The Grammar Lab: Passive Voice (All Tenses)

Grammar Adv

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Passive Voice

ល្បះកម្ម (ផ្តោតលើកម្មវត្ថុ)

We use Passive Voice when the action or the object is more important than who did it.

យើងប្រើល្បះកម្ម នៅពេលសកម្មភាព ឬកម្មវត្ថុមានសារៈសំខាន់ជាងអ្នកធ្វើសកម្មភាពនោះ។ ជាញឹកញាប់ត្រូវបានបកប្រែថា "ត្រូវ" ឬ "ត្រូវបាន"។

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The Master Formula

រូបមន្តគោល

[Object] + BE (Tense) + V3 (+ by Person)

The main verb always stays in V3 (Past Participle). Only the "BE" verb changes to show time.

(កិរិយាសព្ទគោល តែងតែស្ថិតក្នុងទម្រង់ V3 ជានិច្ច។ មានតែកិរិយាសព្ទ "BE" ប៉ុណ្ណោះដែលផ្លាស់ប្តូរទៅតាមពេលវេលា។)

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Simple Tenses

កាលធម្មតា (Fact / Done)

Present: The T-shirts are printed daily.	ត្រូវបានបោះពុម្ព
Past: Battambang Studio was opened recently.	ត្រូវបានបើក
Future: The flag emblem will be placed on the left sleeve.	នឹងត្រូវបានដាក់

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Advanced Forms

កាលកម្រិតខ្ពស់ (Process / Result)

Present Cont: The blog page is being coded.	កំពុងត្រូវបានសរសេរកូដ
Past Cont: The logo was being designed when you called.	កំពុងត្រូវបានរចនា
Perfect: The Fading Fish Trap series has been animated.	ត្រូវបានធ្វើចលនារួចរាល់

The "By" Trap! ⚠️

Don't use it if it's obvious!

(ប្រើ "by [នរណាម្នាក់]" លុះត្រាតែវាជាព័ត៌មានសំខាន់។ បើដឹងច្បាស់ ឬមិនដឹងថាអ្នកណាធ្វើ មិនបាច់ដាក់ទេ។)

The script was written by an award-winning author. ✔️
(Important specific information)

The thief was arrested by the police. ❌

Of course it was the police! Just say: "The thief was arrested."

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Active ↔ Passive Switch

ប្តូរទម្រង់ល្បះ (ចុចពីលើកាតដើម្បីប្តូរ)

They print the shirts fast.Active

He will animate the scene.Active

Someone stole my design.Active

They are fixing the website.Active

The Grammar Lab 🎬

Watch Teacher Sopheak break down sentence structures. Pay close attention to how the focus shifts when the object moves to the front of the sentence!

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Grammar Check ⚡

ត្រួតពិនិត្យវេយ្យាករណ៍ ⚡

Fill in the blank

"Khmer ______ in Cambodia."

(តើគួរប្រើកិរិយាសព្ទមួយណា?)

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Fill in the blank

"The new apparel blog ______ yesterday."

(ម្សិលមិញ - Past Tense)

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Fill in the blank

"Please wait. The video ______ right now."

(កំពុងតែកើតឡើង - Present Continuous)

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THE TRAP CHECK ❌

Which sentence sounds more natural and professional?

(តើប្រយោគមួយណាដែលស្តាប់ទៅសមរម្យជាង?)

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Detective Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Speak Clearly 🗣️ Read this out loud: "The animation was finished last night. It is being uploaded right now." Notice how the "BE" verb changes from past to present continuous.

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Detective Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Write a Process ✍️ Write two sentences in the passive voice explaining how a T-shirt is made for Battambang Studio. (e.g., First, the design is created. Then, the shirts are printed.)

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Detective Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Apply Real World 📱 Open a news website or a tech blog in English. Can you find one sentence written in the passive voice? (Look for "is/are/was/were" + a verb with -ed or irregular V3).

Ask a Question 🙋‍♂️

តើអ្នកមានចម្ងល់មែនទេ? សួរគ្រូនៅទីនេះ!

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Recent Questions

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Rithy 1 day ago

Teacher, why do we use Passive Voice so much in technical writing and tutorials?

Reply 👍 9

SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 20 hours ago

Great observation, Rithy! In technical writing, the *process* or the *product* is what matters most, not the person doing it. If you write a manual, you say "The code is written" because the user only cares about the code, not the specific programmer who wrote it! ⭐