The object which is acted upon gains significance and the doer recedes into the background.
Passive structure: OXS + be + en (V3) + (by + SXO)
Pronoun
him/her/me/them/us → he/she/I/they/we
Passive structure: OXS + be + en (V3) + (by + SXO)
Pronoun
him/her/me/them/us → he/she/I/they/we
Use of be verb
Prepositions with passive verbs
Some passive verbs take other prepositions instead of 'by'.
· Know, marry, oblige - to
· Please, displease, satisfy, dissatisfy cover, fill, hit - with.
· interest, contains - in
· surprise, shock, astonish - at
· bury, annoy - under
Note: Vague pronouns and nouns like: Somebody, nobody, anybody, someone, no one, people do not take 'by'
Examples:
A: Clouds has covered the sky.
P: The sky has been covered with clouds.
A: Water filled the room.
P: The room was filled with water.
| Active | |
|---|---|
| V1/V5 | is / am / are |
| V2 (did) | was / were |
| V3 | been |
| V4 | being |
| Modal Aux. | be |
| To | be |
Prepositions with passive verbs
Some passive verbs take other prepositions instead of 'by'.
· Know, marry, oblige - to
· Please, displease, satisfy, dissatisfy cover, fill, hit - with.
· interest, contains - in
· surprise, shock, astonish - at
· bury, annoy - under
Note: Vague pronouns and nouns like: Somebody, nobody, anybody, someone, no one, people do not take 'by'
Examples:
A: Clouds has covered the sky.
P: The sky has been covered with clouds.
A: Water filled the room.
P: The room was filled with water.
A: Everyone is looking after the child.
P: The child is being looked after.
(a) The indirect object of Di-transitive takes 'to' or 'for' in the passive
Examples:
A: We handed him a gun.
P1: He was handed a gun (by us).
P2: A gun was handed to him (by us).
A: I bought my sister a sari.
P1: A sari was bought for my sister (by me).
(b) In interrogative and wh-questions, the question form must be retained.
Yes/No: Aux+OXS+be+V3+...........?
Wh-ques.: Wh. + aux + OXS + be + V3 + .... ?
Note: Who - By whom or who ....... by ?
Examples:
A: Does she read novels?
P: Are novels read by her?
A: Did Hari catch the bus?
P: Was the bus caught by Hari?
A: Will she forgive us?
P: Shall we be forgiven by her?
A: Who painted it.
P1: Who was it painted by?
P2: By whom was it painted?
P: The child is being looked after.
(a) The indirect object of Di-transitive takes 'to' or 'for' in the passive
Examples:
A: We handed him a gun.
P1: He was handed a gun (by us).
P2: A gun was handed to him (by us).
A: I bought my sister a sari.
P1: A sari was bought for my sister (by me).
(b) In interrogative and wh-questions, the question form must be retained.
Yes/No: Aux+OXS+be+V3+...........?
Wh-ques.: Wh. + aux + OXS + be + V3 + .... ?
Note: Who - By whom or who ....... by ?
Examples:
A: Does she read novels?
P: Are novels read by her?
A: Did Hari catch the bus?
P: Was the bus caught by Hari?
A: Will she forgive us?
P: Shall we be forgiven by her?
A: Who painted it.
P1: Who was it painted by?
P2: By whom was it painted?
(c) Subj. + transitive infinitive has the following forms:
to + be + V3 + ... / for + obj + to + be + V3 + .....
Examples:
A: There is no time to waste.
P: There is no time to be wasted.
A: It is time to take tea.
P: It is time for tea to be taken.
(d) Infinitive construction after passive verbs:
(A) Verbs like see, hear, find, make have full infinitive except 'let'.
A: He made us work.
P: We were made to work.
A: They let us go
P: We were let go.
(B) Sentences of the type: People say / think / know / consider, think, etc. that + . . . have two possible passive forms:
· It + be + V3 + that + subj + . . .
· Subj (that comp) + be + V3 + to + infinitival verb
Look at the following:
| Active | Passive infinitive |
|---|---|
| V1/V5 | V1 (be) |
| V2/have/has had + V3 | have + V3 |
| is / am / are + V4 | be + V4 |
| Was / were + V4 | have been + V4 |
| has / have / had+ been + V4 | have been + V4 |
A: People believed that he was insane.
P1: It was believed that he was insane.
P2: He was believed to have been insane.
(e) Imperative Sentences:
A: Imperative with object
Le + Obj + be + V3 + ...
O×S + should + be + V3 + . . . (advice).
A: Open the door.
P: Let the door be opened.
A: help the poor.
P: The poor should be helped.
B: Imperative without an object:
You/we + are requested/advised/suggested/ordered + to + V1...
Note: Please, do, kindly show request.
A: Do come tomorrow
P: You are requested to come tomorrow.
(f) Infinitive with Objects:
(A) Verbs of liking / wanting / wishing etc. + object + infinitive form their passive with the passive infinitive.
Subj + want / like / wish + obj2 + to + be + V3 + . . .
A: He wants someone (obj1) to take photographs. (obj2)
B: Imperative without an object:
You/we + are requested/advised/suggested/ordered + to + V1...
Note: Please, do, kindly show request.
A: Do come tomorrow
P: You are requested to come tomorrow.
(f) Infinitive with Objects:
(A) Verbs of liking / wanting / wishing etc. + object + infinitive form their passive with the passive infinitive.
Subj + want / like / wish + obj2 + to + be + V3 + . . .
A: He wants someone (obj1) to take photographs. (obj2)
P: He wants photographs to be taken.
(B) But advise / beg / order / urge / recommend + indirect object + infinitive + object has the following passive pattern:
· OXS + be + V3 + to + V1 + Obj + . . .
· Subj + urged / recommend + Obj1 + that + Obj2 + should be + V3 + . . .
A: He urged the council to reduce the rates.
P1: The council was urged to reduce the rates.
P2: He urged the council that the rate should be reduced.
Note: agree/detremrine/decide/demand + infinitive + object are usually expressed in passive by 'that . . . should'.
Example:
A: He decided to sell the house.
P: He decided that the house should be sold.
(g) Gerund combinations:
(a) Verbs like love, hate, adore, remember, like, dislike + object + gerund are expressed in passive in two ways:
Subj. + love / loathe / remember + being + V3 + ... (same obj)
Subj.+love/adore/remember+having+obj.+V3 +... (different obj)
Examples:
A: I love people calling me at night.
P: I love being called at night. (I - me)
A: I hate people pulling my hair in the classroom.
P: I hate having my hair pulled in the classroom.
(B) advise / insist / recommend / suggest + gerund + object are usually expressed by 'that . . . should'.
Examples:
A: He suggested painting the house.
P: He suggested that the house should be painted
A: He recommended using bullet-proof glass.
P: He recommended that bullet -proof glass should be used.
(c) gerund with non-living subject is expressed by to + be + V3
A: My shirt needs ironing.
P: My shirt needs to be ironed.
h. Reflexive passive:
Subj. + let + self + be + V3 + . . .
Examples:
A: She let the man humiliate her.
P: She let herself be humiliated.
Note: Adverbs of manner occur between 'be' and 'V3'.
A: She faced the interview quite confidently.
P: The interview was quite confidently faced by her.
(B) But advise / beg / order / urge / recommend + indirect object + infinitive + object has the following passive pattern:
· OXS + be + V3 + to + V1 + Obj + . . .
· Subj + urged / recommend + Obj1 + that + Obj2 + should be + V3 + . . .
A: He urged the council to reduce the rates.
P1: The council was urged to reduce the rates.
P2: He urged the council that the rate should be reduced.
Note: agree/detremrine/decide/demand + infinitive + object are usually expressed in passive by 'that . . . should'.
Example:
A: He decided to sell the house.
P: He decided that the house should be sold.
(g) Gerund combinations:
(a) Verbs like love, hate, adore, remember, like, dislike + object + gerund are expressed in passive in two ways:
Subj. + love / loathe / remember + being + V3 + ... (same obj)
Subj.+love/adore/remember+having+obj.+V3 +... (different obj)
Examples:
A: I love people calling me at night.
P: I love being called at night. (I - me)
A: I hate people pulling my hair in the classroom.
P: I hate having my hair pulled in the classroom.
(B) advise / insist / recommend / suggest + gerund + object are usually expressed by 'that . . . should'.
Examples:
A: He suggested painting the house.
P: He suggested that the house should be painted
A: He recommended using bullet-proof glass.
P: He recommended that bullet -proof glass should be used.
(c) gerund with non-living subject is expressed by to + be + V3
A: My shirt needs ironing.
P: My shirt needs to be ironed.
h. Reflexive passive:
Subj. + let + self + be + V3 + . . .
Examples:
A: She let the man humiliate her.
P: She let herself be humiliated.
Note: Adverbs of manner occur between 'be' and 'V3'.
A: She faced the interview quite confidently.
P: The interview was quite confidently faced by her.
Also, Read our other Notes of English for Entrance Exams:
- Article
- Connectives
- Number
- Concord
- Tense Use
- Causative Verbs
- Conditional Sentence
- Voice
- Reported Speech
- Transformation
- Gerund / To-Infinitive
- Sentence Pattern
- Agreement & Disagreement
- Inversion
- Adjectives
- Embedded Question
- Illogical participle Modifiers
- Preposition
- Question Tag
- Pronouns
- Commonly Confused Words
- One Word Substitution
- Words of Comparision
- Specialists
- Phobias
- Killing & Killers
- Graphy Words