UNIT 42. Passive (2) (be/been/being done)

Study the following active and passive forms:

A.Infinitive

active: (to) do/clean/see etc. Somebody will clean the room later.

passive: (to) be done/cleaned/seen etc. The room will be clean later.

* The situation is serious. Something must be done before it's too late.

* A mystery is something that can't be explained.

* The music was very loud and could be heard from a long way away.

* A new supermarket is going to be built next year.

* Please go away. I want to be left alone.

 

B. Perfect infinitive

active: have done/cleaned/seen etc. Somebody should have cleaned the room.

passive: have been done/cleaned/seen etc. The room should have been cleaned.

* I haven't received the letter yet. It might have been sent to the wrong address.

* If you hadn't left the car unlocked, it wouldn't have been stolen.

* There were some problems at first but they seem to have been solved.

 

C. Present perfect

active: have/has (done) The room looks nice. Somebody has cleaned it.

passive: have/has been (done) The room looks nice. It has been clean.

* Have you heard the news? The President has been shot!

* Have you ever been bitten by a dog?

* 'Are you going to the party?' 'No, I haven't been invited.'

Past perfect

active: had(done) The room looked nice. Somebody had clean it.

passive: had been (done) The room looked nice. It had been clean.

* The vegetables didn't taste very good. They had been cooked for too long.

* The car was three years old but hadn't been used very much.

 

D. Present continuous

active: am/is/are (do)ing Somebody is cleaning the room at the moment.

passive: am/is/are being (done) The room is being cleaned at the moment.

* There's somebody walking behind us. I think we are being followed.

* (in a shop) 'Can I help you, madam?' 'No, thank you. I'm being served.'

Past continuous

active: was/were (do)ing Somebody was cleaning the room when I arrived.

passive: was/were being (done) The room was being cleaned when I arrived.

* There was somebody walking behind us. We were being followed.

 

EXERCISES