UNIT
23
The passive (1)
TENSE
ACTIVE
PASSIVE
Present simple
Everybody calls her Amy.
She is called Amy (by everybody)
Present continuous
They are building a new school.
A new school is being built.
Present perfect
Have they sent the price list yet?
Has the price list been sent yet?
Past simple
Who made the cake?
Who was the cake made by?
Past continuous
They were cleaning it.
It was being cleaned.
Past perfect
We had finished all the water.
All the water had been finished.
Future simple
Dr Young will examine you.
You will be examined by Dr Young.
Be going to
They’re going to fire him.
He is going to be fired.
Modal verbs
Nobody can see it. They may/might invite us. People must pay taxes. Everybody should help the poor. We could do that in a shorter time. They would kill him if he did it.
It can’t be seen (by anybody). We may/might be invited. Taxes must be paid. The poor should be helped. That could be done in a shorter time. He would be killed if he did it.
Verb + -ing
She likes it when they praise her.
She likes being (to be) praised.
Infinitive
I’d like them to give me more money.
I’d like to be given more money.
-ing form
I remember when they hit me.
I remember being hit.
PASSIVE - INTERROGATIVE FORM • Passive questions typically use the verb be as the auxiliary for inversion. Compare the active and passive form of questions in the following examples. Does anybody speak English in this hotel? Where did they find the lost child? How long will we keep this secret?
Is English spoken in this hotel? Where was the lost child found? How long will this secret be kept?
USAGE AND EXAMPLES • The passive form is used when you want to emphasise the object of the action rather than the subject, or when the agent is not very important in the sentence. • It is typically made up of the verb be (which changes tense) with a past participle. The Direct Object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. • When you specify an agent, it is introduced by the preposition by. Generic agents like everybody, they, people, etc or agents that are logical subjects of the action aren’t usually mentioned in a passive sentence. Study the examples: Passive subject
60
be
Past participle
(agent)
English
is
spoken
in this hotel
The rooms
are being
cleaned
The gallery
will be
opened
by the Queen
JFK
was
killed
by Leo Harvey Oswald
The paintings
mustn’t be
touched
(by anybody)
in 1963
