The Passive
BE + PAST PARTICIPLE
ACTIVE VOICE (TENSE USED)
Present Simple
Present Continuous (be + ing)
Past Simple
Past Continuous
Future (Will)
Future continuous
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Modals (can, should, must, could,
might, may, would…)
Modal Perfect
Be + going to
ACTIVE VOICE
My father performs a play.
Lucas prepares a new project.
The author is writing an interesting
book.
Jonas is reading the newspaper.
Leonard Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa
John Lennon was writing a new song.
The architect will design a new
skyscraper
They have invited me to the wedding.
They had never told her that they were
her parents.
You can drive a car if you have a driving
license.
My mother should have given the
speech at the ceremony.
The new members of the club are going
to pay the registration.
The reporter was going to interview the
witness.
PASSIVE
(am, is, are) + PAST PARTICIPLE
(am, is, are) + being + PAST PARTICIPLE
(was, were) + PAST PARTICIPLE
(was, were) + being + PAST PARTICIPLE
Will BE + PAST PARTICIPLE
Will BE + being + PAST PARTICIPLE
(have/has) + been + PAST PARTICIPLE
Had + been + PAST PARTICIPLE
Modal + BE + PAST PARTICIPLE
Modal + HAVE BEEN + PAST PARTICIPLE
Be + going to be + PAST PARTICIPLE
PASSIVE VOICE
A play is performed by my father.
A new project is prepared by Lucas.
An interesting book is being written by the
author.
The newspaper is being read by Jonas.
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonard Da
Vinci
A new song was being written by J. L.
A new skyscraper will be designed by the
architect.
I have been invited to the wedding.
She had never been told that they were her
parents.
A car can be driven if you have a driving
license.
The speech should have been given by my
mother at the ceremony.
The registration is going to be paid by the new
members of the club.
The witness was going to be interviewed by the
reporter.
 PASSIVE WITH REPORTING VERBS

A way of distancing ourselves from the facts, especially in formal written English, is to use the
passive form of verbs like say, think, etc. to introduce them. We can use three structures:

a) It + be + PAST PARTICIPLE + that + clause.

NOTE: Verbs commonly used in this pattern are: agree, announce, believe, expect, hope,
report, say, suggest, think, and understand.

1. It is said that reading books increases the knowledge and logic.

2. It has been announced by OM Personal English that their CPE Proficiency course will
be released this year.

b) Subject + be + PAST PARTICIPLE + to + infinitive.

NOTE: Verbs commonly used in this pattern are believe, expect, report, say, think, and
understand.

3. The company director is expected to resign in the next few days.

4. It is expected that the company director will resign in the next few days.
5. They are understood to have been living in Paraguay since 2005.

CAUSATIVES: HAVE AND GET

We use a causative verb when we want to talk about something that someone else did for us
or for another person. It means that the subject caused the action to happen, but didn't do it
themselves. Maybe they paid, or asked, or persuaded the other person to do it. For example,
we can say:

I cleaned my house. (This means I cleaned it myself).

If I paid someone to clean it, of course I can say:

A cleaner cleaned my house.

But, another way is to use a causative construction. So I can also say:

I had my house cleaned.

I will have my house cleaned this weekend.

In a sense, using a causative verb is similar to using a passive. The important thing is that the
house is now clean. We don't focus on who did the cleaning.

Have + object + past participle (have something done)

We usually use 'have something done' when we are talking about paying someone to do
something for us. It's often used for services. The form is 'subject + have + object + past
participle'.

I had my car washed.

John will have his house painted.

Get + object + past participle (get something done)

We can also use 'subject + get + object + past participle'. This has the same meaning as 'have',
but is less formal.

The students get their essays checked.

I'll get my hair cut next week.

He got his washing machine fixed.

My brother gave me a present.

I was given a present by my brother.