1. Passive voice and the passive causative
The passive voice in English is typically used when we are interested in the object
or when we do not know who caused the action. We can only form a passive
sentence from an active sentence when there is an object in the active sentence.
Passive Form: To be + Past Participle or Aux + Past Participle
Example: The butter is kept here.
There are other uses of passive …
1. When it is not necessary to mention the doer of the action as it is obvious
who he is / was /will be
2. When we do not know, or do not know excatly, or have forgotten who did
the action
3. When the subject of the active verb would be “people” (typically verbs like
think, belive, say, understand, suspect, suppose, etc.)
4. When the subject of the active sentence would be the indefinite pronoun
ONE
5. When we are more interested in the action that the person who does it
Here you have some examples of each use …
1. The rubbish has not been collected - The streets are swept every day
2. The minister was murdered - My car has been moved - You will be met at
the station - I have been told that …
3. He is suspected of receiving stolen goods (people suspect of …) - They
are supposed to be living in New York (people suppose that they are living
…)
4. This sort of advertisment is seen everywhere (One sees this sort of
advertisment everywhere)
5. The house next door has been bought (by Mr Jones) - A new public library
is been built
Passive Form: To get + Past Participle
There are uses of passive with to get instead of to be …
1. When the action is unexpected
2. When achive something which has been built up before

2. 3. When achive something facing dificulty
Here you have some examples of each use …
1. When he picked up the phone we got cut off
2. She got elected
3. She worked 20 hour per day and finally she got admitted
Causative Passive Form: To get/To have + Something + Past Participle (by
someone)
There are uses of causative passive with to get or to have …
1. When the subject in someway is responsible for what happened but did no
do it
2. For misfortunes or unfortunate experiences
3. When we arrange someone to do something for us
Here you have some examples …
1. He got his leg broken - I got my car washed and the oil changed
2. My car got broken
3. She goes to the Hospital and has her blood presure taken - I went to the
bank to have my cheque cashed