15 The passiveForms, uses, and contexts

1    Some examples of passive sentences:

English is spoken all over the world.

This product was invented in Sweden.

2    We use this pattern to form the passive:

                            subject + be + past participle                                       Grammar in action

                   (For details on forming past participles, see p. 14.)             1 We use the passive when the person who ‘does’ the

verb is not important or we don’t know who ‘does’ the

3    The form of be is different for different verb tenses:          verb. The object of the verb is               

PRESENT SIMPLE PASSIVE

more important, so it becomes the subject of the sentence and we use a passive verb:

The college was built in 1947.  (= Some people built the college in 1947.)

Here, the college is the subject of the sentence because the man is talking about the college. He is not talking about who built the college, and he may not know who built it. He uses a passive verb because the college is not the subject of the verb (the college did not build anything).

2 We often use the passive in formal contexts, such as public information (rules, signs, brochures, etc.) and media reports:

Cycling is not permitted in this area. (Cycling is the subject of the rule, not who does not allow it.) Bookings can be made online. (Bookings is the subject of the sentence, not the people making them).

subject + am/is/are + past participle I’m employed by a big company.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS PASSIVE

subject + am/is/are + being + past participle The road is being repaired.

PAST SIMPLE PASSIVE

subject + was/were + past participle It was made in China.

PAST CONTINUOUS PASSIVE

subject + was/were + being + past participle People were being interviewed.

PRESENT PERFECT PASSIVE

subject + has/have + been + past participle He has been given a new job.

MODAL PASSIVE

subject + modal + be + past participle

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