G
ESC
  • Type to search across all units
← All units

Unit 43 · Passive

Passive 2 (be done / been done / being done)

Study

A

Infinitive

active: (to) do/clean/see etc.

›

Somebody will clean this room later.

passive: (to) be + done/cleaned/seen etc.

›

This room will be cleaned later.

›

The situation is serious. Something must be done before it's too late.

›

A mystery is something that can't be explained.

›

The music was very loud and could be heard from a long way away.

›

A new supermarket is going to be built next year.

›

Please go away. I want to be left alone.

B

Perfect infinitive

active: (to) have + done/cleaned/seen etc.

›

Somebody should have cleaned the room.

passive: (to) have been + done/cleaned/seen etc.

›

The room should have been cleaned.

›

I haven't received the letter yet. It might have been sent to the wrong address.

›

If you had locked the car, it wouldn't have been stolen.

›

There were some problems at first, but they seem to have been solved.

C

Present perfect

active: have/has + done etc.

›

The room looks nice. Somebody has cleaned it.

passive: have/has been + done etc.

›

The room looks nice. It has been cleaned.

›

Have you heard? The trip has been cancelled.

›

Have you ever been bitten by a dog?

›

'Are you going to the party?' 'No, I haven't been invited.'

Past perfect

active: had + done etc.

›

The room looked nice. Somebody had cleaned it.

passive: had been + done etc.

›

The room looked nice. It had been cleaned.

›

The vegetables didn't taste good. They had been cooked too long.

›

The car was three years old, but hadn't been used very much.

D

Present continuous

active: am/is/are + (do)ing

›

Somebody is cleaning the room at the moment.

passive: am/is/are + being (done)

›

The room is being cleaned at the moment.

›

There's somebody walking behind us. I think we are being followed.

›

A new bridge is being built across the river. It will be finished next year.

Past continuous

active: was/were + (do)ing

›

Somebody was cleaning the room when I arrived.

passive: was/were + being (done)

›

The room was being cleaned when I arrived.

›

There was somebody walking behind us. I think we were being followed.

→ Passive 1, 3 ➜ Units 42, 44

Exercises (3)

0/3 exercises checked
—
43.1

Complete these sentences. Use the following verbs in the passive: Sometimes you need have (might have, would have etc.).

arrestcarrycausedelaydoforgetkeepknockknowmakerepairsend
  1. 1
    The situation is serious. Something must before it's too late.example
  2. 2
    I haven't received the letter yet. It might to the wrong address.example
  3. 3
    A decision will not until the next meeting.
  4. 4
    These documents are important. They should always in a safe place.
  5. 5
    This road is in bad condition. It should a long time ago.
  6. 6
    The injured man couldn't walk and had to .
  7. 7
    If you hadn't shouted at the policeman, you wouldn't .
  8. 8
    I'm not sure what time I'll arrive tomorrow. I may .
  9. 9
    It's not certain how the fire started. It might by an electrical fault.
  10. 10
    A new school is being built. The old one is going to down.
  11. 11
    The election is next Sunday. The full results will on Tuesday.
  12. 12
    Last week they weren't speaking to one another. Now they're happy again. The problem seems to .
43.2

Make sentences from the words in brackets. Sometimes the verb is active, sometimes passive.

  1. 1
    There's somebody behind us. (We / follow) example
  2. 2
    This door is a different colour, isn't it? (you / paint?) example
  3. 3
    My bike has disappeared. (It / steal!)
  4. 4
    My umbrella has disappeared. (Somebody / take)
  5. 5
    A neighbour of mine disappeared six months ago. (He / not / see / since then)
  6. 6
    I wonder how Jessica is these days. (I / not / see / for ages)
  7. 7
    A friend of mine was stung by a bee recently. (you / ever / sting / bee?) you
  8. 8
    The bridge was damaged recently. (It / repair / at the moment)
  9. 9
    Tom's car was stolen recently. (It / not / find / yet)
  10. 10
    I went into the room and saw that the table and chairs were not in the same place. (The furniture / move)
43.3

Instead of using 'somebody', 'they' etc., write a passive sentence.

  1. 1
    Somebody has cleaned the room. The room .example
  2. 2
    They are building a new road around the city. A around the city.
  3. 3
    They have built two new hotels near the airport. Two near the airport.
  4. 4
    When I last visited, they were building some new houses here. When I last visited, some .
  5. 5
    The meeting is now on 15 April. They have changed the date. The date of .
  6. 6
    I didn't know that somebody was recording our conversation. I didn't know that our .
  7. 7
    Is anyone doing anything about the problem? Is about the problem?
  8. 8
    The windows were very dirty. Nobody had cleaned them for ages. The windows were very dirty. They .