Introduction to the passive

Form
to be + past participle
Present simple passive
• Two hundred books are sold every month.
Present continuous passive
• A party is being held by the Simpsons next week.
Past simple passive
• He was invited last year, I wasn‘t.
Passive infinitive
• I‘d love to be invited.
Future simple passive
• It will be finished quickly.
Present perfect simple passive
• She has been injured by the mugger.
Use
- Passive sentences move the focus from the subject to the object of
active sentence.
We are more
Shakespeare wrote Hamlet in 1601. interested in
Shakespeare.

We are more
interested in the
Hamlet was written by Shakespeare in 1601. drama Shakespeare
wrote.
The agent of the
action is introduced
with “by“.
1. The focus of the sentence is the OBJECT.

Columbus je hlavním
Columbus discovered America. tématem věty.

America was discovered by Columbus.

America je hlavním
tématem věty.
2. The agent is not important.
America was discovered in 1492.

3. The agent is not known.

My car was stolen yesterday.
A new cinema is being built in our city.

4. The passive is also in impersonal, formal English. It is often found in

notices and announcements.
Customer are requested to refrain from smoking.
Present simple and continuous passive
Present Simple
am/is/are + past participle
They speak English all over the world.
English is spoken all over the world.

Present Continuous
am/is/are + being + past participle
They are reconstructing the road.
The road is being reconstructed at the moment.
Use
The uses of the tenses are the same in the passive as in the active.

My car is serviced every six months. habit

fact that is always true

Computers are used in all areas of life and work.

You can‘t go this way. The road is being reconstructed at the moment.

activity happening now

Complete the sentences with active or passive form of the verbs.

is visited
1.This website ____________ (visit) by hundreds of people every day.
borrows
2.George always ____________ (borrow) my dictionary.
produces
3.The company ____________ (produce) 2000 pieces a day!
is going(go) to an interview tomorrow so he‘s kind of nervous.
4.Peter ____________
are paid(pay) at the beginning of the new month.
5.The salaries ____________
is being decorated
6.The bedroom ___________________ (decorate) at the moment so we‘re sleeping
downstairs.