
  2. "Ser" is conjugated according to the tense of the sentence.
Discurso directo (Direct speech)Formúla (Formula)Discurso indirecto (Indirect speech)
El teatro organiza el concierto. (The theatre organises the concert.)Ser + participio El evento es presentado en el teatro. (The event is presented in the theatre.)
En el teatro se presenta la obra. (The play is presented at the theatre.)Ser + participioLa obra es vista en el museo. (The play is seen in the museum.)
Los estudiantes ven la exposición. (The exhibition is visited by the students.)Ser + participio + porLa exposición es visitada por los estudiantes. (The exhibition is visited by the students.)

Exceptions!

  1. The complement 'por' is used only if necessary.
  2. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action; it does not perform it.

Exercise 1: Voz pasiva con ser + participio

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

es estudiado, es pintado, es vista, es escuchada, es visitado, es mostrado

1. El público ve la exposición:
La exposición ... por el público.
(The exhibition is seen by the public.)
2. En la discoteca se escucha la música:
La música ... en la discoteca.
(The music is listened to in the nightclub.)
3. En el museo se pinta el cuadro:
El cuadro ... en el museo.
(The painting is painted in the museum.)
4. En el cine se ve la película:
La película ... en el cine.
(The film is seen in the cinema.)
5. Muchas personas visitan el museo:
El museo ... por muchas personas.
(The museum is visited by many people.)
6. En muchas casas se ve la televisión:
La televisión ... en muchas casas.
(The television is watched in many houses.)
7. En todo el mundo se estudia el arte:
El arte ... en todo el mundo.
(Art is studied all over the world.)
8. En el museo se muestra el arte:
El arte ... en el museo.
(The art is shown in the museum.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. La exposición ______ visitada por turistas de todo el mundo.

(The exhibition ______ visited by tourists from all over the world.)

2. El concierto ______ organizado por la sala de música.

(The concert ______ organized by the music hall.)

3. La obra de arte ______ admirada por muchos visitantes.

(The work of art ______ admired by many visitors.)

4. El museo ______ visitado cada día por cientos de personas.

(The museum ______ visited every day by hundreds of people.)

5. La exposición ______ preparada por los organizadores con mucho cuidado.

(The exhibition ______ prepared by the organizers with great care.)

6. El evento ______ anunciado por la radio local.

(The event ______ announced by the local radio.)

Understanding the Passive Voice with ser + participio in Spanish

This lesson introduces the passive voice formation using ser + past participle, a fundamental grammatical structure in Spanish at the A1 beginner level. It explains how the subject of the sentence receives the action rather than performing it, changing the focus from the doer to the receiver.

Lesson Content Overview

Key points you will learn include:

  • Passive voice structure: Using ser conjugated according to the tense + the past participle matching the gender and number of the subject.
  • Use of the preposition 'por': Added before the agent performing the action when necessary, for example, in sentences like "La exposición es visitada por los estudiantes."
  • Examples of passive sentences:
    • "El evento es presentado en el teatro."
    • "La obra es vista en el museo."
    • "La exposición es visitada por los estudiantes."

Important Highlights

  • The participle must agree in gender and number with the subject: es presentado (singular, masculine), son organizadas (plural, feminine).
  • Ser is conjugated according to the sentence tense: present (es), past (fue), etc.
  • Passive voice shifts attention from who performs the action to who or what receives it.

Differences Between English and Spanish Passive Voice

In English, passive voice typically uses "to be" + past participle, similar to Spanish, but in Spanish, ser must always agree in number and gender with the subject, which does not occur in English. For example, "The exhibition is visited" translates as "La exposición es visitada" with 'visitada' agreeing in feminine singular with "exposición".

Useful terms include:

  • Participio (Participle): The verb form used to create the passive, such as "presentado," "vistos," or "visitada."
  • Por: Used to indicate the agent in passive sentences, similar to "by" in English.

This lesson equips learners to recognize and form passive constructions that describe actions performed on subjects, expanding their capability to understand and produce more varied and formal sentences in Spanish.

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This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Alessia Calcagni

Languages for communication in international enterprises and organizations

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

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Last Updated:

Wednesday, 16/07/2025 23:23