Form
be + past participle. The verb be shows the tense.
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|
| Present simple | They make cars. | Cars are made. |
| Past simple | Tom wrote the email. | The email was written. |
| Present continuous | They are building a bridge. | A bridge is being built. |
| Present perfect | They have sold the house. | The house has been sold. |
| Future (will) | She will finish it. | It will be finished. |
| Modal | You must wear a helmet. | A helmet must be worn. |
Use
- The action is more important than who did it.
- The agent is unknown, obvious or unimportant: My wallet was stolen.
- Add by + agent only when it matters: written by Orwell. Tool: made with a spoon.
Questions and negatives
Are cars made here? · Were you called? · The door wasn't locked. · The letters haven't been sent yet.
Watch out
- Intransitive verbs (arrive, happen, disappear, sleep) have no passive:
The party was happened. - Learn the irregular participles: written, broken, stolen, seen, given.
- Verbs with two objects: I was given a book / A book was given to me.
- Impersonal passive: He is said to be rich.
En español
La voz pasiva (be + participio) se usa cuando importa la acción y no quién la hace. El verbo be indica el tiempo. Los verbos intransitivos no tienen pasiva. Agente: by.
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