English Grammar

Interchange - fourth edition

(Units 7 - 11)

Political and International

Studies

May 2024 Pr. H. Salif

 Gerunds vs infinitives
Gerunds
A gerund is a verb in “-ing” form that is used as a noun. It becomes the subject or
object of a sentence.
Examples:
I enjoy baking on the weekend. (The gerund, “baking,” is the object.)
Studying is important. (“Studying” is the subject.)

1. Below is a list of verbs that are commonly used with gerunds:

enjoy She enjoys reading historical novels in her free time.

quit My friend quit playing video games to focus on his

studies.

I suggest trying the new restaurant downtown.

suggest

avoid They avoid eating junk food to maintain their health.

We need to discuss implementing the new policy at

discuss
the next meeting.

stop Please stop making that noise; it's very distracting.

recommend
The doctor recommends exercising regularly to stay fit.

Acknowledge – admit – anticipate – appreciate – carry on – can’t

help/resist/stand – look forward to – celebrate – complete – confess – consider
– delay – deny – detest – dislike – endure – fancy – feel like – finish – forget – give
up – go – go on – imagine – include – involve – it’s worth – keep (= continue) –
love – mention – (don’t)mind – miss – postpone – practice – recall – recollect –
regret – resent – resist – risk – spend – tolerate – understand – waste time –
spend time.
 2. The gerund after prepositions

The gerund must be used when a verb comes after a preposition. This is also true of
certain expressions ending in a preposition, for example, the expressions despite &
there's no point in.
Examples:

Can you sneeze without opening your mouth?

She is good at painting.
She avoided him by walking on the opposite side of the road.
We arrived in Madrid after driving all night.
My father decided against postponing his trip to Hungary.
There's no point in waiting.
Despite missing the train, we arrived on time.

3. The gerund after phrasal verbs

Phrasal verbs are composed of a verb + preposition or adverb.

Examples:

When will you give up smoking?

She always puts off going to the dentist.
He kept on asking for money.
Jim ended up buying a new TV after his old one broke.

Infinitives
An infinitive comprises “to + verb” and is also used as a subject or object in a sentence,
though much less commonly as a subject.
There are two forms of the infinitive: Bare (without to ) and full infinitive ( with to ).

Examples:

We all want to watch a movie this weekend. (The infinitive, “to watch,” is the object.)
To write her novel in peace was all she wanted. (The infinitive, “to write,” is the subject,
but as it can be noticed the sentence sounds less common )

1. Below is a list of verbs that are commonly used with infinitives:

 plan They plan to renovate their house this summer.

love They love to watch the sunset together.

wait I can't wait to see you next week.

care She doesn't care to participate in the discussion.

hope We hope to travel to Japan next year.

You need to finish your homework before going

need
out.

promise He promised to help me with my project.

Afford – agree – appear – arrange – beg – choose – claim – consent – decide

– demand – deserve – fail – happen – hesitate – learn – manage – mean –
offer – prepare – pretend – propose – refuse – resist – seem – struggle –
swear – threaten – try – volunteer – want – wish – would
hate/like/love/prefer – be allowed to

Just like gerunds, you can use infinitives in various sentences. Here are the most
common examples of using the primary form of the verb instead of the form with
an -ing ending.

2. After adjectives.

You must use an infinitive form when the verb is placed after an adjective.
For example:

She was happy to see me.

I'll be glad to come.
3. To indicate the purpose of the action.

Use the infinite when it's answering the questions "For what?", "Why?"
For example:

We went to the library to read new books. (answering the question why we
went to the library)
I am going to Paris to visit my granny. (answering the question why I am
going to Paris)

4. After expressions with the modal verb would.

Another great indicator of using infinitives. If your sentence contains the modal
verb, you must use the basic verb form.
For example:

I would like to have some cake.

I would like to buy a coffee.

Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive, but the

meaning changes depending on which is used.
Examples:
She forgot closing the door behind her. (She closed the door but forgot
that she did so.)
She forgot to close the door. (She did not close the door.)
He stopped eating. (He was eating, and now he is not.)
He stopped to eat. (He was doing some activity and stopped in order to
eat.)
Finally, some verbs can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive with no change
in meaning.

Examples:
begin - continue - like - hate - love - start - stop - try - plan - remember
forget - prefer - consider.

The family likes swimming.

The family likes to swim.
I prefer sitting in the front row.
I prefer to sit in the front row.
 Five simple gerund infinitive tips

To conclude everything mentioned before, we prepared five

essential tips to help you quickly understand when to use
gerunds and infinitives. Of course, you can always return to these tricks
when uncertain about a particular situation. Or you can take a
screenshot and check this list whenever you need. So, when do we use
this or that part of speech? Please take a look at our five main infinitive
gerund rules of thumb.

1. If the word is the subject of the sentence, it is primarily a gerund.

For example, in the phrase "Knitting is my hobby," the gerund form of
the word knit is the subject. Of course, there is always room for
exceptions. Infamous words "to be or not to be – this is the question"
show us the subject as an infinitive verb. But it is a somewhat
outdated usage, and nowadays, mostly gerunds are sentence
subjects.
2. If the word follows the adjective, it is usually an infinitive. For
example, when you want to describe how happy you are about doing
a particular action, you need to start your sentence with the phrase "I
am happy to + infinitive." Here are some more examples: I am happy
to see you. It is lovely to meet you again.
3. If we use the word after certain verbs followed by nouns (or
pronouns) that refer to a person, it is an infinitive. If you see the verbs
ask, hire, invite, order, remind, warn, teach, etc., followed by nouns or
pronouns, you should use the infinitive. Here are some examples: Can
you ask her to leave? Please remind me to lock the door. We didn't
hire you to watch YouTube.
4. If the word follows the preposition, it is a gerund. Look for the
prepositions about, for, in, of, on, to, etc. If you see these prepositions
before a noun or pronoun, use the gerund. Here are some examples:
The best thing about growing up is that you can do whatever you
want without permission. Jack is interested in reading.
5. If the word is the object of the sentence, it can be both an
infinitive and a gerund. It doesn't matter which one you use as long as
you are consistent. Here are some examples: I like to swim, OR I like
swimming; She prefers to cook by herself, OR She prefers cooking by
herself.
 Short responses showing
agreement and disagreement

In the following table, we show the structure of the gerund with short
replies:

Affirmative statements with gerunds Agree Disagree

1. I like drinking juice. So do I Oh, I don’t

2. I hate studying on weekends. So do I Really? I like it

3. I’m good at playing guitar. So am I Gee, I’m not

Negative statements with gerunds

1. I don’t mind playing long hours. Neither I do Well, I do

2. I’m not good at selling. Neither am I I am!

3. I can’t stand making mistakes. Neither can I Oh, I don’t mind

 imperatives

Let’s have a quick refresher: Verbs are words used to express action.

He opened the window. (Opened is the action that the subject is taking)

The imperative verb is an action a speaker or writer wants someone else to do. For
this reason, they’re occasionally called “command words” or “bossy verbs,” even
though that may not be the speaker’s or writer’s intent.

Although imperative verbs are used to issue commands, they have other functions.
You can also use them to:

1. Give directions or instructions: Turn right on Seventh Street.

2. Make requests: Play “Free Bird”!
3. Give advice: Order the salmon.
4. Warn someone: Look behind you!

No matter how you use an imperative verb, you’ll find there are two types of
imperative sentences: affirmative and negative.

Affirmative imperative sentence: Walk the dog. (tell someone to do something)

Negative imperative sentence: Don’t pet the dog; he bites. (tell someone not to
do something. To form negative imperative sentences put don’t or stop before
the verb)

While imperative verbs are often part of an imperative sentence, they can
sometimes stand alone. (Push! - Stop! - Jump! )

These are all imperative verbs and are complete sentences even though the subject
is only implied. One of the differences between an imperative sentence and other
types of sentences is that an imperative sentence requires only a verb.
Difference between imperative sentences and other types of sentences

There may be times when you think you’re using an imperative verb but are actually
using a verb to create another type of sentence.

These two sentences use the same verb, but only one is an imperative verb. See if you
can tell which one:

Timothy needs to stop talking.

Timothy, stop talking.

If you guessed the second one, you’re correct! The speaker in the first sentence is
making a statement about what Timothy has to do, making it a declarative sentence.
The second sentence tells Timothy what he needs to do.

1. Imperative verbs are used to give commands, instructions, or orders.

2. Imperative verbs are typically in the base form of the verb (infinitive
form) without « to ».
3. Imperative verbsare addressed directly to the listener or reader
 clauses with because
How to Express Cause in English?
Expressing cause is a way of explaining why something happened or why
someone did something. It helps to clarify the reason behind an action or event
and can be useful in a variety of contexts such as academic writing, news
reporting, or everyday conversation.

We can indicate causation in English using the following parts of speech:

1. Preposition,
2. Conjunctions,
3. Relative clauses,

Conjunctions for Expressing Cause

Conjunctions can be used to express a wide range of meanings, including causation

or reason. The most common conjunctions for expressing causation are:

because,
as,
since,
given that,
seeing that,

These conjunctions differ from each other in terms of their specific meanings,
functions, and level of formality.
 Because

Meaning:
Because is a conjunction used to show the reason or cause for something.
Examples:

1. I didn't go to the party because I had other plans.

2. She was late because she missed the bus.
3. They postponed the picnic because the weather forecast was bad.
4. The children were excited because they were going to the amusement park.
5. The event was canceled because the venue was unavailable.
6. She went to bed early because she was very tired.
 Collocations

Collocation is ‘a predictable combination of words‘ for example we can say heavy

rain but not strong rain because it does not sound right’ likewise, we can say ‘do
exercise’ but not ‘make exercise’. Collocations can be made up of any kinds of
words such as verbs, nouns, adverbs and adjectives. There are no rules for
collocations in English Language, they are just combinations of words that we can
become familiar with and then use correctly.

Why learn collocations?

As your English language level improves, you have mastered several grammar
structures and can communicate successfully, you may find that you have
reached a point where your progress has slowed down. At this point, it is
important to work on your vocabulary, by learning new words and how to use them
accurately and more naturally.

Verb + noun collocations

Break a promise You broke your promise and told people my secret.

Get the message He finally got the message and went away.

Go bankrupt I went bankrupt 20 years ago.

Make an effort I like my friend, but she never makes an effort to see me.

She’s acting weird, but I have sympathy for her. She is having a
Have sympathy
hard time.

Pay/give someone a compliment I paid Joni a compliment, and she said thanks.

Make progress The teacher said I was making progress with my English.

Break the news I was the journalist that broke the news that day.

Have a rest I am so tired. I’m going to have a rest.

Catch a bus I catch the bus to work every day.

18
 hamburgers

Like to play basketball

drawing

fun

Have coffee
a brother

off shoes

Take seriously
something down

homework

Do hair
exercise

a choice

Make friends
an excuse

a degree

Get a grade
married

to school

Go to Spain
swimming
19
 Time clauses

1. Relative clauses of time

We use them to refer to a subject previously mentioned, including the time when it
happens. They are usually introduced by the verb “to be” and followed by when:

Main clause Relative clause

Thanksgiving is a day when we celebrate the harvest.

December 24th is the day when most families get together.

My birthday is a celebration when all my friends come to my house

.
Summer is the season when most people go to the beach.

May 1st is a celebration when most moms don´t go to work.

2. Adverbial clauses of time
They are always attached to a main clause. They are used to understand when something
happens.
Some of the most common adverbs used are BEFORE, AFTER and WHEN

SUBORDINATE CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE

(Adverb + Subject + Verb) (Subject + Verb + Complement)

Before a movie starts, people often buy popcorn.

After you cook, when most families get together.

When a couple gets married, friends and family give them presents.

As soon as I get home, I’ll call you.

Whenever I see her, she is always smiling.

More adverbs and phrases for adverbial clauses of time:

Until - Since - While - As - By the time - Once - During

 Verb Tenses
Tense: a verb-based method used to indicate the time, and sometimes the
continuation or completeness, of an action or state about the time of speaking.
The concept of tense in English is a method used to refer to time – past, present,
and future. Many languages use tense to talk about time.
So, we talk about time in English with tense. But, and this is a very big but:
• we can also talk about time without using tense (for example, going to is a special
construction to talk about the future, it is not a tense)
• one tense does not always talk about one time (for example, we can use the
present tense, or even the past tense, to talk about the future – I am expecting
someone in the evening.)
We cannot talk of tenses without considering two components of many English
tenses: time and aspect. In simple terms…
Time expresses:
• past – before now
• present – now, or any time that includes now
• future – after now
Aspect can be:
• progressive – uncompleted action or continuous action
• perfective – completed action or state
(Some say that simple tenses have “simple aspect”, but strictly speaking simple
tenses are simply unmarked for aspect.)
The progressive aspect produces progressive or “continuous” tenses: past
continuous, present continuous, and future continuous.
The perfective aspect produces “perfect” tenses: past perfect, present perfect,
future perfect.
The two aspects can be combined to produce perfect continuous tenses: past
perfect continuous, present perfect continuous, and future perfect continuous.
There are three types of tense:

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

1
 Past Present Future

Play (verb) will/shall play

Simple Played(simple past)
Plays (verb+s/es) (will/shall+verb)

has/have will/shall have

had played (had+ past played (has/have+p played(will/shall+pa
Perfect
participle) ast participle of st participle of
Verb) Verb)

was/were is/am/are will/shall be

Continuous playing(was/were+ playing(is/am/are+v playing(will/shall
verb+ing) erb+ing) be+verb+ing)

has/have been will/shall have been

Perfect had been playing (had
playing(has/have playing(will/shall
Continuous been+verb+ing)
been+verb+ing) have been+verb+in

Example

Past Present Future

Simple I played soccer I play soccer I will play soccer

They were playing They are playing They will be playing

Continuous soccer soccer soccer

Perfect They had played They have played They will have
soccer soccer played soccer

Perfect They had been They have been They will have been

Continuous playing soccer playing soccer playing soccer

2
 PRESENT TENSE

1) Simple Present Tense

Indicates an action that is generally true or habitual. That is, it took place in the past,
continues to take place in the present, and will take place in the future. This tense is used to
denote:
-Habitual action- for instance, “He walks to school.”
-General truths- for instance, “The sun rises in the east”, “Honesty is the best policy.”
A future event that is part of a fixed timetable- for instance, “The match starts at 9 o’clock.”

The form of Simple Present Tense is: I / You / We / They VERB

He / She / It VERB + (s/es)

2) Present Perfect Tense

Indicates an action that has been completed sometime before the present moment, with a
result that affects the present situation.
For example, “He has finished the work.”
“He has slept.”

The form of the Present Perfect Tense is: I / You / We / They have + VERB (past participle)
He / She / It has + VERB (past participle)

3) Present Continuous Tense

Indicates an action that is taking place at the moment of speaking.

For example, “She is walking.” “I am studying.”
The form of the Present Continuous Tense is: I am + verb + ing
You / We / They are + verb + ing.
He / She / It is + verb + ing

4) Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Indicates an action that started in the past and is continuing at the present time.
For example, “He has been sleeping for an hour.”

The form of Present Perfect Continuous Tense is: I / You / We / They have + been + verb + ing
He / She / It has + been + verb + ing
3
 Present Simple

I clean the house every sunday.

now

Present Continuous
It is raining now.

now

Present Perfect Simple

It has started to rain since yesterday.

past now

Past Perfect Continuous

It has been raining for 30 minutes when I left.

past 8 am now

4
 PAST TENSE

1) Simple Past Tense

This indicates an action that took place before the present moment and that has no real
connection with the present time.
For example, “He danced in the function.” (The action took place in the past, is finished, and
is completely unrelated to the present)
“He flew to London yesterday.”

The form of Simple Past Tense is: verb (Simple past)

2) Past Perfect Tense

Indicates an action in the past that had been completed before another time or event in the
past.
For example, “He had exercised before it started to rain.”
“He had slept before I came back from the market.”

The form of the Past Perfect Tense is: had + verb (past participle)

3) Past Continuous Tense

Indicates an action going on at some time in the past or an action in the past that is longer in
duration than another action in the past.
For example, “It was getting darker.”
“The light went out while they were reading.”

The form of Past Continuous Tense is: I / He / She / It was + verb + ing
You / We / They were + verb + ing

4) Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Indicates an action in the past that took place before another time or event in the past and
continued during the second event/time point in the past.
For example, “At that time, he had been writing a novel for two months.”
“He had been exercising when I called.”

The form of Past Perfect Continuous Tense is: had + been + verb + ing
5
 Past Simple
I left the house at 8 am this morning.

8 am now

Past Continuous
It was raining when I left the house.

8 am now

Past Perfect Simple

It had started to rain at 7.30 am.

7.30 am 8 am now

Past Perfect Continuous

It had been raining for 30 minutes when I left.

past now

6
 Regular VS Irregular
VERBS
In English grammar, the past simple tense and past participle
form the backbone of verb conjugation. Regular verbs follow a
predictable pattern: they form their past simple and past
participle by adding "-ed" to the base form (e.g., "talked,"
"walked"). Conversely, irregular verbs defy this pattern, each
having its unique past simple and past participle forms (e.g.,
"go-went-gone," "eat-ate-eaten"). While regular verbs adhere
to a standard rule, irregular verbs require memorization due to
their unpredictable changes, adding richness and complexity to
the language's structure.

Regular Irregular
add -ed change spelling
play played say said - said
visit visited found find-found
mix mixed make made-made
talk talked know knew-known
finish finished draw drew-drawn
walk walked win won-won
create created run ran-ran

7
 -ED
PRONUNCIATION
1. The /id/ sound
If the last letter of the word is spelled with D or T, the ED is pronounced as a separate
syllable with an /id/ sound (it rhymes with kid and lid).

For example: wanted (sounds like "want-id")

2. The /t/ sound

If the last consonant of the word is voiceless, then the ED is pronounced as a T. Be
careful not to create an extra syllable or "id" sound.

For example: talked (sounds like "talkt")

kissed (the S sound comes from the front of mouth so it would sound like "kisst")

3. The /d/ sound

If the last letter of the words ends in a voiced consonant (or sound), then the ED is
pronounced like a D (without creating another syllable)

For example: played (sounds like "playd")

closed (the S sounds like a vibrating Z so the word would sound like "clozd")

id d t
L Called P Helped
N Cleaned K Looked
R Offered TH Breathed
t wanted G Damaged GH Laughed
V Loved SH Washed
S Used
d needed Z Amazed
CH Watched
SS Kissed
B Robbed C Danced
M Formed X Fixed

8
 FUTURE TENSE

1) Simple Future Tense

Indicates an action that will take place after the present time and that has no real
connection with the present time.
For example, “She will visit her ailing grandmother soon.”
“He will walk home.”

the form of Simple Future Tense is: will/shall + verb

2) Future Perfect Tense

Indicates an action in the future that will have been completed before another time or
event in the future.
For example, “By the time we arrive, he will have studied.”

The form of the Future Perfect Tense is: will/shall have + verb (past participle form)

3) Future Continuous Tense

Indicates an action in the future that is longer in duration than another action in the
future.
For example, “He will be walking when it starts to rain.”

The form of Future Continuous Tense is: will/shall be + verb + ing

4) Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Indicates an action in the future that will have been continuing until another time or event
in the future.
For example, “He will have been exercising an hour at 2:00.”

The form of Future Perfect Continuous Tense is: will/shall have been + verb + ing

9
 future Simple
I will leave tomorrow.

now future

Future Continuous
It will be raining tomorrow.

now future

Future Perfect
Simple
They will have graduated by summer.

now future(summer)

Past Perfect Continuous

She will have been working for 15 years next month.

now future(next month)

10
 In English, future events can be expressed using not only the future simple
tense (will + verb) but also the present simple, present continuous, and
"going to" constructions. Each form has its specific uses and conveys
different nuances about the future event.

Present Simple:
The present simple tense is often used for scheduled or timetabled events, particularly
those related to public transportation, official schedules, and itineraries.
Examples:

1. The train leaves at 6:00 AM tomorrow.

2. The movie starts at 8:00 PM.
3. Our flight departs next Friday.

The present continuous:

The present continuous tense is used for planned or arranged events, usually involving
personal plans or appointments. It suggests that the event is more definite and possibly
already arranged.
Examples:

1. I am meeting my friends for dinner tonight.

2. She is traveling to Paris next week.
3. They are having a party on Saturday.

"Going To" :
The "going to" construction is used for intentions or plans that have already been decided
before the moment of speaking. It is also used to make predictions based on current
evidence.
Examples:

1. I am going to start a new job next month. (intention)

2. They are going to visit their grandparents this weekend. (plan)
3. Look at those clouds! It is going to rain soon. (prediction based on evidence)

Comparison and Usage

Present Simple: Used for scheduled events and timetables.

Example: The conference begins at 9:00 AM.
Present Continuous: Used for personal plans and arrangements.
Example: We are having a meeting at 3:00 PM.
"Going To": Used for intentions, plans, and predictions based on evidence.
Example: She is going to apply for a new position.
 conditional
sentences

A conditional sentence is based on the word ‘if’. There are always two parts
to a conditional sentence – one part beginning with ‘if’ to describe a
possible situation, and the second part which describes the consequence.
For example:

If it rains, we’ll get wet.

1. Conditional types:

Zero Conditional
If you stay in the rain, you get wet.

First Conditional
If I have enough money, I'll go to a safari trip next summer.

Second Conditional
If I won the lottery, I would travel the world.

Third Conditional
If we'd bought a guidebook, we would have known which
places to visit.
 Zero Conditional

We use the zero conditional to talk about permanent truths, such as

scientific facts, and general habits. The structure is simple:

If you stay in the rain, you get wet.

Present Simple Present Simple

If you heat water to 100°, it boils.

If you eat a lot, you put on weight.

If it doesn’t rain for a long time, the earth gets very dry.

If we go out with friends, we normally go to a restaurant.

If I’m tired, I go to bed early.

 First Conditional
We use the first conditional to talk about a realistic situation in the present
or future. The structure of the first conditional is as follows:

If I have enough money, I'll go to a safari trip next summer.

Present Simple Future Simple

If you’re free later, we will go for a walk.

If they are hungry, I’ll make some sandwiches.

If he studies hard, he’ll do well in the exam.

If we arrive late, we will get a taxi.

He’ll call if he needs help.

 2. The use of the comma

When the if clause comes before the main clause, it is followed by a comma.

If you don't hurry, you'll miss the plane!

When the if clause comes after the main clause, there is no comma between
the clauses.
You'll miss the plane if you don't hurry!

3. "If I was" or "If I were"?

If I/he/she/it were is used when we refer to a hypothetical situation. This is a

second conditional sentence, in which the verb in the conditional clause is in the
subjunctive mood.

If I were you, I'd be more careful.

If I/he/she/it was is used when we refer to a real situation. This is a real or zero
conditional sentence, in which the verb in the conditional clause is in the indicative
mood.

If I was rude, please forgive me.

 Passive Voice
Voice refers to the form of a verb that indicates when a grammatical subject performs the
action or is the receiver of the action. When a sentence is written in the active voice, the
subject performs the action; in the passive voice, the subject receives the action. The passive
voice is, basically, a “backward sentence.” A verb is in the passive voice when the subject of a
sentence or clause is acted on rather than performing an action.
Example:

Active: The award-winning chef prepares each meal with loving care.
Passive: Each meal is prepared with loving care by the award-winning chef.

How To Form The Passive Voice

ACTIVE
SUBJECT OBJECT
VERB

The boy rides the bicycle.

is by
ridden the boy.
The bicycle
BE
(SAME TENSE
AS IN THE
ACTIVE VOICE)
PAST
SUBJECT PARTICIPLE OBJECT

PASSIVE

Split the verb into a BE Add BY to show who

verb and past participle. performed the action.
 Simple Present

Use the simple present tense to make a generalization, to present a state of being,
or to indicate a habitual or repeated action.

Active Passive
base form or “-s/-es” form am/is/are + past participle

The teacher explains the lesson. The lesson is explained by the teacher.
The dog chases the cat. The cat is chased by the dog.
The company hires new employees. New employees are hired by the company.
Professor Brown teaches at Hunter. Sonia is taught by Professor Brown.
All humans are equal. All humans are created equal.
Maria eats in the cafeteria. The cafeteria is cleaned

Simple Past

Use the simple past to indicate a general or habitual action occurring in the past or
at a specific time in the past.

Active Passive
base + -ed or irregular form was/were + -ed/-en

The artist painted the portrait. The portrait was painted by the artist.
The children played the game. The game was played by the children.
The manager reviewed the report. The report was reviewed by the manager.
The janitor cleaned the floors. The floors were cleaned.
The scientist conducted the experiment. The experiment was conducted.
The librarian organized the books. The books were organized.
The Passive BE Verb
To be changes depending on the subject and tense of the sentence.

PAST PRESENT FUTURE

SIMPLE was / were am / is / are will be

was / were am / is / are am / is / are

CONTINUOUS being being going to be

PERFECT had been has / have been will have been

When is it used?
The passive voice is commonly used with the following verbs and topics:

INVENTIONS & PRODUCTION & ARTS & CRIME & EMERGENCIES &
DISCOVERIES INDUSTRY ENTERTAINMENT PUNISHMENT DISASTERS

be discovered be produced be directed be caught be destroyed

be invented be grown be written be stolen be hurt
be tested be made be filmed be punished be broken

Only verbs which take an object (transitive verbs) can be put into
the passive.
For example: Tom catches the ball. / The ball was caught by Tom.

Verbs that have no object (intransitive verbs) such as: come, go,
happen, live, sleep, etc. cannot be put into the passive.
What is a transitive verb?

A transitive verb is simply a verb that requires an object to complete a

sentence. Transitive verbs are used to show an action or event between a
subject and an object. For example, in the sentence “Imad ate an apple”, the
verb ‘ate’ is a transitive verb because it requires an object (in this case, an
apple) to complete the sentence.
There are two types of transitive verbs: active and passive.

An active transitive verb is one that directly acts upon the object.
For example, “Imad ate an apple” is an active transitive verb because the
subject (Imad) directly acts upon the object (apple).

A passive transitive verb is one in which your subject is acted upon by the
object. For example, “John was eaten by an apple” is a passive transitive verb
because the subject (John) is acted upon by the object (apple).

Using the passive voice with transitive and intransitive verbs

Besides direct objects, the other main difference between transitive and
intransitive verbs has to do with the passive voice.

Essentially, passive voice takes what would normally be a direct object and
turns it into a subject. You could say Eduardo cooked the dinner (dinner is the
direct object), but the dinner instead is used as the subject when the sentence
is in the passive voice.
This being the case, transitive verbs can be used in the passive voice and
intransitive verbs cannot.

Examples of transitive verbs:

Accept - Bake - Bring - Build - Buy - Call - Change

Clean - Close - Cook - Cut - Draw - Eat - Explain
Find - Give - Help - Invite - Know - Learn - Make
Open - Paint - Play - Read - Sell - Send - Show
Teach - Tell - Use - Wash - Watch - Write