FCE (2021)

Isabella Gianolio

PASSIVE FORMS

What do we use passive structures for?

1. When the action, event or situation is more important than the doer. Ex:
Local facilities have been improved for the tourist season to be a success (it
doesn’t matter who did it, the government or some private company; the
important thing is the finished action).

2. When the doer of the action is irrelevant. Ex: The criminal was caught only a
few minutes after breaking into the house (of course they were caught by the
police, but we don’t mention it because it is redundant)

3. To link new information with sth already mentioned. Ex: In winter, apples are
extremely tasty. Many of them (apples) are grown in the provinces of Chubut and
Rio Negro.

To form passive forms we use the verb to be + participle.

There are some cases in which other elements must be added, for example, in
continuous tenses (ing tenses) we need to include being. Ex: The sentences are being
checked by the teacher.

Or, in perfect tenses (pr perf / past perf), remember you need to use both the
participle that goes with have (been) and the -ed participle (invented). Ex: Once cars had
been invented, trains were not commonplace.

With modals, remember you need to use the modal verb, the auxiliary have and then
the participle. Ex: This painting must have been painted by Monet, but we’re not sure.

Important!

1. When two verbs in a sentence in the passive have the same subject, the auxiliary
can be omitted before the second verb. Ex: The potatoes are peeled and (are) boiled.

2. Verbs that do not take an object (intransitive verbs) can’t be used in the passive
voice. Ex: ache - My knee was aching (wrong) / My knee aches (correct)
 FCE (2021)
Isabella Gianolio

3. When a sentence has two objects and one of them is a person, the sentence
begins with the personal subject (with the person). Ex: Mary was given a present / A
present was given to Mary (this is not wrong, but it sounds odd).

4. Verbs make / hear / see / help are used without the preposition TO in the active
voice. Ex: I made my daughter go to bed early ( made = I forced my daughter). But,
in the passive voice, those verbs are followed by the preposition TO. Ex: I was
made TO go to bed early by my mum.

5. “Let” cannot be used in the passive. We use “be allowed to” instead. Ex: My
parents don’t let me go to parties (AV) / I am not allowed to go parties (PV)

PASSIVE WITH REPORTING VERBS

Reporting verbs are verbs of speaking, that is, they are the verbs we use when we say
what others have said. These constructions are often used to make impersonal
statements; when we don’t know or don’t want to be overtly specific about the topic.

Reporting structures

1. IT + vb to be + participle + that clause

It is believed that David Bowie was one of the most influential artists of the
twentieth century. (= present time)

It was believed that drinking wine was bad for you, but new theories in favour of it
came forward. (= past time)

2. SUBJECT + vb to be + participle + to inf clause

David Bowie is believed to be one of the most influential artists of the twentieth
century.

Wine was believed to be bad for you, but new theories in favour of it came
forward.