At a glance
- 1Find the objectTom wrote the letter.
- 2Make it the subjectThe letter …
- 3be (same tense) + V3The letter was written …
- 4Add by + the doer, if needed… by Tom.
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Present simple | They clean the room. | The room is cleaned. |
| Present continuous | They are cleaning the room. | The room is being cleaned. |
| Present perfect | They have cleaned the room. | The room has been cleaned. |
| Past simple | They cleaned the room. | The room was cleaned. |
| Past continuous | They were cleaning the room. | The room was being cleaned. |
| Past perfect | They had cleaned the room. | The room had been cleaned. |
| Future simple | They will clean the room. | The room will be cleaned. |
| Future perfect | They will have cleaned the room. | The room will have been cleaned. |
| Modal | They must clean the room. | The room must be cleaned. |
| going to | They are going to clean the room. | The room is going to be cleaned. |
Questions
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| Did they build it? | Was it built? |
| Who wrote this poem? | By whom was this poem written? / Who was it written by? |
| What do they call this? | What is this called? |
| Why did he punish you? | Why were you punished? |
Orders and requests
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| Open the door. | Let the door be opened. |
| Don't touch it. | Let it not be touched. |
| Please help me. | You are requested to help me. |
Two objects
They gave me a prize. → I was given a prize. / A prize was given to me.
It is said that…
People say that he is rich. → It is said that he is rich. / He is said to be rich.
Also: It is believed / thought / known / reported that…
Verbs with prepositions
Someone looked after the baby. → The baby was looked after.
They laughed at him. → He was laughed at.
by or with?
- by + the doer, with + the tool: The letter was written with a pen by Tom.
- Some passive verbs take other prepositions: known to, interested in, surprised at, filled with, made of / from, covered with.
Practice
Answer the questions. Get 7 out of 10 to finish this lesson.