Passive Voice

be + past participle

Present Simple Passiveam/is/are + past participle

My car is serviced twice a year.

Rolls Royce cars are made in England.

Present Simple Passiveam/is/are + past participle

• change - is/are changed

• break - is/are/am broken

• pay - is/am/are paid

• ask - is/am/are asked

What happens to a car when it is taken for a service?

• The oil /change :The oil is changed

• The brakes / test

• The filters /replace

• Air/ put/ in the tyres

• The battery/ check

• The lights /test

What happens to a car when it is taken for a service?

• Broken parts /repair

• It/take/for a test drive

• The radiator/fill/with water

• What else is done?

Past Simple Passivewas /were +past participle

• The first bicycle was designed by Leonardo da Vinci.

• He was taken to hospital and operated on appendicitis.

Finish the sentences to make them true for you:

• The last present I was given—

• When I was younger I was told-

• When I was a child I was taught

• Last week we were invited--

Future Simple Passivewill be + past participle

• Don’t worry! The broken parts will be repaired or replaced.

• The message will be sent tomorrow.

What will be done in your office tomorrow?

• E.g. telephone calls A lot of telephone calls will be made.

• Team meeting presentation

• E-mails problems

• Documents lunch

Present Continuous Passiveam/is/are being+ past participle

• My car is being serviced now.

• They are being examined now.

• The passive is being practiced now.

Read the orders and respond using Present Continuous Passive

• Move the table : It’s being moved now

• Turn on the lights

• Check the numbers

• Draw a scheme

• Call the customers

• Prepare a report

Present Perfect Passivehave /has been +past participle

• The letter has already been sent.

• This question has just been discussed

• The survey has been conducted.

• Five new employees have been hired recently.

Helen and Chris moved house two years ago. Yesterday they drove past their old

house. It looked very different.• Describe changes:• The outside walls/paint :The outside

walls have been painted.

• New windows/put in• The trees/cut down• A lot of flowers/plant• The old gate/replace

The Passive is used:

• When the action itself is more important than the person who carries it out (news headlines, newspaper articles, instructions, advertisements)

• Two teenagers were seriously injured in a car accident yesterday.

The Passive is used:

• When the person who carries out the action is unknown, unimportant or obvious from the context.

• Mrs. Archer’s ruby ring was stolen

from her house last night.

The Passive is used:

• When we want to make statements more polite.

My new blouse is ruined. (more polite than saying “You’ve ruined my blouse”)

Other passive forms:

• Passive Infinitive :to be + past participle

My car needs to be serviced soon.

• Passive -ing form: being +past participle

• I insist on my car being serviced today.

• Passive modals: modal +be +pp

• My car must be serviced before the trip.