Look at these examples to see how the passive voice is used.
The interview was recorded yesterday.
Cleaner sources of energy must be developed.
An electrical fault is believed to have caused the power cut.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Grammar explanation
We can use the passive voice to change the focus of the sentence.
Aliya Monier directed the film.
(focus on Aliya Monier)The film was directed by Aliya Monier.
(focus on The film)
We often use the passive:
- so that we can start a sentence with the most important or most logical information
- when we prefer not to mention who or what does the action (for example, it's not known, it's obvious or we don't want to say)
- in more formal or scientific writing.
Be + past participle
The most common way to form the passive is subject + be + past participle.
The new smoke alarm was installed yesterday.
The 'doer' of the action is called the agent. Most of the time, the agent is not mentioned, but if important, the agent can be mentioned using the preposition by.
The new smoke alarm was installed yesterday by the company director herself.
We can also use the passive voice with modal verbs such as can, must and should, by using modal + be + past participle.
A podcast can be made with minimal resources.
The accident must be reported to the police.
New laws should be created to regulate electric scooters.
The passive with get
In informal English, get is sometimes used instead of be to form the passive.
My bicycle got stolen last night.
(= My bicycle was stolen last night.)
The impersonal passive
The impersonal passive is used with reporting verbs such as allege, believe, claim, consider, estimate, expect, know, report, say, think, understand, etc. It reports what an unspecified group of people say or believe.
The impersonal passive has two forms:
it + be + past participle + (that) + subject + verb:
It is estimated that millions of people visit the site every year.
It is believed that the walls date from the third century BCE.
It is reported that mosquitoes transmit the disease.
someone/something + be + past participle + infinitive:
Millions of people are estimated to visit the site every year.
The walls are believed to date from the third century BCE.
Mosquitoes are reported to transmit the disease.
Note that the infinitive can be simple (as above), perfect (for a past action) or continuous (for an action in progress).
Millions are estimated to visit the site this year. (simple infinitive)
The walls are believed to have been built in the third century BCE. (perfect infinitive)
Mosquitoes are reported to be transmitting the disease. (continuous infinitive)
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Hello Mohamedalserraffey,
Yes, in the right context that's fine.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Can I say:
It was believed that Ahmed had robbed a bank?
Hello Mohamedalserraffey,
Yes, that sentence is grammatically correct. Of course, it would need to be used in an appropriate context.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi, I'd like a clarification on the last example of the second test. This is it:
People said the creatures came out at night. The creatures _____ out at night.
are said to have come
were come
were said to come
The third option is highlighted as the correct answer, but I'm not sure I undestand why.
As I read it, the first phrase ("People said the creatures came out at night") refers to a past statement ("said") about a single action that took place in the past ("came out"). But if "were said to come out" is the correct answer, the meaning changes. The past statement ("were said") now refers to a general observation ("the creatures come out at night").
It seems to me that the first answer ("are said to have come") fits the meaning of the first sentence better. Or, if we were to consider the third answer as the correct one, then the first sentence should read as "People said the creatures come out at night.".
Am I wrong?
Hi, I think that ("People said the creatures came out at night") they are referring to two actions. 1st people "said" and 2nd "came out" and as it is in simple past regular/irregular, it has to change to simple past "to be". In this case "the creatures" are the subject, and the subject is being afected by the people, the people said something about them. So "the creatures were said" (by the people) to come out at night" , the coming out is the secondary action, and it it changes to present so the sentence keeps the meaning. Another way of saying it would be, People were saying that the creatures come out at night, but it looks too redundant and it doesn't fit with the passive voice explanation. We change the focus of the subject and object. Subject people; object the creatures changes to Subject: creatures; object; people. I hope the explanation works.
Hello marcelomartel86,
The choice of verb form here depends on the time reference of the original action:
(were come is not a possible answer here)
Sentence 1 tells us that people still say this: it is a current rumour. Sentence 2 tells us that people said this in the past, but it does not necessarily tell us that they say it now (it is unclear). Since the original sentence uses 'said' (past tense) I think sentence 2 is the closest in meaning. Sentence 1 would be correct if the original sentence were 'People say that...', meaning that they still say it today.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi!
6. They made many people redundant, some of whom had worked there for years. Many people _____ redundant, some of whom had worked there for years.
why use "got made" but not "was made"?
Hi PhuongDo,
"Was made" isn't correct because the subject is "Many people", so if using the verb "be", it should be a plural form --> Many people were made redundant ...
I hope that helps.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
We cannot use "was" because the subject "Many people" is plural.
"In informal English, GET is sometimes used instead of be to form the passive".
3 options:
a. been made
b. got made
c. was made
"GOT MADE" is correct, because it can't be "was" for "many people". For "been made" can't be a correct answer if it doesn't have "HAVE + BEEN MADE"