The passive voice of "We are doing nothing against you" is: Nothing is being done against you by us.
Understanding Passive Voice Transformation
The passive voice is a grammatical construction where the subject of the sentence receives the action rather than performing it. It shifts the focus from the doer of an action (the agent) to the action itself or the recipient of the action. This can be particularly useful when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or when you want to emphasize the outcome or the object.
For a deeper dive into active and passive voice, you can explore resources like the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).
Step-by-Step Transformation to Passive Voice
Transforming an active sentence to passive voice involves identifying key components and rearranging them according to grammatical rules.
Analyzing the Active Sentence
Let's break down the original active sentence: "We are doing nothing against you."
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Subject | We (the doer of the action) |
| Verb Phrase | are doing (Present Continuous Tense) |
| Object | nothing (the recipient of the action) |
| Prepositional Phrase | against you (modifies the action) |
Constructing the Passive Sentence
To convert this into passive voice, we follow these steps:
- Make the object the new subject: The object of the active sentence, "nothing," becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
- Use the "to be" verb in the same tense: The active sentence is in the present continuous tense ("are doing"). The passive equivalent for present continuous is is/am/are + being + past participle.
- Since our new subject is "nothing" (singular), we use "is."
- The past participle of "doing" is "done."
- Thus, the passive verb phrase becomes "is being done."
- Add the rest of the sentence: The phrase "against you" remains in its position.
- Include the original subject in a "by" phrase (optional but common): The original subject, "we," becomes "by us" at the end of the sentence.
Following these steps, the sentence transforms into: Nothing is being done against you by us.
Key Elements of the Passive Voice for Present Continuous Tense
The formula for forming the passive voice in the present continuous tense is crucial for accurate transformation.
- Active Voice Structure: Subject + is/am/are + Verb (V-ing) + Object
- Passive Voice Structure: Subject (Object from active) + is/am/are + being + Past Participle (V3) + (by Agent)
Here's a comparison:
| Feature | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Example | We are doing nothing against you. | Nothing is being done against you by us. |
| Subject | We (doer) | Nothing (receiver) |
| Verb Form | are doing (V-ing) | is being done (being + Past Participle) |
| Focus | On 'We' (the doer) | On 'Nothing' (the action/recipient) |
| Agent (Doer) | Explicitly 'We' | Optional 'by us' |
Why Use the Passive Voice Here?
Using the passive voice in this context can subtly shift the emphasis. While the active voice ("We are doing nothing against you") highlights the speaker's agency, the passive voice ("Nothing is being done against you by us") emphasizes the state of not having any action taken against the recipient. This might be used:
- When the speaker wants to reassure someone that no action is being taken.
- To focus on the lack of action rather than who is responsible for it.
Practical Examples of Present Continuous Passive
To further illustrate, consider other examples of the present continuous tense in both active and passive forms:
- Active: The workers are building a new bridge.
- Passive: A new bridge is being built by the workers.
- Active: She is writing an important report.
- Passive: An important report is being written by her.
- Active: They are discussing the problem.
- Passive: The problem is being discussed by them.
