* You use the passive voice to focus on the person or thing
affected by an action.
* 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.
*
You form the passive by using a form of `be' and a past participle.
“BE”
is used in appropriate tense
BE + Past participle
Mrs.
Brown (teach) this class.
This class is taught by
Mrs. Brown.
is
being taught
has
been taught
was
taught
was
being taught
had
been taught
will
be taught
1
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, you use the passive voice.
The
gate is locked at 6 o'clock every night.
Dozens
of trees were destroyed.
2
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.
3
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.
4
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.
5
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.
6
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.
7
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.
“Hamlet”
was written by Shakespeare.
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.
8
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. Or: A new flat was offered to them.
The
books will be sent to you. Or: You will be sent the new books
9
In certain occasions, intransitive verbs with a preposition
can form passive as well.
He
was often laughed at.
10
Instead of “people say / think / believe” we can use passive
forms:
It
is said that black cats bring bad luck.
It
is thought that he will become the next president.
It
is believed that there is life in other planets.
