In an active sentence the subject acts; in a passive sentence the subject is acted upon: \(\to\)

Form

(in the required tense) + past participle:

@lL7.2cm@ Present simple &
Present progressive &
Past simple &
Past progressive &
Present perfect &
Past perfect &
Future &
Modal &
Modal perfect &
Infinitive / gerund &

When to use the passive

  1. The agent is unknown or obvious: (obviously by the police).

  2. The agent is unimportant or general:

  3. To keep the topic in subject position:

  4. Formal and scientific style:

  5. Tact — avoiding blame:

Mention the agent with only when it is newsworthy: Omit empty agents: \(\to\) usually just

Style guides warn against overusing the passive, not against using it at all. Prefer the active when the doer matters ( is clearer than ), and use the passive deliberately for the reasons above. Blanket “never use the passive” advice is itself poor advice.

Verbs with two objects

Either object of a verb like can become the passive subject; the person is the more common choice:

  • Active:

  • Passive 1: (preferred)

  • Passive 2:

Reporting with the passive

For official or hedged statements, English uses two elegant patterns with verbs like :

  1. -clause:

  2. Subject + passive + -infinitive: (perfect infinitive for earlier time)

-passives and

  • (informal, often for accidents/misfortune):

  • (causative — arranging a service): Also misfortunes: (See Chapter [ch:causatives] for more.)

  • Intransitive verbs have no passive: \(\to\) Similarly .

  • Don’t drop : (if you mean someone finished it) \(\to\)

  • Keep the participle, not the past form: \(\to\)

Exercises

Transform Turn the active sentences into passives; omit the agent if it is not needed.

  1. Somebody cleans the office every evening.

  2. They are building a new stadium near the river.

  3. The chef has prepared all the dishes by hand.

  4. People say that the water in this spring heals wounds. (two ways)

  5. You must return the equipment by Friday.

  6. A local artist painted the mural in 1998.

Active or passive? Choose the better voice and justify briefly.

  1. (A: The police arrested the suspect. / B: The suspect was arrested.) — news headline focus on the suspect

  2. (A: Researchers heated the mixture. / B: The mixture was heated.) — methods section of a paper

  3. (A: My assistant will send you the contract. / B: The contract will be sent to you by my assistant.) — business email where the assistant matters

have something done Rewrite using .

  1. A hairdresser cut my hair yesterday.

  2. A builder is going to repair our garage door.

  3. Thieves stole her passport while she was travelling.