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The passive. Be: in the tense of the active verb. Past participle of the active verb.

Subject: active object. By-agent: by + active subject. We use the passive: When the subject isnt important. When we focus the action on the object (highlight the object). In reporting structures (journalism). In scientific articles. Active Object is telling Passive Subject is being told

We normally use by + Agent but its also possible for / with: By: - Follow by Person / Thing who / that does the action. A number of trees were blown down by strong winds. For: - To describe a purpose. Elephants are still being killed for their tusks (colmillos). With: - To describe the method. These amazing creatures can be saved from extinction with your donations. With + Instrument: I was hit with an umbrella. With + Material & Ingredients: The room was filled with smoke. Irish coffee is made with whisky / whiskey. We omit the agent when: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Isnt important. We dont know. Its redundant. Its obvious. To avoid criticism (para evitar las crticas).

Types of passive. 1.- Passive with one object. Active: Subject + verb + object + rest. Example: Peter reads two newspapers every day. S V O R Passive: Subject + Be + Past participle + agent + ... (active object) (tense of active verb) (of the active verb) (active subject)

Example: Two newspapers are read (by Peter) every day. Active: The children buy some presents for their friends. Passive: Some presents are bought by the children for their friends. Active: Scientists have made a new discovery. Passive: A new discovery has been made by scientists. Active: Scientists are developing a new machine. Passive: A new machine is being developed by scientists. Active: Scientists will be testing a new theory. Passive: A new theory will be being tested. 2.- Passive with two objects. Active: Subject + verb + object1 + object2. (Person) (Thing) Example: The children will give their teacher a great present. S V O1-Person O2- Thing Subject + Be + Past participle + Object thing + Agent. (Person obj) Example: Their teacher will be given a great present (by the children). Passive: Subject + Be + Past participle + Preposition + Obj Per + Agent. (Thing obj) (normally to) Example: A great present will be given to their teacher (by the children). Active: My mum gave me a present. Passive1: I was given a present. Passive2: A present was given to me. Active: Peter gave Mary a bunch of flowers. Passive1: Mary was given a bunch of flowers. Passive2: A bunch of flowers was given to Mary.

3.- Passive reporting structures. Use passive reporting structures with reporting verbs such as allege, assume, believe, claim, consider, estimate, expect, feel, find, know, presume, report, rumour, say, suggested, tell, think, understand, ... We use this passive when the information is not totally sure, it is not confirmed, it is a rumour, it is an idea. Active: Subject + Main verb + That Clause. (say, think, ...) (Subject + verb + ...) lives Example: People say that he lived It + be + Past participle + That Clause. (tense of the (main verb) main verb) lives Example: It is said that he in New York. lived Passive: Present or future (to + verb) Subject + be + Past participle + Inf with to. (of the (tense of (main verb) (of the that-clause) Past that-clause) main verb) (to have P.P.) live Example: He is said to have lived Active: People say that he has three wives. Passive1: It is said that he has three wives. Passive2: He is said to have three wives. Active: People rumour that they are drinking heavily. Passive1: It is rumoured that they are drinking heavily. Passive2: They are rumoured to be drinking heavily. Active: People allege that I am spreading gossip (difundir rumores). Passive1: It is alleged that I am spreading gossip. Passive2: I am alleged to be spreading gossip. Active: People said that he lived in Madrid. Passive1: It was said that he lived in Madrid. Passive2: He was said to have lived in Madrid. in New York. in New York

Active: People say that Mr. Newman is a millionaire. Passive1: It is said that Mr. Newman is a millionaire. Passive2: Mr. Newman is said to be a millionaire. Form: Present or to Infinitive. Future will Active: People expect that the President will resign. Passive2: The President is expected to resign. Present continuous to be Infinitive+ing. Active: People say that Mr. Newman is becoming a millionaire. Passive2: Mr. Newman is said to be becoming a millionaire. Past simple or to have + Past participle. Past perfect Active: People say that Mr. Newman was / had been a millionaire. Passive2:Mr. Newman is said to have been a millionaire. Past continuous to have been Infinitive+ing. Active: People say that Mr. Newman was becoming a millionaire. Passive2: Mr. Newman is said to have been becoming a millionaire. Examples: Active: They believe that the Queen is the richest person in the world. Passive1: It is believed that the Queen is the richest person in the world. Passive2: The Queen is believed to be the richest person in the world. Active: People expect that the President will resign. Passive1: It is expected that the President will resign. Passive2: The President is expected to resign. Active: People say that he is travelling in Africa. Passive1: It is said that he is travelling in Africa. Passive2: He is said to be travelling in Africa. Active: People think that fire started a five oclock. Passive1: Its thought that fire started a five oclock. Passive2: The fire is thought to have started a five oclock. Active: People think that the car had an accident. Passive1: Its thought that the car had an accident. Passive2: The car is thought to have had an accident.

Active: They believed that two prisoners had escaped. Passive1: It was believed that two prisoners had escaped. Passive2: Two prisoners were believed to have escaped. Active: Journalist reported that seven people had been injured. Passive1: It was reported that seven people had been injured. Passive2: Seven people were reported to have been injured. Active: People said that Paul was staying with friends. Passive1: It was said that Paul was staying with friends. Passive2: Paul was said to have been staying with friends. 4.- Have / get something done. Use have something done when you get another person to do something for you, usually for payment (you dont do it yourself). Also, to say that something has happened to us which was unpleasant or unexpected. Causative: you caused it to happen. Subject + Have + Object + Past participle. (receives the service) (in any tense) Examples: She is having her house painted at the moment. (Object) (P.P.) Compare with: Shes painting her house. ( = Shes doing it herself). We are going to have our car repaired next week. (Object) (P.P.) Mary and Tim painted their flat. (Mary and Tim). Mary and Tim had /got their flat painted. (Pintores). I cut my hair every three months. (Yo). I have / get my hair cut every three months. (Peluquero). I have mended my bike. (Yo). Mend: reparar, arreglar. I have had / have got my bike mended. (Mechanic). Sheila is going to wash her car next Sunday. (Sheila). Sheila is going to have / get her car washed next Sunday. (A car wash). I must clean my suit this week. (Yo). I must have / get my suit cleaned this week. (A dyer).

Non causative: you did not cause it to happen. I got / had my car stolen. Active: Someone stole Susans car last night. Passive: Susans car was stolen last night. H/GSD: Susan had her car stolen last night. 5.- Passive infinitive and passive ing form. You can use the passive infinitive with verbs that are followed by the infinitive (agree, appear, continue, demand, hope, prepare, stop, want, ...). Passive Infinitive: Verb + to be + Past Participle. to

The Prime Minister agreed to be interviewed. The shopkeeper demanded to be paid. Active: Experts continue to find evidence in the region today. Passive: Evidence continues to be found in the region today. The passive ing form can be used with verbs that are followed by verb + -ing (avoid, enjoy, keep, risk,...) or after a preposition (bore with, worry about, learn by,...). Verb + being + Past Participle. Erik avoided being arrested for murder. The children enjoy being taken to the zoo. Verb + Preposition + being + Past Participle. Im bored with being thaught history. You can use the passive infinitive and the passive ing with the verbs: dislike, hate, like, love, stand, ... No one likes to be delayed / being delayed at airports.

6.- Get, Have, need (require) with passive meaning. Passive with get. You can replace the passive be + past participle with get + past participle when you are speaking informally. Get is only used with dynamic verbs (not with stative verbs) to talk about something that happened to you. The event or action is often unwelcome or unexpected. I was arrested. I got arrested. He got stopped for speeding.

He was stopped for speeding.

You cannot replace to be with get when the verb is stative: My car is kept in the garage. (not My car got kept in the garage). Sometimes you use get to talk about positive events: I was / got paid. I was / got promoted at work.

Get someone to do something / have someone do something. You use get someone to do something / have someone do something to explain that you have asked someone to do something for you. Notice that with get you use to infinitive and with have you use the bare infinitive (without to). I got the mechanic to repair my car. / I had the mechanic repair my car. ( = I asked the mechanic to repair my car). Need + -ing. You use need + -ing to say that something needs (require) to be done (by someone), but you dont say who: The car needs fixing. Your hair needs cutting. The engine needs checking.

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