78 Verbs

73 **
The passive: all tenses, simple and continuous

FORM

Present Simple is/are t past parlicipe

The letters are delivered here.

ContinuOUS: is/arebeing+ past parliciple

He's being interviewed at the monent

was/were+ past participle

Past Simple train.
They were sent by
Continuous: is/were being + past participle
being cleaned at the time.
My Suit was

Present Simple: has/have been t past participle

Perfect All the tickets have been sold.
Continuous:

Past Perfect Simple had been + past participle

I was too late: the papers had been removed.
ContinUOus:

Future Simple will be + past participle

You will be met at the station
ContinuOus:

Infinitive (to) be t past participle Gerund He doesn't like

don't want to be arrested. being told
We shouldn't be arrested what to do.

NOTES
The passive is frequently used lo describe scientitic or mechanical
processes, or in formal explanations:
The passive is frequently used
*
It is not essential to repeat the auxiliary verb to be in a list ot processes:
The cars are washed, cleaned checked, and then driven to the ports
73a Copy this passage into your notlebook and undedine all the passives:

Acid rain is caused by burning coal or oil. When either fuel is burned, it
releases poisonous gases which are carried up into the atmosphere
and sometimes transported lon) distanCes.
Over 3,O00 research projects have been Caried Out to look into acid
rain, and a decision to tackle the problem has been taken in rmost of
the western European countries. Measures have been laken in
Scandinavia and in Central Europe to stop the pollution before it is
dumped on the environment: and a diplomatic campaign has ben
launched to convince other countries that the problem has to be
Considered as a major ecological threat.
Five years ago this issue was not being treated seriously, says one
leading environmental group, but now that damage has beer
reported in large areas of forest and lakeland, our politicians are being
forced to take action. This problem must be solved quickly. if
governments do nothing, they will be laced in two or three yeats time
with the accusation that they have allowed our forests to die A major
international initiative to combat acid rain is expected in the near
future.

73b Rewrite these sentences in the passive. The subject of the active
sentence can usually be omitted; you should include it in the passive
sentence only if it is necessary:

Someone's interviewing Dr Johnson at the moment.

Dr Johnson.
Dr Johnson's being interviewed at the moment.

2 You mustn't use this machine after 5.30 p.m.

This machine...
This machine mustn't be used after 5.30 p.m.
3We
3 had warned him.the day betfore not to go too near the canal
He
the accident
4 Ihey were painting the Outside of the ship when
happened.
Theoutside of the ship..
5 YOu must clean this machine every time you use it.

This machine
6 YOu should keep the flowers in a warm sunny place.
The flowers
Theyre mending your shoes at the momment
Yourshoes luesday
Omeone will drive your car to Edinburgh on

Yourcar
9 We don't allow smoking in thiS restaurant

Smoking .

leave the holei

T YOu should pay your bill before you
Your bill... .