T he agent is UNKNOWN or OBVIOUS.

EX: I was born in 1992.

T he agent is "PEOPLE OR T HINGS IN

GENERAL". EX: Some verbs cannot be used in
the COntinuous.

T he agent is a long phrase.

Passive f orm = existing state/situation
NO action occurring
No agent
Past participle = adjective
Example: T he door is locked.
EX: Helen was surprised by
all the messages of
sympathy she received.
Reason for Using Passive
Avoiding inf erences to ourselves
Stative Passive and making a statement
impersonal.   EX: We can't possibly
be completed overnight.
Avoiding "YOU" in orders and rules.
EX: You must give in your application
bef ore the end of the week.

In f actual writing when f ocus is on events,

achievements, rather than agents.              
 EX: Vaccination had been pioneered two
hundred years earlier.
Passive sentences: No interest in
who/what perf orms the action.

T he action is unexpected, involuntary or unwelcome.

Focus: the action itself , who/what is EX: When he picked up the phone, we got cut of f .
NOT MENT IONING the agent
af f ected by the action, the result.

An achievement based on a previous ef f ort.

GET instead of BE EX: She got elected.
example: T hat window has been broken
again. The agents
An achievement in dif f iculty.                EX:
When we think the inf ormation is important, I f innally got admitted to hospital.
MENT IONING the agent
when we want to say more about it.

1. My mom gave me some money.

=> I was given some money.
Verbs with two objects:
PASSIVE & CAUSATIVE usually have T WO passive
f orms. 2. My mom gave some money to
T he subject is an agent, the me. => Some money was given to
sentence is active => an active me.
inf initive.          EX: I've got so many
books to return. 
Verbs  NO intransitive verbs in passive.
T he subject is not the agent =>
passive inf initive.                              EX: Some verbs, (explain, suggest) can't
So many books have to be change the indirect object into the subject.
returned.
Active or passive
Verb with Limited Uses in Passive
Some verb phrases with two objects
Active and passive inf initives with
cannot be passive.                                    EX:
the same meaning with T HERE.    
Let me wish you luck. 
 EX: T here are many rooms to
paint/ to be painted.
Some verbs are not f ollowed by two
nouns, but the second is not an object.    
Sth/anything/nothing + to do.    
EX: T hey declared him President.
EX: T here's nothing to do in the
evening.

GET sb to-Inf
It’s thought by the press that the chairman
earns too much.  Active
HAVE sb Inf
Infinitive and -ing form passive
T he chairman is thought by the press to earn Report verbs ( claim, Structures
too much. mention, request,
ect.) GET sth p.p
Passive

T here are thought to be disagreements HAVE sth p.p

among senior ministers.
Causative

We arrange f or somebody to do something f or us.  

Af ter verbs normally f ollowed by -ing f orms.  EX: She goes to hospital and has her blood pressure
 EX: I love being given f lowers. taken.
Uses

As participle, usually with the meaning of beacuse.   Unf ortunate experiences.                                     EX:
EX: Being  paid monthly, I f ind annual bills hard to He got his leg broken playing f ootball.
Passive -ing f orrms
pay.

As the subject of a sentence.                                    EX:

Being proved wrong is never a comf ortable
experience.