A
example:
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This house was built in 1935.
Was built is passive.
Compare active and passive:
Somebody built this house in 1935. (active)
Somebody = subject
this house = object
This house was built in 1935. (passive)
This house = subject
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When we use an active verb, we say what the subject does:
- My grandfather was builder. He built this house in 1935.
- It’s a big company. It employs two hundred people.
When we use a passive verb, we say what happen to the subject:
- This house is pretty old. It was built in 1935.
- Two hundred people are employed by the company.
B
When we use the passive, who or what causes the action is often unknown or unimportant:
- A lot of money was stolen in the robbery. (somebody stole it, but we don’t know who)
- Is this room cleaned every day? (does somebody clean it? – it’s not important who)
If we want to say who does or what cause the action, we use by:
- This house was built by my grandfather.
- Two hundred people are employed by the company.
C
The passive is be (is / was, etc.) + past participle (done / cleaned / seen, etc.):
(be) done, (be) cleaned, (be) damaged, (be) built, (be) seen, etc.
For irregular past participles (done / seen / known, etc.)
Study the active and passive forms of the simple present and simple past:
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Simple Present
active: clean(s) / see(s), etc.
passive: am / is / are + cleaned / seen, etc.
Somebody cleans this room every day.
This room is cleaned every day.
- Many accidents are caused by careless driving.
- I’m not often invited to parties.
- How is this word pronounced?
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Simple Past
active: cleaned / saw, etc.
Passive: was / were + cleaned / seen, etc.
Somebody cleaned this room yesterday.
This room was cleaned yesterday.
- We were woken up by a loud noise during the night.
- “Did you go to the party?” “No, I wasn’t invited.
- How much money was stolen in the robbery?
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