PASSIVE VOICE Only transitive verbs (verbs with an object) can be used in the passive.

We use it: When the agent is unknown, unimportant or obvious from the context. This portrait was painted before the 17th century. When we want to emphasise the action itself, not the agent. Eight people were injured in a car accident. In instructions, processes, formal statements. The lever on the right should be pulled down slowly.

Formation TO BE + PAST PARTICIPLE BY + AGENT Active Voice: Tom will pay the bills. Passive Voice: The bills will be paid by Tom.

Verb forms in the Passive Voice Present Simple A: People speak English all over the world. P: English is spoken all over the world. Present Continuous A: They are repairing the road. P: The road is being repaired. Past Simple A: Carl washed a car yesterday. P: A car was washed yesterday.

Past Continuous A: The scouts were pitching the tents when it started to rain P: The tents were being pitched by the scouts when it started to rain. Present Perfect Simple A: Carla has cleaned the windows. P: The windows have been cleaned by Carla. Past Perfect Simple A: They had hired a new manager before John left ... P: A new manager had been hired before John left...

Future ‘Will’ A: Tom will pay the bill tomorrow Future ‘Will’ A: Tom will pay the bill tomorrow. P: The bill will be paid (by Tom) tomorrow. Going to A: They are going to publish his new novel next month. P: His new novel is going to be published next month. Modal verbs A: We must stop criminals before they commit crimes. P: Criminals must be stopped before they commit crimes.

Present Infinitive A: We need to write an essay by tomorrow Present Infinitive A: We need to write an essay by tomorrow. P: An essay needs to be written by tomorrow. Perfect Infinitive A: He should have bought the book earlier. P: The book should have been bought earlier. -ing form A: I hate people staring at me. B: I hate being stared at.

GET can be used instead of BE in informal speech to show that something happened unexpectedly. His jeans got caught on a spike just as he was climbing over the fence. We don’t use it with state verbs. The car was owned by a film star. NOT: The car got owned by a film star. BY + AGENT is used when we want to emphasise who does or what causes the action. The investigation was ordered by the Police Commissioner. The Present/Past and Future Perfect Continuous and the Future Continuous are not used in the Passive Voice.

The Passive with reporting verbs We use it to report what people say, think, etc. especially when we don’t know who said it or it’s not important. She is considered to be the best singer in the world. (This use is common in news reports.) There are three possible forms: 1. Consider, expect, feel, know, say, suppose, think, understand Present – He/She is said/thought/considered + infinitive She is thought to be really intelligent.

Past – She is said/thought + to have been/spoken/done The Prime Minister is understood to have spoken to the rebels. agree, announce, consider, decide, expect, feel, find, know, propose, recommend, say, suggest, suppose, think, understand It is said/thought/considered + that + a sentence It is thought that Helen is really intelligent. agree, decide, forbid, hope, plan, propose Is is agreed/planned + infinitive It has been agreed to change the dates of the meeting.