PASSIVE & CAUSATIVE IN

ENGLISH
Study the example…

This house was built in 1930. (“was built” is

passive). Compare active and passive:

Somebody built this house in 1930. (active)

(object to subject)

This house was built in 1930. (passive)

We use an ACTIVE VERB to say what the
subject does:

My grandfather was a builder. He built this house in 1930.

It’s a big company. It employs two hundred people.

We use a PASSIVE VERB to say what

happens to the subject:

This house is quite old. It was built in 1930.

Two hundred people are employed by the company.
When we use the passive, who or what causes the
action is often unknown or unimportant:

A lot of money was stolen in the robbery.

Is this room cleaned every day?

If we want to say who does or what causes the

action, we use by…:

This house was built by my grandfather.

Two hundred people are employed by the company.
 PASSIVE FORMS

Present simple (affirmative)

Somebody cleans this room every day
This room is cleaned every day

Careless driving causes many accidents

Many accidents are caused by careless driving

 PASSIVE FORMS

Present simple (negative)

Somebody does not clean this room every day
This room is not cleaned every day

People don’t use this road very often

This road is not used very often

 PASSIVE FORMS

Present simple (interrogative)

Does anybody clean this room every day?
Is this room cleaned every day?

How do people learn languages?

How are languages learnt?

 PASSIVE FORMS

Past simple (affirmative)

Somebody cleaned this room yesterday
This room was cleaned yesterday

They cancelled all flights because of fog

All flights were cancelled because of fog

 PASSIVE FORMS

Past simple (negative)

She did not write a story
A story was not written (by her)

They didn’t invite Sally to the party

Sally was not invited to the party

 PASSIVE FORMS

Past simple (interrogative)

Did Matt bring the ingredients?
Were the ingredients brought (by Matt)?

Did you wash the car before the trip?

Was the car washed before the trip?

 PASSIVE FORMS

Future simple (affirmative)

Somebody will clean the room later
The room will be cleaned later

We will sell all our books

All our books will be sold

 PASSIVE FORMS

Present continuous (affirmative)

Somebody is cleaning the room
The room is being cleaned

John is watering the plants

The plants are being watered (by John)

 PASSIVE FORMS

Past continuous (affirmative)

Somebody was cleaning the room
The room was being cleaned

My mother was baking a cake

A cake was being baked (by my mother)

 PASSIVE FORMS

Present perfect (affirmative):

The room looks nice. Somebody has cleaned it
The room looks nice. It has been cleaned

They have invited John to the party

John has been invited to the party

 PASSIVE FORMS

Past perfect (affirmative):

The room looked nice. Somebody had cleaned it
The room looked nice. It had been cleaned

They hadn’t told us the good news

We hadn’t been told the news (by them)

 PASSIVE FORMS

Modals:
They should clean this room!
This room should be cleaned!

You could take some sweets!

Some sweets could be taken!

 PASSIVE FORMS

Modal perfects:
They should have cleaned this room!
This room should have been cleaned!

You should take coats for the kids!

Coats should have been taken for the kids!

 PASSIVE FORMS

“Have to”:
They have to clean this room!
This room has to be cleaned!

He has to wash that jumper!

That jumper has to be washed!

CAUSATIVE
I cut my hair
I have my hair
cut

Causative structure: to have/ get + past participle

 CAUSATIVE
• It’s used to say that we arrange for somebody else to
do something for us.
 CAUSATIVE

• It’s also used when something negative

happens to somebody or their belongings.

Paul had all his money stolen while he was on holiday.

Gary had his nose broken in a fight.
 CAUSATIVE
FORM
:

Have sth done = Get sth done

* Get is a bit more informal
 CAUSATIVE
Other examples

He washes his car once a month.

He has/gets his car washed once a month.

She usually checks her teeth.

She usually has/gets her teeth checked.