A passive sentence is a sentence where the subject does not perform the action of the verb. In fact, in a passive sentence, the action of the verb is done to the subject. For example:
- The cake was eaten. (In this example, the subject is “the cake”. The subject did not perform the action of the verb “to eat”.)
- The book was written by Angela Davis. (In this example, the subject is “the book”. The subject did not perform the action of the verb “to write”.)
We use passive sentences when we want to change the focus of the sentence or when we don’t know or don’t want to say who or what does the action. For example:
- A lot of olive oil is produced in Italy. (We are more interested in how olive oil is produced than who produces it.)
- My flight is cancelled. (We don’t know or don’t want to say why my flight is cancelled.)
To make a passive sentence, we use be + past participle. We start the sentence with the object of the active sentence. For example:
- Active: He gave me a present.
- Passive: A present was given to me by him.
Here are some examples of passive sentences in different tenses:
- Present simple: Alioli is made from oil, garlic and salt.
- Present continuous: The hall is being painted this week.
- Past simple: John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
- Past continuous: The signs were being put up last week.
- Present perfect: Oranges have been grown here for centuries.
- Past perfect: When he got home, he found that his flat had been burgled.
- Future simple: The work will be finished next week.
