PASSIVE GRAMMAR

We use the passive voice in 3 situations:

When the subject is not known

e.g. Someone killed the president

The president was killed (by someone)

When the subject is obvious

e.g. The cleaner has cleaned the office

The office has been cleaned (by the cleaner)

When the subject is not important

e.g. Alex Huckle eats all of the pies.

All of the pies are eaten by Alex Huckle

Form: how to build your own phrases

OBJECT + TO BE + PARTICIPLE + BY + SUBJECT + COMPLIMENTS

+ My car was fixed by the mechanic.

– The window was not smashed by the football.

? Was the lesson taught by the head teacher?

For extra practice click HERE and access our free PDF exercises.

The best way to form the passive is with this simple 5 step rule:

Active = The man swept the floor last Friday.

Passive = The floor was swept by the man last Friday.

*you can omit by the man because it is irrelevant

Object – singular or plural

Tense – conjugate the verb to be in this tense
Verb – past participle
Subject – can it be omitted? (unknown, obvious, irrelevant)

Complements – extra information

An important part of the passive is knowing how to conjugate the verb to be.

Present simple = is/are

Present continuous = is/are being

Present perfect = has/have been

Past perfect = had been

Past simple = was/were

Going to = is/are going to be

Would = would be

Can = can be

Will = will be

Must = must be

Could = could be

Might = might be

Should = should be

Modal perfect = would/could/might/should have been

Avoiding the passive: we rarely use the passive with continuous tenses.

In advanced grammar we generally these prefer phrases to passives in the present continuous, present perfect continuous, past continuous, past perfect continuous, future continuous tenses.

Phrases:

In progress

Under construction

In use

Under consideration

In training

On display

Under way

Study the examples:

The painting is ~~being displayed~~ for 3 month. The painting is on display for 3 months.

The house is ~~being built~~ right now. The house is under construction at the moment.

The contract is ~~being thought~~ about. The contract is under consideration.

Preparations for the course are ~~being made~~. Preparations for the course are under way.

The project ~~is being done~~. The project is in progress.

By September I will have been ~~being trained~~ for 6 months. By September I will have been in training for 6 months.

PRACTICE YOUR SPEAKING WITH PASSIVES HERE

Practice questions:

What could be done to control the amount we use technology?
When was the last time you had your car fixed?

Is it said in your country that social media is very addictive?
Will language learning be made easier thanks to technology?
Who was your company set up by?

Have you ever had your computer repaired by a professional?
How will education be influenced by technology in the future?
Is it widely believed that we are becoming very addicted to technology?

Has your life been improved by technology?
What would you do if you go mugged in the street?
Is it thought that technology will change the way we live in the future?

Is technology generally considered to have a good impact on our lives?
Could your job be replaced by something technological like a robot or a computer?
Who have you been taught English by?