Passives — What, How, When
What are passives?
All English verbs are either active or passive. When a sentence or clause starts with the subject, we use an active verb. For example:
Someone broke the window.
In this sentence, “someone” is the subject, so we use an active verb with it — “broke”.
But when a sentence or clause starts with the object, we use a passive verb.
The window was broken.
This sentence starts with the object (“the window”) so we used a passive verb (“was broken”).
How do we make passives?
Passives are always a combinations of two parts: a “be” verb and a past participle. Don't be confused by the term past participle. A past participle isn't past — that's just its name. We can use a past participle in a past situation, a present situation, a future situation — anything.
1. Some examples of 'be' verbs.
| Verb Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| present simple | is, am, are |
| present continuous | is being |
| past simple | was, were |
| future simple | will be |
| present perfect | has been, have been |
| past perfect | had been |
| modal | can be, could be, might be, should be, etc |
Complete Exercise 1: Passive Times now and then close the window to continue with the lesson.
2. Some examples of past participles.
| Dictionary Form | Past Simple Form | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| go | went | gone |
| see | saw | seen |
| live | lived | lived |
| study | studied | studied |
| let | let | let |
Complete Exercise 2: Past Participles now and then close the window to continue with the lesson.
3. Some examples of passives.
| Tense | Passive Verb | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| present simple | are paid | They're paid every week. |
| present continuous | is being built | Their house is being built right now. |
| past simple | was hired | She was hired last week. |
| future simple | will be finished | We'll be finished next week. |
| present perfect | has been done | The work's been done. |
| modal | can be bought | Textbooks can be bought here. |
Complete Exercise 3: Making Passive Sentences now and then close the window to continue with the lesson.
When do we use passives?
Passives have three basic uses: when we want to focus on the object, when we don't know the subject, and when we want to sound more formal.
| Basic Use | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| When we want to focus on the object. | Cellphones are used all over the world. | We want to focus on cellphones here, not on who uses them. |
| When we don't know the subject. | The window was broken last night. | We don't know who broke the window, so we focus on the window instead. |
| When we want to sound more formal or official. | Students are provided with a textbook. | This sounds more formal and impersonal than 'We will provide students with a textbook.' |
Meaning Check
1. Why is the passive used in this sentence?
The parcel was delivered at 4:00.
2. Why is the passive used in this sentence?
All students are required to have an ID card.
3. Why is the passive used in this sentence?
The concert was completely sold out.