The document discusses the passive voice in English grammar. It begins by explaining how to form the passive voice using forms of "be" plus the past participle. It then provides examples of the passive voice in various tenses. The document also discusses the uses of the passive voice, including when the subject receives the action, when the agent is unknown, and how to indicate the agent using "by". It notes some verbs that can have two objects and the resulting passive constructions. Finally, it provides some additional notes on the passive voice.
The document discusses the passive voice in English grammar. It begins by explaining how to form the passive voice using forms of "be" plus the past participle. It then provides examples of the passive voice in various tenses. The document also discusses the uses of the passive voice, including when the subject receives the action, when the agent is unknown, and how to indicate the agent using "by". It notes some verbs that can have two objects and the resulting passive constructions. Finally, it provides some additional notes on the passive voice.
The document discusses the passive voice in English grammar. It begins by explaining how to form the passive voice using forms of "be" plus the past participle. It then provides examples of the passive voice in various tenses. The document also discusses the uses of the passive voice, including when the subject receives the action, when the agent is unknown, and how to indicate the agent using "by". It notes some verbs that can have two objects and the resulting passive constructions. Finally, it provides some additional notes on the passive voice.
The document discusses the passive voice in English grammar. It begins by explaining how to form the passive voice using forms of "be" plus the past participle. It then provides examples of the passive voice in various tenses. The document also discusses the uses of the passive voice, including when the subject receives the action, when the agent is unknown, and how to indicate the agent using "by". It notes some verbs that can have two objects and the resulting passive constructions. Finally, it provides some additional notes on the passive voice.
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The passive
1 Forms: use be + past participle to form the passive
Active Passive Present Simple (verb in the Present Simple) e.g.: * The police arrest thieves every week.
*Somebody cleans the room every day. Present Simple (am/is/are + past participle) e.g.: * Thieves are arrested by the police every week. * The room is cleaned every day. Present continuous (am/is/are + verb ing) e.g.: * The police are arresting a thief at the moment. * Somebody is cleaning the room at the moment. Present continuous (am/is/are being + past participle) e.g.: * A thief is being arrested by the police at the moment. * The room is being cleaned at the moment. Past Simple (verb in the Past Simple)
e.g.: * The police arrested a thief last week. * Somebody cleaned the room yesterday. Past Simple (was/were + past participle) e.g.: * A thief was arrested by the police last week. * The room was cleaned yesterday. Past continuous (was/were + verb ing)
e.g.: * The police were arresting a thief when I arrived in the shop. * Somebody was cleaning the room when I arrived. Past continuous (was/were being + past participle) e.g.: * A thief was being arrested by the police when I arrived in the shop. * The room was being cleaned when I arrived. Present Perfect Simple (have/has + past participle) e.g.: * The police have just arrested a thief.
* The room looks nice. Somebody has cleaned it. Present Perfect Simple (have/has been + past participle) e.g.: * A thief has just been arrested by the police. * The room looks nice. It has been cleaned. Past Perfect Simple (had + past participle)
e.g.: * There was a crowd in front of the shop. The police had arrested a thief. * The room looked nice. Somebody had cleaned it. Past Perfect Simple (had been + past participle) e.g.: * There was a crowd in front of the shop. A thief had been arrested by the police. * The room looked nice. It had been cleaned. Future (will/shall + infinitive or am/is/are going to + infinitive) e.g.: * The police are going to arrest the thief.
* Somebody will clean the room later. Future (will/shall be + past participle or am/is/are going to be + past participle) e.g.: * The thief is going to be arrested by the police. * The room will be cleaned later.
Modals (can/could/may/might/must/ have to/should + infinitive) e.g.: * The police have to arrest the thief.
* Somebody can clean the room. * The situation is serious. We must do something. * You should call the doctor. * The music was very loud. You could hear it from a long way away. Modals (can/could/may/might/must/ have to/should be + past participle) e.g.: * The thief has to be arrested by the police. * The room can be cleaned. * The situation is serious. Something must be done. * The doctor should be called. * The music was very loud. It could be heard from a long way away.
Infinitives Be + past participle e.g.: * Please go away. I want to be left alone. * The meat is ready to be cooked.
Present participles Being + past participle e.g.: * I remember being taken to the zoo when I was a child. (= I remember somebody taking me to the zoo when I was a child.) * Steve hates being kept waiting. (= He hates people keeping him waiting.) * I managed to climb over the wall without being seen (= without anybody seeing me) * I dont like being told what to do. (= I dont like people telling me what to do.) 2 USE 1. When we use an active verb, we say what the subject does. e.g.: - My grandfather was a builder. He built this house in 1935. - Its a big company. It employs two hundred people.
When we use a passive verb, we say what happens to the subject. e.g.: - This house is quite old. It was built in 1935. - Two hundred people are employed by the company.
2. When we use the passive, who or what causes the action is often unknown or unimportant. e.g.: - A lot of money was stolen in the robbery. (somebody stole it, but we dont know who) - Is this room cleaned every day? (its not important who)
If we want to say who does or what causes the action, we use by. e.g.: - This house was built by my grandfather. - Two hundred people are employed by the company.
3. Some verbs can have two objects, for example give: e.g.: - Somebody gave the police the information. (= Somebody gave the information to the police.) So it is possible to make two passive sentences: The police were given the information. The information was given to the police.
Other verbs which can have two objects are: ask, offer, pay, show, teach, tell. When we use these verbs in the passive, most often we begin with the person. e.g.: - I was offered the job, but I refused it. (= they offered me the job) - You will be given plenty of time to decide. (= we will give you plenty of time to decide) - Have you been shown the new machine? (= Has anybody shown you the new machine?)
4. I was born. (not I am born.) e.g.: - I was born in Chicago. - Where were you born?
But: How many babies are born every day?
5. Get You can use get instead of be in the passive (informal spoken English). e.g.: - There was a fight at the party, but nobody got hurt. (= nobody was hurt) - I dont often get invited to parties. (= Im not often invited)