Grammar

The Passive

• Form of the passive : be + -ed ( past participle )
• In the passive, the object of an active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb.

• Only transitive verbs (verbs that are followed by an object) are used in the passive. It is not possible to use verbs such as happen, sleep, come, and seem (intransitive verbs) in the passive

Forming the passive :

(a) Mary helps John (active)
     John is helped by Mary (passive)
(b) Mary is helping John (active)
     John is being helped by Mary (passive)
(c) Mary has helped John (active)
     John has been helped by Mary (passive)
(d) Mary helped John (active)
     John was helped by Mary (passive)
(e) Mary was helping John (active)
     John was being helped by Mary (passive)
(f) Mary had helped John (active)
     John had been helped by Mary (passive)
(g) Mary will help John (active)
     John will be helped by mary (passive)
(h) Mary is going to help John (active)
     John is going to be helped by mary (passive)
(i) Mary will have helped John (active)
     John will have been helped by Mary (passive)