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Unit 22 · Passive

is being done has been done (passive 2)

Study

A

is/are being ... (present continuous passive)

›

Somebody is painting the door. (active)

›

The door is being painted. (passive)

›

My car is at the garage. It is being repaired. (= somebody is repairing it)

›

Some new houses are being built opposite the park. (= somebody is building them)

Compare the present continuous and present simple:

›

The office is being cleaned at the moment. (continuous)

›

The office is cleaned every day. (simple)

›

Football matches are often played at the weekend, but no matches are being played next weekend.

For the present continuous and present simple, see Units 8 and 25.

B

has/have been ... (present perfect passive)

›

Somebody has painted the door. (active)

›

The door has been painted. (passive)

›

My key has been stolen. (= somebody has stolen it)

›

My keys have been stolen. (= somebody has stolen them)

›

I'm not going to the party. I haven't been invited. (= nobody has invited me)

›

Has this shirt been washed? (= has somebody washed it?)

Compare the present perfect and past simple:

›

The room isn't dirty any more. It has been cleaned. (present perfect)

›

The room was cleaned yesterday. (past simple)

›

I can't find my keys. I think they've been stolen. (present perfect)

›

My keys were stolen last week. (past simple)

For the present perfect and past simple, see Unit 20.

Exercises (3)

0/3 exercises checked
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22.1

What's happening?

  1. 1
    The car repaired.example
  2. 2
    A bridge .
  3. 3
    The windows .
  4. 4
    The grass .
22.2

Look at the pictures. What is happening or what has happened? Use the present continuous (is/are being ...) or the present perfect (has/have been ...).

  1. 1An office being cleaned by a cleaner
    (the office / clean) The office .example
  2. 2Neatly ironed shirts beside an iron
    (the shirts / iron) The shirts .example
  3. 3A broken window with shattered glass
    (the window / break) The window .
  4. 4A roof being repaired by a workman
    (the roof / repair) The roof .
  5. 5A damaged car with a dented front
    (the car / damage) .
  6. 6Houses being demolished by an excavator
    (the houses / knock / down) .
  7. 7Felled trees and stumps after being cut down
    (the trees / cut / down) .
  8. 8Person happily holding a party invitation card
    (they / invite / to a party) .
22.3

Complete the sentences. (Study Unit 21 before you do this exercise.)

  1. 1
    I can't use my office at the moment. It (paint).example
  2. 2
    We didn't go to the party. We (not/invite).example
  3. 3
    The washing machine was broken, but it's OK now. It (repair).
  4. 4
    The washing machine (repair) yesterday afternoon.
  5. 5
    A factory is a place where things (make).
  6. 6
    How old are these houses? When (they/build)?
  7. 7
    A: (the photocopier / use) at the moment? B: No, you can go ahead and use it.
  8. 8
    I've never seen these flowers before. What (they/call)?
  9. 9
    My sunglasses (steal) at the beach yesterday.
  10. 10
    The bridge is closed at the moment. It (damage) last week and it (not/repair) yet.