UNIT 5

LESSON 1

PASSIVES

The passive is very common in formal written English. We for it with be +

past participle. We can use the passive in any tense by changing the form
of be.

Examples:

 The shoplifter had been caught red-handed. (past perfect)

 He´s currently being tried for espionaje. (present continuous)

We can also use the passive after modal verb and the modal perfect forms.

Examples:

 Residents should be warned that the arsonist could strike again.

 The house must have been burgled at around 1am.

The passive gerund is being + past participle and the passive infinitive is to
be + past participle. We use them in the same ways that we use gerund and
infinitives in the active voice.

Examples:

 He´s terrified of being robbed.

 The suspect agreed to be questioned.

We can also use the passive perfect gerund (having been + past participle)
and the passive perfect infinitive (to have been+ past participle) to refer
to actions that happened in the past.

Example:

 He denied having been investigated by the pólice.

 The motive doesn´t appear to have been identified.

We use the passive in the following situations:

 When we don´t know the agent (the persono r thing who did the
action)
 Examples:
 He´s been accused of blackmail. (We don´t know who made
the accusation)
 When the agent is obvious, or not important, and we want to focus on
the object ofb the action instead.

Examples:

 The hijacker were sentenced to 20 years in prison.

(It´s obvious that they were sentenced by a judge)

 He was seen fleeing from the bank holding a gun.

(It isn´t important who saw him)

 When the agent is new information and we want to emphasize it by

putting it at the end of the sentence.
Example:
 Vandalism is plaguing the village. People think it is being
carried out by a gang of local youths.

 When we are writing in a more formal style a personal tone is not

appropriaate.
Example:
 A substancial reduction in crime has been observed since the
policy was introduced.
 When we want to distance ourselves from a statement, for example,
because we cannot be certain it is true or may not agree with it.
Example:
 It is believed that around one in four criminals will reoffend
within a year of leaving prison.
 The victim it thought to have known his attacker.