1.

Passive – Use
We only use the passive when we are interested in the object or when we do not know who
caused the action.

Example: Appointments are required in such cases.

2. Passive – Form
to be + past participle

How to form a passive sentence when an active sentence is given:

 object of the active sentence becomes subject in the passive sentence

 subject of the active sentence becomes object in the passive sentence (or is left out)

We can only form a passive sentence from an active sentence when there is an object in the
active sentence.

Type of sentence Subject Verb Object

Active sentence: Peter builds a house.

Passive sentence: A house is built by Peter.

3. Examples
3.1. Simple Present
Type of sentence Subject Verb Object

Active sentence: Peter builds a house.

Passive sentence: A house is built by Peter.

3.2. Simple Past

Type of sentence Subject Verb Object

Active sentence: Peter built a house.

Passive sentence: A house was built by Peter.

3.3. Present Perfect

Type of sentence Subject Verb Object

Active sentence: Peter has built a house.

Passive sentence: A house has been built by Peter.

3.4. will-future
Type of sentence Subject Verb Object

Active sentence: Peter will build a house.

Passive sentence: A house will be built by Peter.

3.5. Modals
Type of sentence Subject Verb Object

Active sentence: Peter can build a house.

How to use the Passive in

various tenses
Passive sentence: A house can be built by Peter.
Here you will find some examples of how to
form the passive depending on the tense.

Tense Active Passive

Simple
Peter builds a house. A house is built by Peter.
Present
Simple Past Peter built a house. A house was built by Peter.
Present
Peter has built a house. A house has been built by Peter.
Perfect
 Tense Active Passive
Past Perfect Peter had built a house. A house had been built by Peter.
will-future Peter will build a house. A house will be built by Peter.
going to- Peter is going to build a house in A house is going to be built in summer by
future summer. Peter.

4.- Examples for the by-agent

We are normally not interested in the ›doer‹ of an action in a passive sentence. When we want to
mention the ›doer‹, we use the preposition by. The whole phrase is called by-agent in English.

Active sentence Passive sentence

Mr Brown built the house. The house was built by Mr Brown.

When we do not know, who was the ›doer‹ of the action, we use someone or somebody in the
active sentence. We leave out these words in the passive sentence.

Active sentence Passive sentence

Someone stole my bike. My bike was stolen.

5.- Personal Passive

When we put an object of an active sentence into passive, it becomes subject of the passive
sentence.

 Active sentence → The professor gave the students the books.

 Passive sentence → The students were given the books.

We sometimes use a pronoun for the students or the books in its subject form (here: they).

 Active sentence → The professor gave them the books.

 Passive sentence → They were given the books.

We very often leave out the by-agent in the passive sentence (here: by the professor).

6.- Impersonal Passive – It is said ...

The phrase It is said ... is an impersonal passive construction. This construction is used
informally. It is said ... is used when one doesn't want to, or is unable to, site legitimate sources
for what you are saying. It is, essentially, a way of claiming any position without justifying it.

 Passive sentence 1 → It is said that children are afraid of ghosts.

 Passive sentence 2 → Children are said to be afraid of ghosts.
The correct active sentence would be:

 Active sentence → People say that children are afraid of ghosts.



7.- Verbs with prepositions in Passive

 When we put an active sentence, where a preposition follows after the verb (e.g. break
into, look after, listen to), into passive – the preposition remains immediately after the
verb.

Active sentence Passive sentence

Someone broke into the pet shop. The pet shop was broken into.
They looked for the baby. The baby was looked for.
Someone shouts at the man. The man is shouted at.
They listen to the music. Music is listened to.

Active sentences with two objects in Passive

Two objects in an active sentences – two possible passive
sentences
When there are two objects in an active sentence, there are two possible active sentences and
two possible passive sentences.

 Sentence 1: The professor gave the students the books.

 Sentence 2: The professor gave the books to the students.

There are two objects in each of the following sentences:

 Object 1 = indirect object → the students

 Object 2 = direct object → the books

An indirect object is very often a person, a direct object a thing. When a direct object is followed
by an indirect one, we put to in front of the indirect object.
Active sentence 1
Subject Verb indirect Object direct Object

The professor gave the students the books.

Active sentence 2
Subject Verb direct Object indirect Object with to

The professor gave the books to the students.

Each of the objects (books/students) in the active sentences can become subject in the passive
sentence.

Passive sentence 1
Subject Verb Object (by-agent)

The students were given the books. (by the professor).

Passive sentence 2
Subject Verb Object (by-agent)

The books were given to the students (by the professor).

Passive sentence 1 is sometimes called Personal passive.

Exercises from here:https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/passive_prepositions.htm