Unit

22 Forming passive sentences 1

A Verbs such as give take both a direct object (DO) and an Reminder ➜ Section D & Appendix 2
indirect object (IO) in two patterns: V + IO + DO or V + DO +
preposition + IO. These verbs have two corresponding passives:
active V + IO + DO passive Also: award, hand, lend,
V + DO + prep + IO offer, send, throw (=
Alice gave us that vase. ✓ We were given that vase (by Alice). ✓ ‘giving’ verbs); ask, read,
teach (= ‘telling’ verbs)
Alice gave that vase to us. ✓ That vase was given (to) us (by Alice). ✓

The passive form you choose depends on which is more appropriate in a particular context. If we
specify an agent (see Appendix 2), this follows by at the end of the clause. Note that in informal
contexts ‘to’ can be left out in the second passive pattern.
Verbs that can’t be followed by IO + DO in the active have only one of these passive forms:
active V + DO + prep + IO passive Also: announce, demonstrate,
He explained me the problem. ✗ I was explained the problem. ✗ describe, introduce, mention,
He explained the problem to me. ✓ The problem was explained to propose, report, suggest
me. ✓ (= ‘reporting’ verbs)

B Verbs followed by object + complement in the active have one passive form:
active V + object + complement passive Also: appoint, declare, make, nominate,
They elected her president. She was elected vote (to do with giving a particular position);
president. call, name, title (= ‘naming’ verbs)

C Some verbs that are followed by object + bare infinitive (= an infinitive without ‘to’) in the active are
followed by a to-infinitive in the passive:
active V + object + bare infinitive passive Also: feel, hear, help (also +
They have made him return the He has been made to object + to-infinitive), observe,
money. return the money. see (see also Unit 23A)

D Transitive two- and three-word verbs (see also Unit 94)

Some have passive forms:
active passive Also: carry out (= put into practice),
Ella looked after him. He was looked after (by Ella). disapprove of, hold over (= delay), talk
down to (= patronise)
Some are not used in the passive:
active no passive Also: brush up on (= revise), cast (your mind)
We came up against A problem was come up back (= try to remember), get (something) down
a problem. against. ✗ (= write), take after (= resemble)

Some can be only used in the passive with certain senses:

active passive Also: (passive possible meaning / no passive
They put out the fire. The fire was put out. meaning): call (someone) up (order to join
I put out a hand to steady A hand was put out to the army / telephone); call (someone)
myself. steady myself. ✗ back (ask to return / telephone); let in
(allow into a place / allow rain, etc. in);
let out (allow to leave / let out a sound)
44
 Unit
Exercises 22
22.1 Rewrite the sentences using one or, if possible, two passive forms. Look carefully at the tense. A
1 Someone handed me a note. I was handed a note. / A note was handed to me .
2 Someone offered her a second-hand bicycle.
3 Someone has proposed improvements to the developers.
4 Someone suggested some interesting changes to me.
5 Someone awarded him a prize.
6 Someone will announce the President’s arrival to the waiting journalists.
7 Someone had mentioned the password to the thieves.
8 Someone has lent me some skis.
9 Someone is sending me a lot of spam emails.
10 Someone is going to explain the changes to the students.

22.2 Complete each first sentence with a suitable form of a verb from the box. Then complete the
second sentence using the same verb and the passive. A, B & C
appoint declare demonstrate help introduce see

1 People helped Rob to his feet after the accident.

Rob was helped to his feet after the accident .
2 Tony me to Mrs Rossi at his birthday party. I
.
3 Has anyone Chris this morning? Has Chris
?
4 They Sven Larsen Regional Sales Director for Scandinavia.
Sven Larsen .
5 I am certain that Sarah her suitability as company director to those who
still have any doubt. I am certain that Sarah’s suitability as company director
.
6 They Alan Watson winner of the election after a recount.
Alan Watson .

22.3 If possible, rewrite each sentence using a passive form of the italicised two- or three-word verb.
If not, write ‘No passive’. D
1 Children often look up to strict teachers.
Strict teachers are often looked up to by children.
2 The company phased out the product over a period of three years.

3 The students got the information down as fast as they could.

4 The decision has deprived many people of the right to vote.

5 People often brush up on a foreign language just before a holiday.

6 Ben called Mrs Patel back as soon as he got home.

7 The chairperson held over the last two items until the next committee meeting.

8 The farmer prevented walkers from crossing the field after he fenced it off.

➜ Additional exercise 6 (page 243) 45

Unit Forming passive sentences 2: verb + -ing or
23 to-infinitive
A Active patterns with verb + -ing
Verbs followed by object + -ing in the active are made passive with ‘be’ + past participle + -ing:
They saw the monkey climbing over the fence. (= active)
The monkey was seen climbing over the fence. (= passive) Also: bring, catch, hear, find,
keep, notice, observe, send,
show

B Some verbs that can be followed by an -ing form can be used with a passive form being + past
participle:
I really love being given presents.
The children enjoyed being taken to Also: avoid, deny, describe, dislike, face, hate,
the zoo. (not) imagine, like, remember, report, resent

C Verbs which in the active are followed by an object consisting of a noun phrase and -ing clause
usually have no passive:
I dread him (or his) finding out.
Also: anticipate, appreciate, dislike, forget, hate,
(but not He is dreaded finding out)
imagine, like, (not) mind, recall, remember

D Active patterns with verb + to-infinitive

The active pattern verb + object + to-infinitive is made passive with ‘be’ + past participle + to-
infinitive. Compare:
Mr Wang has taught Peter to sing for years. and
Also: advise, allow, ask, believe,
Peter has been taught to sing (by Mr Wang)
consider, expect, feel, instruct, mean,
for years.
order, require, tell, understand

Note that in some contexts it is possible to make both verbs passive:

Changes to the taxation system are expected to be proposed. (compare the active We
expect the government to propose changes to the taxation system.)
Some verbs followed by an object + to-infinitive in the active have no passive:
Susan liked Karl to be there. (but not Karl was liked to be there.)
Also: (can’t) bear, hate, love, need, prefer, want, wish (= ‘liking’ and ‘wanting’ verbs)

E The active pattern verb + to-infinitive + object is made passive with verb + to be + past participle.
Compare:
Supermarkets started to sell fresh pasta only in the 1990s. and
Fresh pasta started to be sold by supermarkets only in the 1990s.
Also: (i) appear, begin, come, continue, seem, tend;
(ii) agree, aim, arrange, attempt, hope, refuse, want
The verbs in group (i) (and start) have corresponding meanings in active and passive sentences, but
the verbs in group (ii) do not. Compare:
People have come to see organic food as something only the wealthy eat. (active) corresponds to
Organic food has come to be seen as something only the wealthy eat. (passive)
Petra wanted to help me. (active) does not correspond to
I wanted to be helped by Petra. (passive)

46
 Unit
Exercises 23
23.1 Complete each sentence using one pair of verbs from the box. Use either was / were + past
participle + -ing or past simple + being + past participle. A & B
avoid – take deny – involve face – expel find – wander keep – wait
leave – hold observe – hide remember – bite resent – give send – tumble

1 Inger was kept waiting for over three hours when she went for her dental appointment.
2 When the police first questioned him, Wayne in the robbery.
3 I the baby while Karen went to answer the door.
4 When I woke up in hospital, I by the snake but nothing after that.
5 They prisoner by pretending to be dead.
6 The man a suspicious package under a seat in the train.
7 When the bike hit her, Ana to the ground.
8 Two teenagers yesterday from school after they were found
with over a hundred stolen mobile phones.
9 The man was taken to hospital when he lost and alone in the
forest.
10 Tarik had worked in the company for 30 years and he rather
orders by people who had been there only weeks.

23.2 Rewrite the sentences using one pair of words from the box. Use passive forms with past
participle + -ing, past participle + to-infinitive, or past simple + being + past participle. A–D

ask – show catch – shoplifting expect – attract hear – argue

hate – tease mind – criticise observe – enter require – complete

1 They wanted us to show our passports at the border.

We were asked to show our passports at the border.
2 They could hear Emil and Laura shouting at each other next door.
Emil and Laura .
3 The other children made Ollie unhappy when they teased him.
Ollie .
4 They saw the burglar getting into the museum through a window.
The burglar .
5 They think that over 20,000 people will go to the pop concert.
The pop concert .
6 They criticised her but she wasn’t unhappy about it.
She .
7 They said I had to fill in two copies of the customs declaration.
I .
8 They caught Mrs Dee taking things from the shop.
Mrs Dee .

23.3 Make passive sentences beginning with the italicised word(s). E

1 Kay’s questions began to irritate Marco.
Marco began to be irritated by Kay’s questions. (corresponding meaning)
2 The team captain hopes to select Omar.
3 Alastair arranged to take Kathy to the station.
4 Critics have come to recognise Galdos as one of Spain’s greatest novelists.
5 The south coast continues to attract holidaymakers.
6 Harris has agreed to interview the Finance Minister.

Do the sentences you have written have a corresponding meaning to the original, or a different
meaning? Look carefully at the tense in the sentences given.

➜ Additional exercise 6 (page 243) 47

Unit
24 Using passives
A We typically use a passive rather than an active in the Reminder ➜ Section D & Appendix 2
following situations.
Using a passive allows us to omit the agent (= the subject of the corresponding active sentence) by
leaving out the prepositional phrase with by. We prefer passives when the agent:
– is not known: My office was broken into when I was on holiday.
– is ‘people in general’: An order form can be found on page 2.
– is unimportant: He is thought to be somewhere in Russia.
– is obvious: She is being treated in hospital. (the agent is clearly ‘medical staff’)
In factual writing (e.g. describing procedures or processes) we often omit the agent, and use passives:
Nuclear waste will still be radioactive even after 20,000 years, so it must be disposed of
very carefully. It can be stored as a liquid in stainless-steel containers which are encased in
concrete. The most dangerous nuclear waste can be turned into glass which will be stored in
deep underground mines.
In informal contexts, particularly in conversation, we often use active sentences with a subject such
as people, somebody / someone, something, they, we, or you even when we do not know who the
agent is. In more formal contexts, we often prefer to use a passive so that we can avoid any mention of
an agent. Compare:
They’re installing the new computer system next month. and
The new computer system is being installed next month. (more formal)

B Note also that some verbs have related nouns which express the same meaning. These nouns can be
used as the subject of passive sentences, with a new passive verb introduced. Compare the example
above and:
The installation of the new computer system will be completed by next month.

C In English we usually prefer to put the topic (what is already being talked about) at the beginning of a
sentence (or clause) and a comment on that topic at the end. Choosing the passive often allows us to
do this. Compare these two texts and note where the topic (in italics) is placed in the second sentence
of each. The second text uses a passive where the emphasis is on the (safety) valves:
The three machines tested for the report contained different types of safety valve. The Boron
Group in Germany manufactured all the valves.
The three machines tested for the report contained different types of safety valve. All the
valves were manufactured by the Boron Group in Germany.
Using the passive allows us to put long subjects at the end of a sentence. So, for example:
I was surprised by Dev’s decision to give up his job and move to Sydney.
is more natural than ‘Dev’s decision to give up his job and move to Sydney surprised me’, although the
choice can depend on considerations of style and context.

D Instead of making a that-clause the subject of a passive sentence, it is normal to use an it-clause
(see also Unit 25):
Everybody believed (that) the plan would fail. (active)
It was believed that the plan would fail. (passive) is more natural than
That the plan would fail was believed by everybody.

48
 Unit
Exercises 24
24.1 Write passive sentences about the development of an Olympic Games site starting with the
italicised words. A & Appendix 2
1 5
They built the main stadium in under They are holding the rowing
three years. competition on the River
The main stadium was Nene.
built in under three years.
6
They had completed the
2 athletics track only a year
They have designed the main
stadium to accommodate after the city got the
many different sports. Olympics.

3 7
They will take down the They were using the handball
temporary stands after the venue as a warehouse until a
Games. year ago.

4 8
They will have completed They should have finished
the basketball arena by the the badminton arena by now.
end of May.

24.2 Rewrite these sentences beginning with a noun formed from the italicised verb (with the
if necessary). Use a passive form of the verb in brackets, and make any other necessary
changes. B
1 They will consider the issue at next week’s meeting. (give)
Consideration will be given to the issue at next week’s meeting.
2 They will appoint a new managing director next week. (make)
3 People have accused the local council of corruption. (make)
4 They demolished the building in only two days. (complete)
5 They will present the trophy after the speeches. (make)
6 Local residents will certainly resist the proposed new industrial area. (expect)

24.3 Complete the text with appropriate forms (active or passive) of the verbs in brackets. A–D

Slowly but surely the coastline of Britain (1) is being worn away (wear away) by an advancing
sea. The country which once ‘ruled the waves’ now (2) (rule) by them, with huge
forces threatening to destroy vast areas of human and wildlife habitat. Already some of Britain’s last
wild, natural areas (3) (disappear), and experts (4) (fear)
that this is just the beginning. It (5) (estimate) that there will be a 38–55 cm rise
in average sea levels by the year 2100. According to the Department of the Environment, during the
next 50 years at least 10,000 hectares of farmland (6) (turn into) mud flats and
salt marshes by the increases in sea levels. Rather than trying to prevent the erosion, the present
government (7) (use) a method of ‘managed retreat’ by creating new defences
further inland and allowing low-lying coastal farmland (8) (abandon) to
the sea. However, many of the country’s major cities could also (9) (affect).
London, Bristol and Cardiff all (10) ................... (expect) severe flooding as our sea defences
(11) (destroy) by the rising tides.

➜ Additional exercise 6 (page 243) 49