* You use the
passive voice to focus on the person or thing affected by an action.
* You form the passive by using a form of
`be' and a past participle.
* Only verbs that have an object can have a
passive form. With verbs that can have two objects, either object can be the
subject of the passive.
- When you want to talk about the person or thing that performs an action, you use the active voice.
Mr Smith locks the
gate at 6 o'clock every night.
The storm destroyed
dozens of trees.
- When you want to focus on the person or thing that is affected by an action, rather than the person or thing that performs the action, you use the passive voice.
The gate is locked
at 6 o'clock every night.
Dozens of trees were
destroyed.
- The passive is formed with a form of the auxiliary `be', followed by the past participle of a main verb.
Two new stores were
opened this year.
The room had been
cleaned.
- Continuous passive tenses are formed with a form of the auxiliary `be' followed by `being' and the past participle of a main verb.
Jobs are still
being lost.
It was being done without
his knowledge.
- After modals you use the base form `be' followed by the past participle of a main verb.
What can be done?
We won't be beaten.
- When you are talking about the past, you use a modal with `have been' followed by the past participle of a main verb.
He may have been
given the car.
He couldn't have
been told by Jimmy.
- You form passive infinitives by using `to be' or `to have been' followed by the past participle of a main verb.
He wanted to be
forgiven.
The car was reported to
have been stolen.
In informal English, `get' is sometimes
used instead of `be' to form the passive.
Our car gets cleaned
every weekend.
He got killed in a
plane crash.
- When you use the passive, you often do not mention the person or thing that performs the action at all. This may be because you do not know or do not want to say who it is, or because it does not matter.
Her boyfriend was
shot in the chest.
Your application was
rejected.
Such items should
be carefully packed in tea chests.
- If you are using the passive and you do want to mention the person or thing that performs the action, you use `by'.
He had been
poisoned by his girlfriend.
He was brought up by
an aunt.
You use `with' to talk about something that is used to perform the
action.
A circle was drawn in
the dirt with a stick.
He was killed with a
knife.
- Only verbs that usually have an object can have a passive form. You can say `people spend money' or `money is spent'.
An enormous amount of
money is spent on beer.
The food is sold at
local markets.
- With verbs which can have two objects, you can form two different passive sentences. For example, you can say
`The secretary was
given the key' or
`The key was
given to the secretary'.
They were offered
a new flat.
The books will be
sent to you.
A sample of exercise often used to practice the passive voice is turning an active sentence into the passive and vice versa, like this:
The passive voice is not a tense in English.
Each tense has its own passive voice created by using a form of the auxiliary verb to be + verb 3rd form (past participle)
Each tense has its own passive voice created by using a form of the auxiliary verb to be + verb 3rd form (past participle)
The passive voice in each tense:
Tense
|
Auxiliary verb + verb 3rd form (past
participle)
|
Examples
|
Present simple
|
am, is, are
+ made
|
Wine is made from grapes.
Many cars are made in Japan. |
Present Continuous
|
am, is, are
+ being + sent
|
The document is being sent right now.
I am being sent to work in the London office. |
Past simple
|
was, were + invited
|
John was invited to speak at the conference.
We were invited to Daniel and Mary’s wedding. |
Past Continuous
|
was, were + being
+ washed
|
The dog was being washed when I got home.
Their cars were being washed while they were in the mall shopping. |
Future (will)
|
will be + signed
|
The contract will be signed tomorrow.
The documents will all be signed by next week. |
Future (going to)
|
am, is, are
+ going to be + built
|
A bridge is going to be built within the next two
years.
New houses are going to be built in our neighborhood. |
Present perfect
|
has, have + been
+ sold
|
That start-up has been sold for $5 million.
The rights to his book have been sold for $250,000. |
Past perfect
|
had + been + hired
|
The new manager had been hired before John left the
company.
All the employees had hired before the store opened. |
Future perfect
|
will + have been +
finished
|
The car will have been loaded by the time he gets
home.
The crates will have been loaded by then. |
Modals: can/could
|
can, could + be
+ issued
|
A passport can only be issued at the embassy.
He said the documents could be issued within the week. |
Modal: have to
|
have to, has to, had
to +
be + arranged
|
A babysitter has to be arranged for this evening.
Joan’s travel plans have to be arranged by December. |
Modal: must
|
must + be + stopped
|
Criminals must be stopped before they commit crimes.
|
A sample of exercise often used to practice the passive voice is turning an active sentence into the passive and vice versa, like this:
Tense
|
Subject
|
Verb
|
Object
|
|
Simple Present
|
Active:
|
Rita
|
writes
|
a
letter.
|
Passive:
|
A letter
|
is written
|
by
Rita.
|
|
Simple Past
|
Active:
|
Rita
|
wrote
|
a
letter.
|
Passive:
|
A letter
|
was written
|
by
Rita.
|
|
Present Perfect
|
Active:
|
Rita
|
has written
|
a
letter.
|
Passive:
|
A letter
|
has been written
|
by
Rita.
|
|
Future I
|
Active:
|
Rita
|
will write
|
a
letter.
|
Passive:
|
A letter
|
will be written
|
by
Rita.
|
|
Modals
|
Active:
|
Rita
|
can write
|
a
letter.
|
Passive:
|
A letter
|
can be written
|
by
Rita.
|
Tense
|
Subject
|
Verb
|
Object
|
|
---|---|---|---|---|
Present Continuous
|
Active:
|
Rita
|
is writing
|
a letter.
|
Passive:
|
A letter
|
is being written
|
by Rita.
|
|
Past Continuous
|
Active:
|
Rita
|
was writing
|
a letter.
|
Passive:
|
A letter
|
was being written
|
by Rita.
|
|
Past Perfect
|
Active:
|
Rita
|
had written
|
a letter.
|
Passive:
|
A letter
|
had been written
|
by Rita.
|
|
Future II
|
Active:
|
Rita
|
will have written
|
a letter.
|
Passive:
|
A letter
|
will have been written
|
by Rita.
|
|
Conditional I
|
Active:
|
Rita
|
would write
|
a letter.
|
Passive:
|
A letter
|
would be written
|
by Rita.
|
|
Conditional II
|
Active:
|
Rita
|
would have written
|
a letter.
|
Passive:
|
A letter
|
would have been written
|
by Rita.
|
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