Passive structures and verb forms

Passive verb forms

We normally make passive forms of a verb by using tenses of the auxiliary be followed by the past participle (= pp) of the verb. (For get as a passive auxiliary, (see here).) Here is a list of all the passive forms of an ordinary English verb.

Name	Construction	Example
simple present	am/are/is + pp	English is spoken here.
present progressive	am/are/is being + pp	Excuse the mess; the house is being painted.
present perfect	have/has been + pp	Has Emily been told?
(simple) future	will be + pp	You’ll be told soon enough.
future perfect	will have been + pp	Everything will have been done by Tuesday.
simple past	was/were + pp	I wasn’t invited, but I went.
past progressive	was/were being + pp	I felt as if I was being watched.
past perfect	had been + pp	I knew why I had been chosen.

Future progressive passives (will be being + pp) and perfect progressive passives (has been being + pp) are unusual.

Examples of passive infinitives: (to) be taken; (to) have been invited.

Examples of passive -ing forms: being watched; having been invited.

Note that verbs made up of more than one word ( (see here) can have passive forms if they are transitive.

• The furniture was broken up for firewood.
• She likes being looked at.
• I need to be taken care of.
• He hates being made a fool of.

note

For more about structures with prepositions at the ends of clauses, (see here).

Use of tenses

Passive tenses are normally used in the same way as active tenses. So for example the present progressive passive is used, like the present progressive active, to talk about things that are going on at the time of speaking (see here).

• The papers are being prepared now.
• The secretary is preparing the papers now.

And the present perfect passive can be used, like the present perfect active, to talk about finished actions with present consequences (see here).

• Alex has been arrested!
• The police have arrested Alex!

Verbs not used in the passive

Not all verbs can have passive forms. Passive structures are impossible with intransitive verbs (see here) like die or arrive, which cannot have objects, because there is nothing to become the subject of a passive sentence. Some transitive verbs, too, are seldom used in the passive. Most of these are ‘stative verbs’ (verbs which refer to states, not actions). Examples are fit, have, lack, resemble, suit.

• They have a nice house. (but not A nice house is had by them.)
• My shoes don’t fit me. (but not I’m not fitted by my shoes.)
• Sylvia resembles a Greek goddess. (but not A Greek goddess is resembled by Sylvia.)
• Your mother lacks tact. (but not Tact is lacked by your mother.)
• She was having a bath. (but not A bath was being had by her.)

Confusing forms

Students often confuse active and passive verb forms in English. Typical mistakes:

• I was very interesting in the lesson.
• We were questioning by the immigration officer.
• She has put in prison for life.
• These houses build in wood.
• We are write to each other in English.
• The play performed in the evening.
• This exhibition will be visit 5 million people.

Mistakes like these are not surprising, because:

1. Be is used in both passive verb forms and active progressive tenses.
2. Past participles are used in both passive verb forms and active perfect tenses. Compare:

• He was calling. (active – past progressive)
• He was called. (passive – simple past)
• He has called. (active – present perfect)

note

For active verb forms, (see here).