Unit 4 Passives

Passive forms are made by using the auxiliary ‘be’ in any tense followed by the past participle of the verb.

Tense	Structure
Simple Present Present Progressive Present Perfect Past Simple Past Progressive Past Perfect Future Simple Future Perfect	am (is/are) done is being done has been done was (were) done was being done had been done will be done will have been done

The forms of future progressive passive (will be being done) and perfect progressive passive (has been being done) are not used.

The use of passive tense forms is similar to the use of active tense forms. There can only be a slight difference in meaning with passive forms referring to states and actions.

E.g. When we came to the office, our papers were already signed. (a state)

… наши документы были уже подписаны.

When we came, our documents had already been signed. (an action)

… наши документы уже подписали.

When a sentence is changed into passive, the object of the active construction becomes the subject of the passive construction.

E.g. They built this house in 1900.

The house was built in 1900.

Thus, only the verbs that can take an object can have passive forms.

E.g. They arrived at the station. (But NOT: They were arrived.)

Some transitive verbs, too, are seldom used in the passive. Most of these are state verbs (which do not refer to actions). Examples are: ‘fit, have, lack, resemble, suit’, etc.

E.g. They have a nice house. (But NOT: A nice house is had.)

My shoes don’t fit me. (But NOT: I’m not fitted by my shoes.)

She’s having a bath. (But NOT: A bath is being had by her.)

Passive forms are used when the speaker wants to talk about an action and is not interested in saying who does it, so the agent of the action is normally not mentioned. However, if the speaker means to lay certain emphasis on the agent, a phrase beginning with ‘by’ is used.

E.g. All the trouble was caused by your mother. = It was your mother who caused all the trouble.

Many verbs, such as ‘give, send, show, lend, pay, promise, offer’, etc. can be followed by two objects and have two passive constructions.

E.g. They offered me a good job.

I was offered a good job. – Мне предложили хорошую работу.

A good job was offered to me. – Хорошую работу предложили мне.

The verbs ‘explain, dictate, describe, announce, repeat, point out, suggest’ can take two objects (one referring to a thing, and the other referring to a person with the preposition ‘to’) but form only one passive construction.

E.g. They explained the rule to me. – The rule was explained to me.

But NOT: I was explained … = Меня объяснили …

When these verbs take a direct object expressed by a clause or an infinitive phrase, the construction beginning with ‘it’ is used.

E.g. They announced to us that the lecture would not take place.

It was announced to us that the lecture would not take place.

(Нам объявили, что лекция не состоится.)

They announced to us when to come.

It was announced to us when to come.

(Нам объявили, когда придти.)

He suggested that she should arrange a meeting.

It was suggested that she should arrange a meeting.

(Ей предложили организовать встречу.)