We use the infinitive after modal verbs and a number of other verbs. The passive infinitive is to be done / to have done.

PASSIVE VOICE

SECTION I.

THE FORMATION OF THE PASSIVE VOICE

To be + Participle 2

Tense

Active

Passive

Note:the action is done to the subject

SIMPLE

Present

 

 

Past

 

Future

Ask(s)

asked

will ask

am

is asked

are

was

were asked

will be asked

He asks/

He is asked

Он спрашивает/

Его спрашивают

CONTINUOUS

Present

 

Past

 

Future

am

is  asking

are

was

were asking

will be asking

am

is   being asked

are

was being asked

were

---

He is asking/

He is being asked

Он сейчас спрашивает/

Его сейчас спрашивают

 

 

He will be asked.

PERFECT

Present

 

Past

 

Future

Have

has asked

Had asked

Will have asked

have

has been asked

had been asked

will have been asked

He has asked/

He has been asked

Он уже спросил/

Его уже спросили

PERF.

CONT

Present

 

 

Past

 

Future

Have

has been asking

had been asking

will have been asking

-

-

-

He has been asking..for.../

He has been asked...for...

Он просит...в течение.../

Его просят ...в течение

 

going to future

am

are going to ask

is

am

is going to be asked

are

He is going to ask

He is going to be asked

MODAL VERBS

can/could

may/might

must/have to

should/would

needn’t

be done

have been done

The subject of a passive verb corresponds to the object of an active verb

 

     SUBJECT                              SUBJECT

Passive: This house was built in 1486  German is spoken in Austria

 

Active: They built this house in 1486             Austrians speak German

                        OBJECT                                      OBJECT

 

USES OF THE PASSIVE VOICE PECULIAR TO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Passive sentences describe what happens to people or things, often as a result of action by other people or things.

 

1. We use the passive when it is not so important (or unknown) who or what did the action.

· My article was published yesterday.

· Rome wasn’t built in one day.

· The origin of the Universe will be explained.

In these kinds of context, the person doing the action is often not important, or it is difficult to say who it is.

 

2. It’s wrong to consider the passive to be another way of expressing a sentence in the active voice. We use it only when we don’t want to say who did it.

· Helen likes English (But not “English is liked by Helen”. It sounds funny in English).

 

3. Only the verb which take on object can go into the passive. Intransitive verbs can’t be used in the Passive voice. They are:

- to fly, to arrive

- to be, to become

- to have, to lack, to possess, to consist, to belong

- to hold, to suit, to resemble, to fit

- to appear, to seem, to come ,to go, to last

· The hall holds 500 people.

· Theyhavea nice house.

· My shoes don’t fit me.

· Sylvia resembles a Greek goddess.

· My mother lacks the fact.

 

4. There are sentences in the active having a passive meaning.

· This shirt irons well.

· Your book reads well.

· This coat will wear a lifetime.

· The door closedand there was silence in the room.

 

5. If you want to say who did it or what caused the action, use byor with.

· The house was builtby my grandfather.

· It was destroyed by fire.

· The room was filled with smoke.

· The wood can be cut with a knife

 

· I want to be left alone

· The musiccould be heard far away

· My bicycle has disappeared. It must have been stolen.

 

7. If it is possible to make two different passive sentences, it is more usual for the passive sentence to begin with the person.

· Annwasn’t offered the job

· The job wasn’t offered to Ann.