Passive Voice

Specific verbs
• People believe that Bill Gates is the richest man in the world.
• Bill Gates is believed to be the richest man in the world.
• It is believed that Bill Gates is the richest man in the world.

• ALLEGE, ASSUME, CONSIDER, EXPECT, INTEND, RUMOUR, KNOW,

REPORT, SUPPOSE, THINK, UNDERSTAND.

• Ex. 3
• BE is often omitted in newspapers:
• ENGLAND BEATEN AT FOOTBALL
• In relative clauses relative pronoun and BE can be omitted:
• THE PEOPLE (WHO WERE) CHOSEN TO APPEAR ON THE SHOW
• Passive are often used as adjectives at the beginning of a sentence:
• LOCKED AWAY IN HIS PRISON CELL ROOM, HE GRADUALLY FELL INTO
DESPAIR.
• EX. 4-5
Verbs with two objects
• THEY GAVE JANE FIRST PRIZE.
• JANE WAS GIVEN THE FIRST PRIZE.
• FIRST PRIZE WAS GIVEN TO JANE.

• EX. 6
Get + 3vf
• For actions that are accidental or unexpected:
• IT’S INEVITABLE THAT SOME THINGS GET BROKEN.
• When the process is in some ways difficult:
• IT’S TAKEN A LONG TIME, BUT CHRISTOPHER FINALLY GOT HIS NOVEL
PUBLISHED.
• GET DRESSED, GET CHANGED, GET ENGAGED, GET LOST, GET
STARTED, ETC.

• EX. 7-8