1. The Passive
We use the Passive when we do not know who did
an action or when it is not important to say who did
it.

2. 1. Forming the Passive
In the passive, the object of an active verb becomes
the subject of the passive verb:
Active: We isolate infected patients.
Passive: Infected patients are isolated (by us).
subjectsubject objectobjectverbverb
SubjectSubject verbverb agentagent
OnlyOnly transitivetransitive verbs are used in the passive. It is notverbs are used in the passive. It is not
possible to usepossible to use intransitiveintransitive verbs (such as happen,verbs (such as happen,
sleep, come, seem) in the passive.sleep, come, seem) in the passive.

3. Form of the passive:
be + past participle
+ past participle
Active Passive
simple presentThe scientist clones the sheep. The sheep is cloned by the scientist
present
progressive
The scientist is cloning the
sheep.
The sheep is being cloned by the
scientist.
present
perfect
The scientist has cloned the
sheep.
The sheep has been cloned by the
scientist.
simple past The scientist cloned the sheep.
The sheep was cloned by the
scientist.
past
progressive
The scientist was cloning the
sheep.
The sheep was being cloned by the
scientist.
past perfect
The scientist had cloned the
sheep.
The sheep had been cloned by the
scientist.
simple
future
The scientist will clone the sheep.
The sheep will be cloned by the
scientist.
be going to
The scientist is going to clone the
sheep.
The sheep is going to be cloned by
fut. perf. The scientist will have cloned... The sheep will have been cloned...

4. Rewrite the following active
sentences in the passive.
1) Most countries have banned human
reproductive cloning.
Human reproductive cloning has been banned
by most countries.

5. Rewrite the following active
sentences in the passive.
2) No one can reduce parenting to some new
lifestyle choice.
Parenting cannot be reduced to some new
lifestyle choice.

6. Rewrite the following active
sentences in the passive.
3) People should not do it lightly.
It should not be done lightly.

7. Rewrite the following active
sentences in the passive.
4) People are unlikely to halt the global march
of ever-more-exotic forms of reproductive
technology. .
The global march of ever-more-exotic forms of
reproductive technology is unlikely to be
halted.