The passive voice

Form: Appropriate tense of “to be” + past participle.

Try to turn the following expressions into the passive voice:

They serve dinner at sixThey are washing the car nowThey killed the ratThey were serving dinnerThey will explore the AmazonThey have built the bridgeThey had smashed the windowThey will have told the storyThey should stop the musicThey should have repaired the car

Special passives:

+ing form I like serving dinner I like dinner being servedPerfect +ing form Having built the building

I object to the building having been built so carelessly.

Modals + be + past. part. You can do it It can be done

The passive is used:

1) When the person who does the action is unknown, unimportant or obvious from the context.

The door had been locked (unknown agent)Repairs are being made on the motorway (obviously by the builders: obvious agent)

2) To make statements more formal or polite:

My dress has been ruined (more polite than saying “You ruined my dress.”)

3) To put emphasis on the agent.

The Pyramids were built by the ancient Egyptians.

Differences with the Spanish passive.

0) The passive voice is more common in English and English does not have the “se” passive (se habla ingles), only the “to be + past part” passive (El producto es introducido en las latas…)

1). Passive verb + (perfect) infinitive with to with verbs such as believe, consider, expect, fear, know, say, think, understand, suppose.

He is known to be the best expert in his field..The illness is believed to have originated in Africa.Germany is considered to be the most powerful economy in Europe.The accident was reported to have happened due to a mechanical failureThey are said to be very rich.The burglars are thought to have stolen most of the jewels.They are expected to arrive before midnight.Many people are feared to have died after the Tsunami.The animal, which was understood to be extinct, reappeared last year in a far-off island.You are not supposed to smoke here.He was told to pick up the pieces.He is said to be one of the best pianists in Europe.

2). Verbs with two objects which can be followed by either of two alternative positions of the objects (direct object + indirect object OR indirect object+ direct object: gave the money to me/gave me the money). The indirect object can become the subject of the passive:

Give, lend, offer, pay, promise, sell, send, show, teach, tell:

I was given my first ovation during my debut.We were lent this van to do the removal ourselvesShe was offered a job last week, but she refused it.We were paid very well for the job.She was promised the post when her boss retired.I was sold a very cheap house last year.I was sent a telegram when I was on holidays.They were shown around the museum for free.I was taught to read when I was 4.She was told to be quiet (compare with “she was said to be quiet”)

NOTE: In the case of verbs with two objects which can only be followed by direct object + indirect object (in that order). Example: Mention, suggest, explain, describe, the indirect object in the active voice cannot become the subject of the passive structure:

*I was explained the problem (wrong). The problem was explained to me.* He was mentioned the story (wrong). The story was mentioned to him.

3) We can make a passive form of many transitive two- and thre- word verbs.

I hate being talked down to (patronised) The fire was quickly put out.The younger student complained he was being picked on by his classmates.The police do not know how the body was disposed of.The complaint is being dealt with.The lock on the front door has been tampered with.