PASSIVE WITH ALL TENSES
USE: We use the PASSIVE when:
1) We do not know who or what does something
Example:
- The office is locked every evening.
- My car was stolen last night.
- The bridge was being repaired last week.
2) We are not interested in who or what does something
Example:
- The factory was painted during the war.
- Sara has been invited to the party.
- The house is being painted at the moment.
3) We do not want to say who or what does something
Example:
- The product was made.
- The computer is invented.
- The cell phone is updated.
FORM: We form passive verbs with different tenses of Be + Past Participle.
1) Present Simple Passive
|
Sub + am/is/are + V3 + (by obj) |
Example:
- The Marketing Department is run by Jonson.
- Microsoft is created by Mr. Bill Get.
2) Present Continuous Passive
|
Sub + am/is/are + being + V3 + (by obj) |
Example:
- The global environment is being changed these days.
- Our website is being re-designed at the moment.
3) Past Simple Passive
|
Sub + was/were + V3 + (by obj) |
Example:
- Our company was founded in 1990 in Japan.
- In 2000, three other branches were set up in Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh.
4) Past Continuous Passive
|
Sub + was/were + being + V3 + (by obj) |
Example:
- The company car was being serviced.
- The brochures were being printed without any mistake.
5) Present Perfect Simple Passive
|
Sub + have/has + been + V3 + (by obj) |
Example:
- A small design fault has been found on our latest chip.
- All of the chips have been recalled.
NOTE: Present Perfect Continuous is not commonly used in Passive.
6) Past Perfect Simple Passive
|
Sub + had + been + V3 + (by obj) |
Example:
- They emailed us to say that the shipment had been delayed.
- None of their orders had been fulfilled.
NOTE: Past Perfect Continuous is not commonly used in Passive.
7) Future Simple Passive with “Will”
|
Sub + will + be + V3 + (by obj) |
Example:
- The library will be officially opened all day next week.
- The new computer will be advertised on the Internet.
8) Future Simple Passive with “Be going to”
|
Sub + will + be + going to + be + V3 + (by obj) |
Example:
- The shipment is going to be delayed.
- Most nuclear waste is going to be stored underground.
NOTE: Future Continuous is not commonly used in Passive.
9) Future Perfect Passive
|
Sub + will + have + been + V3 + (by obj) |
Example:
- The electricity supply will have been cut off for a month.
- The painting will have been displayed for the public.
NOTE: Future Perfect Continuous is not commonly used in Passive.
PASSI VE “HAVE” AND “GET”
HAVE: We can use HAVE instead of Be to form PASSIVE when talking about things we pay, employ or arrange other people to do for us.
Formula
|
Subject + have/has + object1 + past participle + ( by obj2 ) |
Example:
- We have our car serviced by a local garage.
- My manager has the computer repaired.
NOTE: We can use HAVE with many different TENSES and MODAL VERBS.
Example:
- I am having a garage built at the moment. (Present Continuous)
- How often do you have your hair cut? (Present Simple)
- We had our computer serviced last week. (Past Simple)
- Jame has just had a suit made. (Present Perfect)
- You should have your eyes tested. (Modal Verb)
- Are you going to have new carpets fitted in your flat? (Future)
GET: We can use GET instead of HAVE to form PASSIVE when we talk about things that happen by accident or unexpectedly, but this is slightly less formal.
Formula
|
Subject + get + object1 + past participle + ( by obj2 ) |
Example:
- We get our brochures printed in Hong Kong.
- They get the central heating system checked once a year.
PASSIVE WITH “BY” AND “WITH”
BY: We only use “by + agent” when it is important to say who or what is responsible for something.
Example:
- The radio was invented by Marconi.
- A number of trees were blown down by the strong winds.
NOTE: We sometimes use the subject of an active sentence (Marconi, the strong winds) as ‘the agent’ in a passive sentence. When this happens, we use “by” to introduce the agent in the passive.
WITH: We use “with” to talk about an instrument which is used by the agent to do something.
Example:
- I was hit with an umbrella.
- The World Trade Center was crashed with two aircraft.
NOTE: We also use “with” to talk about materials or ingredients.
Example:
- The room was filled with smoke.
- Irish coffee is made with whiskey
SPECIAL PASSIVE
1) ODER PASSIVE
Positive form
|
Active: Verb + object |
|
Passive: Let + object + be + past participle |
Example:
- Speak English. (active)
- Let English be spoken. (passive)
- Drink beer. (active)
- Let beer be drunk. (passive)
Negative form
|
Active: Don’t + verb + object |
|
Passive: Let + object + not + be + past participle |
Example:
- Don’t eat pizza. (active)
- Let pizza not be eaten. (passive)
- Don’t use computer. (active)
- Let computer not be used. (passive)
2) INVINITIVE PASSIVE:
|
Active: Subject + verb + to-infinitive + object |
|
Passive: Subject + verb + object + to-be + past participle |
Example
- He wants to play football. (active)
- He wants football to be played. (passive)
- My brother expects to find a job soon. (active)
- My brother expects a job to be found soon. (passive)
NOTE: When we want to form question, we use auxiliary verb do, does, did, and negative sentence we use auxiliary verb do, does, did + not + infinitive.
Example:
- Do you need your computer to be updated? (active)
- Did our manager start to be respected? (passive)
- She does not want our books to be printed. (active)
- They did not take the car to be repainted. (passive)
3) GERUND PASSIVE:
|
Active: Subject + verb + gerund + object |
|
Passive: Subject + verb + object + being + past participle |
Example:
- We like having lunch at a restaurant. (active)
- We like lunch being had at a restaurant. (passive)
- He admitted breaking the window. (active)
- He admitted the window being broken. (passive)
NOTE: When we want to form question, we use auxiliary verb do, does, did, and negative sentence we use auxiliary verb do, does, did + not + infinitive.
4) TWO-DIFFERENT-PATTERN PASSIVE WITH AN ACTIVE SENTENCE
In an active sentence, a verb of giving can have two different patterns after it. They both have the same meaning.
Active:
- The Queen gave a medal to the businessman.
- The Queen gave the businessman a medal.
Passive:
- A medal was given to the businessman.
- The businessman was given a medal.
NOTE: Either a medal or the businessman can be the subject of a passive sentence.
Verbs in this pattern are:
|
give, send, pay, lend, hand, sell, promise, show, offer, teach, owe, award, grant, allow, leave (in a will) and feed. |
5) IT IS SAID (THAT) … or HE IS SAID TO …
We can use a special pattern with verbs of reporting when we do not need to know who is doing the reporting.
Example:
- People say the bridge is unsafe. (active)
- It is said the bridge is unsafe, or the bridge is said to be unsafe. (passive)
- Most students expect the result is good. (active)
- It is expected the result is good, or the result is expected to be good. (passive)
Verbs in this pattern are:
|
say, report, mention, announce, think, believe,understand, agree, decide, know, find, expect, hope, regret, fear, intend, arrange… |
NOTE: The verbs write in bold are only used in the infinitive pattern.
