Explanations
Basic uses of the passive
Agent and instrument The person who performs an action in a passive sentence is called the agent, introduced by by. The agent mayor may not be mentioned. My purse was found by one of the cleaners.
A new road has been built.
An object which causes something to happen is called an instrument, introduced by with. He was hit on the head with a hammer. Verbs with two objects Verbs which have two objects can be made passive in two ways. I was handed a note. A note was handed to me. Other common verbs of this type are:
bring, give, lend, pass, pay, promise, sell, send, show, tell
Verbs with object and complement Some verbs have a noun or adjective which describes their object. We elected Jim class representative. Everyone considered him a failure. When these are made passive, the complement goes directly after the verb. Jim was elected class representative. He was considered a failure.
Verbs which can't be passive Most verbs with an object (transitive verbs) can be made passive: e.g. drive is transitive because one can drive something (a car). However, a few transitive verbs may not be used in the passive. These include: become, fit (be the right size), get, have, lack, let, like, resemble, suit. Verbs with no object (intransitive) can not be passive: e.g. fall is intransitive, you cannot 'fall something'. Therefore it is not possible to say 'The tree was fallen'. Instead the sentence must be active: The tree fell.
Using and not mentioning agent the
Change of focus The passive can change the emphasis of a sentence. Jack won the prize. (focus on Jack) The prize was won by Jack. (focus on the prize)
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ADVANCED
LANGUAGE
PRACTICE
Unknown agent The agent is not mentioned if unknown. My wallet has been taken. In this case, there is no point in adding an agent: 'by somebody'. Generalised agent If the subject is 'people in general' or 'you' the agent is not mentioned. Bicycles are widely used in the city instead of public transport. Obvious agent If the agent is obvious or has already been referred to, it is not mentioned. Linda has been arrested! (we assume by the police) The company agreed to our request and a new car park was opened. Unimportant agent If the agent is not important to the meaning of the sentence it is not mentioned. I was advised to obtain a visa in advance. Impersonality Using the passive is a way of avoiding the naming of a specific person who is responsible for an action. It has been decided to reduce all salaries by 10%. In descriptions of processes, there is emphasis on the actions performed rather than on the people who perform them. Then the packets are packed into boxes of twenty-four.
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Explanations
Have and get something done, need doing Have/get something done This typically describes a service performed for us by someone else. I've just had/got my car serviced. I have/get it done every winter. It can also describe something unfortunate that happens to someone. We had/got our car broken into last month. Get is more likely to be used than have when: i) there is a feeling that something must be done. I really must get (have) my hair cut. ii) there is a feeling of eventually managing to do something. I eventually got (had) the car fixed at the Fast Service garage. iii) in orders and imperatives. Get your hair cut! Note that get should not be used in the present perfect passive, where it would be confused with have got. The need to have a service done can be described with need doing. Your hair needs cutting.
Passive get
Get can be used instead of be to form the passive in spoken language. Martin got arrested at a football match.
verbs
Reporting
Present reference With verbs such as believe, know, say, think, which report people's opinions, a passive construction is often used to avoid a weak subject, and to give a generalised opinion. With present reference, the passive is followed by the present infinitive. The criminal is thought to be in hiding in the London area. Vitamin C is known to be good for treating colds. Past reference With past reference, the passive is followed by the past infinitive. Smith is believed to have left England last week. Past reporting verb If the reporting verb is in the past, the past infinitive tends to follow, though not always if the verb be is used. People thought Sue had paid too much. Sue was thought to have paid too much. The police thought that the thief was still in the house. The thief was thought to still be in the house.
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GRAMMAR
PASSIVE
Past reference with two objects In this case there are two ways of making a passive sentence. Everyone knows the portrait was painted by an Italian. The portrait is known to have been painted by an Italian. Continuous infinitive Past and present continuous infinitives are also used. Mary is thought to be living in Scotland. The driver is thought to have been doing a U-turn. Ending a sentence with a preposition It is possible to end a sentence with a preposition in a sentence where a prepositional verb is made passive.
Somebody broke into our house. Our house was broken into.
Verbs with prepositions
By and with With is used after participles such as filled, packed, crowded, crammed. The train was packed with commuters. The difference between by and with may involve the presence of a person: Dave was hit by a branch. (an accident) Dave was hit with a branch. (a person hit him with one)
Make is followed by to when used in the passive. My boss made me work hard. I was made to work hard by my boss.
Cover and verbs which involve similar ideas, such as surround, decorate, can use with or by. Cover can also be followed by in. The furniture was covered in dust. The living room had been decorated with flowery wallpaper.
Common contexts for the passive
Formality The passive is probably more common in written English, where there tends to be less use of personal reference in some contexts, since the audience may be unknown. Points mentioned in Grammar 6 The passive is used to change the focus of the sentence, to avoid generalised subjects, and to make an action impersonal. It is common in descriptions of processes, and in scientific and technical language in general.
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