Passive voice
Forming and using the passive across all tenses, with modals, infinitives and reporting verbs.
We use the passive voice when the action is more important than the person who does it, or when the doer is unknown, obvious or unimportant. The passive is formed with the correct tense of 'be' plus the past participle (V3): the house is built, was built, has been built, will be built, is being built, was being built. After modal verbs we use 'be + V3' (must be done, can be repaired) and after some verbs we use the passive infinitive (to be done) or gerund. If we want to mention who does the action, we add a 'by' phrase. For example: 'The letter was written by Anna.' Reporting verbs such as say, think and believe form special passive patterns: 'It is said that he is rich' or 'He is said to be rich.'
Rules
- 1Form the passive with the correct tense of 'be' + past participle (V3); keep the same tense as the active sentence.
- 2Move the active object to the front as the new subject; add the doer in a 'by' phrase only if it is important.
- 3After modal verbs use 'modal + be + V3' (It must be finished) and use the passive infinitive 'to be + V3' after verbs like want, need, expect.
- 4Continuous passives use 'be + being + V3' (is being repaired, was being repaired); perfect passives use 'have/has/had been + V3'.
- 5Reporting verbs make two passive patterns: 'It is said that + clause' and 'Subject + is said + to-infinitive'.
Practice
10 easy · 10 medium · 10 hard