2. PASSIVE VOICE: FORMPASSIVE VOICE: FORM
To be + Past participle
ACTIVEACTIVE
Tom is painting the house
PASSIVEPASSIVE
The house is being painted by Tom
3. VERBS THAT CAN BEVERBS THAT CAN BE
USED IN THE PASSIVEUSED IN THE PASSIVE
Transitive verbs
Verbs with two objects
She gave her sister the car
{ Vb + IO + DO}
Her sister was given the car (more
common)
The car was given to her sister
4. VERBS THAT CAN BEVERBS THAT CAN BE
USED IN THE PASSIVEUSED IN THE PASSIVE
Multiword verbs if they are transitive
The particle is never separated from
the verb in the passive voice.
They took the company over in 2001.
They took over the company in 2001.
The company was taken over (by them) in
2001.
* The company was taken by them over in
2001.
5. VERBS THATVERBS THAT CANNOTCANNOT BEBE
USED IN THE PASSIVEUSED IN THE PASSIVE
Intransitive verbs
Certain stative verbs (e.g. have, resemble,
suit, fit, belong)
John has a Ferrari (stative verb) //
*A Ferrari is had by John
Sylvia resembles a Greek goddess.
* A Greek goddess is resembled by Silvia
Some prepositional verbs are mainly used in
the active
We walked into the room *The room was
walked into.
6. VERBS THATVERBS THAT CANNOTCANNOT BEBE
USED IN THE PASSIVEUSED IN THE PASSIVE
• Let has no passive form so we use
a passive form of allow, permit, give
permission instead.
The teacher let us leave early.
We were allowed to leave early.
7. VERBS THATVERBS THAT CANNOTCANNOT BEBE
USED IN THE PASSIVEUSED IN THE PASSIVE
Verbs of wanting and liking e.g. want,
love, hate, + object + infinitive cannot be
made passive
*He was wanted to leave
She wanted him to leave
Some verbs with two objects cannot
be passive at all
The book earned him a fortune
Let me wish you good luck
8. PASSIVE INFINITIVESPASSIVE INFINITIVES
Verbs such as make, see, hear and help which are:
followed by a bare infinitive in the active
The boss made me work late
I saw her take it
followed by infinitive with to in the passive.
I was made to work late.
She was seen to take it.
