Passive infinitives

Modal passives
Passive -ing forms and infinitives
Impersonal passive structures

Source: Expert Proficiency

 Passive infinitives Modal passives
We form passive infinitives using be+past participle. We form passive the passive of modal verbs using
modal verb+be+past participle in the present, and
modal verb+have+beeen+past participle in the past.

We often use passive infinitives in set expressions.

There’s nothing to be done.
It’s nowhere to be found.
It’s only to be expected.

Source: Expert Proficiency

 Passive –ing forms and infinitives

Some verbs can be followed by the passive infinitive.

Active: People have to sort rubbish into different countries.

Passive: Rubish has to be sorted out into different countries.

Other verbs and expressions (e.g. adjectives + prepositions) can be followed by the passive –ing form.

Active: They were terrified of people taking their children into slavery.
Passive: They were terrified of people their children being taken into slavery.

Both forms can also come at the beginning of a sentence.

Source: Expert Proficiency

 Passive –ing forms and infinitives
01

02

03

04

Source: Expert Proficiency

 Impersonal passive structures
01

02

Source: Expert Proficiency

 Active or passive infinitive?
Complete the sentences with the active or passive infinitive.

Source: Expert Proficiency

 Impersonal
passive
structures
In pairs, rewrite the following sentences.

Source: Expert Proficiency

 Passives race (on the walls)
They have seen elephants crying
The girl’s parents didn’t let her keep snakes in the house.

The monkeys loved it when we took their photographs We have developed this product in collaboration with
Harvard University.

You must finish this report by Monday without fail.

Although they tested the new material thoroughly, it

He explained to us how a hoard of elephants behaves. turned out to have several design faults.

They made us wear hats and heavy boots.

They suggested that we took part in a new eco project.

 Active or passive infinitive?
Complete the sentences with the active or passive infinitive.

to be done

to be found

to blame
to do

to be fed

to understand

Source: Expert Proficiency

Impersonal
His furniture business is known to use only recycled wood.
passive In pairs, rewrite the
following sentences.

strutures The board game Ethica is claimed to be really good.

It is known that his furniture business uses only

recycled wood. The turtle population is thought to be increasing.
It is claimed that the board game Ethica is really
good.
The largest sea deep sea coral is believed to be near Norway.
It is thought that the turtle population is increasing.

It is believed that the largest sea deep sea coral is

near Norway.

It is said that more than 600 new species have More than 600 new species are said to have been discovered.
been discovered in the last decade.

It is/has been claimed that deep-sea fishermen have

reported seeing giant squid.
Source: Expert Proficiency
 Passives race (on the walls)
They have seen elephants crying
The girl’s parents didn’t let her keep snakes in the house.
Elephants have been seen crying.
The girl wasn’t allowed to keep snakes in the house.
The monkeys loved it when we took their photographs We have developed this product in collaboration with
Harvard University.
Monkeys loved having their photographs taken.
This product has been developed in collaboration with
You must finish this report by Monday without fail.
Harvard University
This report must be finished by Monday without fail.
Although they tested the new material thoroughly, it
He explained to us how a hoard of elephants behaves. turned out to have several design faults.

It was explained to us how a hoard of elephants behaves. Despite being/having been tested thoroughly, the new
material turned out to have several design faults.
They made us wear hats and heavy boots.

We were made to wear hats and heavy boots.

They suggested that we took part in a new eco project.

It was suggested that we took/take part in a new eco project.