Passive and

Causative
 Passive
The passive always contains: to be + past participle
The verb ‘to be’ can be conjugated in any tense:
Present simple: am, is, are
Present continuous: am / is / are being
Past simple: was, were
Past continuous: was / were being
Present perfect: has / have been
Past perfect: had been
Future: will be
Modals: can / could / must / would / should… be
Modals in the past: could / should / would / must have been
The past participle for ‘regular verbs’ is ‘-ed’: ask -> asked
 For irregular verbs, you need to check an irregular verb list;
past participles are in the third column: write – wrote –
written
The fees were included in the contract.
The prices will be written on the quotation.
The operators have been asked to speed up production.
 In the above examples, we don’t know who included the
fees, who will write the quotation, nor who have asked the
operators. This information is not considered necessary or
important. However, it can be included if necessary by
adding the ‘by’ after the past participle:
One of the most famous social network companies was
founded by a college drop-out.
Usage
The passive is used more commonly in writing especially in reports,
textbooks, in industry, science and technology to describe processes, and
for official rules. We use the passive in these cases because we don’t
always know who the ‘agent’ is.
Compare the active and the passive in the following examples:
ACTIVE
People have used this application for a long time
You freeze-dry the reagent in the vials.
Someone has to count the points at the
end.
PASSIVE
This application has been used for a long time.
Reagents are freeze-dried in the vials.
The points have to be counted at the end.
We sometimes use ‘get’ instead of ‘be’.
They got lost on their way to the construction site.
Do you often get asked questions about your
unusual professional background?
Don’t confuse the past participle (-ed or irregular
form) with the present participle (-ing)
I am interested in this article.
This is an interesting article.
A present participle can be used to describe the feeling that a
noun causes. The article interests me. The past participle tells
us how the subject feels. We can substitute the verb ‘feel’ for
the verb ‘be’:
I was bored during the movie. (I felt bored.)
That movie was really boring. (The movie caused me to
be bored.)
Other verb pairs that can be confusing:
Jane told us an amusing/shocking/surprising story.
We were amused by/shocked by (or at)/surprised at her
story.
 Causative Verbs

Causative verbs are used to show that a person causes,

makes or enables another person to do something or
make something happen. The structure of these types of
sentences can be confusing as the verb after the
causative verb may be in either the infinitive without ‘to’,
the ‘to-infinitive’ or the past participle depending on the
causative verb used.
Have = To ask
Get to = To convince/trick
Let = Allow/Permit
Make = Force
Help = Aid Someone in Doing
Something
‘Have’ someone do something indicates that a person used
his/her authority to obtain the result.
 The production manager had the technicians modify the
electrical outlets.
 I’ll have my assistant call you to reschedule the
appointment.
 The businessman had his secretary make copies of the
report.
 I’m going to have my hair cut tomorrow.
 We’re having our house painted this weekend.
 Bob had his teeth whitened; his smile looks great!
 My washing machine is broken; I need to have it repaired
‘Get’ someone to do something indicates that the person
persuaded someone else to do something.
 The Human Resources Manager got the employees to sign a
worksite safety agreement.
 How can we get all the employees to arrive on time?
 My husband hates housework; I can never get him to
wash the dishes!
 I was nervous about eating sushi, but my brother got me to
try it at a Japanese restaurant.
 The non-profit got a professional photographer to
take photos at the event for free
When we use the past participle, we don’t say who carried out the action.
 We’ve had the new protocol checked and certified.
 They got the machine operator to look for the cause of the defects.
‘Let’ someone do something means to give someone permission and is
similar to ‘allow’.
 Their employer lets them leave early on Fridays in the summer.
 I don’t let my kids watch violent movies.
 Mary’s father won’t let her adopt a puppy because he’s allergic to dogs.
 Our boss doesn’t let us eat lunch at our desks; we have to eat in the
cafeteria.
 Oops! I wasn’t paying attention while cooking, and I let the food burn.
 Don’t let the advertising expenses surpass $1000
‘Make’ someone do something is more like ‘force’ someone to
do something.
 She made me write a letter of apology even though I had
done nothing wrong.
 After Billy broke the neighbor’s window,
his parents made him pay for it.
 My ex-boyfriend loved sci-fi and made me watch every
episode of his favorite show.
 The teacher made all the students rewrite their papers,
because the first drafts were not acceptable
Note: When using the verbs force and require, we
must use to + verb.
 The school requires the students to wear uniforms.
“Require” often implies that there is a rule.
 The hijacker forced the pilots to take the plane in a
different direction.
“Force” often implies violence, threats, or extremely
strong pressure
‘Help’ aid Someone in Doing Something
Structure:
HELP + PERSON + base form of the VERB
HELP + PERSON + TO + VERB
It is unnecessary but “to” can be used after the verb “help”.
It is more common not to use “to” after “help”.
 They helped her clean her house.
 They helped her to clean her house.
 Sally helps me do my homework every night.
 Sally helps me to do my homework every night.
The End