The Passive Voice

THE PASSIVE VOICE
PASSIVE, FUNCTION
The passive voice is used to show interest in the person or object that experiences an action rather than the
person or object that performs the action, e.g.
• The passive is used ...:

We are interested in the passive, not who uses it.
• The house was built in 1654:
We are interested in the house, not the builder.
• The road is being repaired:
We are interested in the road, not the people repairing it.
In other words, the most important thing or person becomes the subject of the sentence.
Sometimes we use the passive voice because we don't know or cannot express who or what performed the
action:
• I noticed that a window had been left open

• Every year people are killed on our roads.
If we want to say who or what performs the action, we use the preposition by:
• "A Hard Day's Night" was written by the Beatles

• ET was directed by Spielberg
The passive voice is often used in formal or scientific texts:
• A great deal of meaning is conveyed by a few well-chosen words.

• Our planet is wrapped in a mass of gases.
• Waste materials are disposed of in a variety of ways.
• THE PASSIVE VOICE
• PASSIVE, FORM
• The passive voice in English is composed of two elements : the appropriate form of
the verb 'to be' + the past participle of the verb in question:
Subject verb 'to be' past participle
The house was built ...
•
Example: to clean
Subject verb 'to be' past participle
Simple present:
The house is cleaned every day.
Present continuous:
The house is being cleaned at the moment.
Simple past:
The house was cleaned yesterday.
Past continuous:
The house was being cleaned last week.
Present perfect:
The house has been cleaned since you left.
Past perfect:
The house had been cleaned before their arrival.
Future:
The house will be cleaned next week.
Future continuous:
The house will be being cleaned tomorrow.
Present conditional:
The house would be cleaned if they had visitors.
Past conditional:
The house would have been cleaned if it had been dirty.
• NOTE: 'to be born' is a passive form and is most commonly used in the past tense:
• I was born in 1976. When were you born?
BUT: Around 100 babies are born in this hospital every week.
• Infinitive form: infinitive of 'to be' + past participle: (to) be cleaned
• This form is used after modal verbs and other verbs normally followed by an
infinitive, e.g.
• You have to be tested on your English grammar
John might be promoted next year.
She wants to be invited to the party.
• Gerund or -ing form: being + past participle: being cleaned
• This form is used after prepositions and verbs normally followed by a gerund
• Examples:
• a. Most film stars hate being interviewed.

b. I remember being taught to drive.
c. The children are excited about being taken to the zoo.
• NOTE: Sometimes the passive is formed using the verb to get instead of the verb
to be:
• a. He got arrested for dangerous driving.
b. They're getting married later this year.
c. I'm not sure how the window got broken.
PASSIVE TENSES AND ACTIVE EQUIVALENTS
Notice that the tense of the verb to be in the passive voice is the same as the tense of the main verb in the
active voice.
Example: to keep
TENSE / VERB FORM ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE
Simple present keeps is kept
Present continuous is keeping is being kept
Simple past kept was kept
Past continuous was keeping was being kept
Present perfect have kept have been kept
Past perfect had kept had been kept
future will keep will be kept
Conditional present would keep would be kept
Conditional past would have kept would have been kept
present infinitive to keep to be kept
perfect infinitive to have kept to have been kept
present participle/gerund keeping being kept
perfect participle having kept having been kept
Example sentences:
Active: I keep the butter in the fridge.

Passive: The butter is kept in the fridge.
Active: They stole the painting.

Passive: The painting was stolen.
Active: They are repairing the road.

Passive: The road is being repaired.
Active: Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.

Passive: Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.
Active: A dog bit him.

Passive: He was bitten by a dog.
GET / HAVE SOMETHING DONE
This construction is passive in meaning. It may describe situations where we want someone else to do
something for us.
Examples:
a. I must get / have my hair cut.

b. When are you going to get that window mended?
c. We're having the house painted.
If the verb refers to something negative or unwanted, it has the same meaning as a passive sentence:
d. Jim had his car stolen last night. (= Jim's car was stolen)
e. They had their roof blown off in the storm. (= Their roof was blown off in the storm)
The construction can refer to the completion of an activity, especially if a time expression is used:
f. We'll get the work done as soon as possible.

g. I'll get those letters typed before lunchtime.
In all these sentences, we are more interested in the result of the activity than in the person or object that
performs the activity.
'X' NEEDS DOING
In the same way, this construction has a passive meaning. The important thing in our minds is the person or
thing that will experience the action, e.g.
a. The ceiling needs painting (= the ceiling needs to be painted)

b. My hair needs cutting (= my hair needs to be cut)

The Passive Voice

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THE PASSIVE VOICE

• The passive is used ...:

• I noticed that a window had been left open

• "A Hard Day's Night" was written by the Beatles

The passive voice is often used in formal or scientific texts:

• A great deal of meaning is conveyed by a few well-chosen words.

• a. Most film stars hate being interviewed.

PASSIVE TENSES AND ACTIVE EQUIVALENTS

TENSE / VERB FORM ACTIVE VOICE PASSIVE VOICE

Simple present keeps is kept

Present continuous is keeping is being kept

Simple past kept was kept

Past continuous was keeping was being kept

Present perfect have kept have been kept

Past perfect had kept had been kept

future will keep will be kept

Conditional present would keep would be kept

Conditional past would have kept would have been kept

present infinitive to keep to be kept

perfect infinitive to have kept to have been kept

present participle/gerund keeping being kept

perfect participle having kept having been kept

Active: I keep the butter in the fridge.

Active: They stole the painting.

Active: They are repairing the road.

Active: Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.

Active: A dog bit him.

GET / HAVE SOMETHING DONE

a. I must get / have my hair cut.

f. We'll get the work done as soon as possible.

'X' NEEDS DOING

a. The ceiling needs painting (= the ceiling needs to be painted)

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