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Search concise B2 First grammar, vocabulary, functional phrases and exam strategy — without leaving the course to hunt through past lessons.
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What it is
A structure that puts the person or thing affected by the action into subject position, so the doer becomes optional.
Form
| Type | Pattern | Model sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | subject + be (tensed) + V3 (+ by agent) | The results are published every June. |
| Negative | subject + be + not + V3 | The results aren't published online. |
| Question | Be + subject + V3? | Were the results published? |
| Short answer | Yes, subject + be. / No, subject + be + not. | Yes, they were. / No, they weren't. |
| With modals | modal + be + V3 · modal + have been + V3 | The form must be signed. / It may have been lost. |
Use it when
- The doer is unknown, obvious or irrelevant.
- You want a neutral, formal or impersonal tone (reports, notices, news).
- You want to keep the topic of the sentence in subject position.
Examples
- Two hundred homes were damaged in the storm.
- Your application is being processed.
- Nothing had been decided before the meeting.
- The window got broken during the match.— informal get-passive
Watch out
The letter was arrived yesterday.
The letter arrived yesterday.
Intransitive verbs (arrive, happen, occur) have no passive.
My car is repairing.
My car is being repaired.
Present continuous passive = is/are being + V3.
- Add by + agent only when it carries new information.
Remember
Passive = be + V3. Change be for the tense, keep V3 fixed.
Quick check
- 1.Someone stole my bike. → My bike ___.
- 2.They are cleaning the hall. → The hall ___.