Marta:	Una cosa es el arte del toreo y otra cosa el toreo usado como arte, ¿no crees?
Nicolás:	Pues francamente, no sé muy bien a qué te refieres. Del arte del toreo entiendo muy poco. Pero del toreo usado como arte… creo que aún entiendo menos. Explícate un poco mejor, anda.
Marta:	Con el arte del toreo me refiero a lo que pasa en una corrida de toros. Escucha como fue descrito un final de una corrida en 1976: “Desde el centro del ruedo dirigió la montera al cielo, luego inclinó la cabeza en una oración fugaz. Hasta entonces había hecho lo más torero de la tarde: unas verónicas primorosas de pies juntos, otras hondas, con la suerte cargada; dos medias verónicas que levantaron clamores; un excelente quite por navarras, arte y gracia, rematado con una serpentina…”

In the previous lesson we saw that the past participle, one of the non-personal forms of a verb, can work as an adjective and an attribute with copulative verbs and its main function is to form the perfect tenses together with the auxiliary verb "haber".

In this lesson we'll see another main function of the past participle, to form the passive voice.

The Passive form of the Verb

The passive voice is a verb construction in which the subject is presented as passive (subject patient), while the action taken by the verb is performed by a complement (agent object) and not the individual agent verb in the active voice.

The active and passive sentences follow this structure:

Subject + verb + direct object

Passive: Subject patient (direct object of the active sentence) + verb to be + past participle of main verb + complement agent (the subject of the active sentence)

Adela compra un libro --> Un libro es comprado por Adela.
Adela buys a book --> A book is purchased by Adela.

Picasso pintó el Guernica --> El Guernica fue pintado por PIcasso.
Picasso painted the Guernica --> The Guernica was painted by Picasso.

Note: The verbs haber and tener are exceptions and they do not take the passive form.

Tengo un gato --> Un gato es tenido por mí. (INCORRECT)

Past Participle Periphrases

1. Llevar + participio: Indicates that an action has been happening for some time but it's still not completed.

Llevo andados tres kilómetros y aún me quedan más de dos.
I've already walked more kilometers and I still have two more to go.

2. Andar + participio: It is used to express a situation that has been going on for too long.

Andamos parados desde hace más de cuatro meses.
We've been unemployed for more than four months.

3. Tener + participio: Expresses an action completed in the past.

Ya tengo comprado el traje para la boda de mi hermana.
I've already bought the suit for my sister's wedding.

4. Ir + participio: It refers to an action that is happening now.

Vas cansada de tanto peso que llevas.
You are tired because you are carrying a lot of weight.

5. Dar + participio: This perífrasis is usually found with the preposition "por" linking the two verbs and it expresses that an action was concluded unilaterally.

El profesor dio por explicada la lección aunque los alumnos no la entendieron.
The professor considered the lesson done even though the students didn't understand it.