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Structure: ‘passive 1’

This time in our structure help we talk about the passive.

Form: Use the verb be (in the correct tense and conjugation) and a past participle.

If you want to use the present passive, use am, is and are before the past participle.

Present passive: Planes are made by Airbus and Boeing.

If you want to use the past passive, use was and were before the past participle.

Past Passive: The A300 was made by Airbus.

Look at the diagram below to find out more and then try to write some examples of your own.

Diagram of the form & use of the passive.
Form & use of the passive.

Use: We use the passive when the ‘agent’ (the person or thing that performs the action) is not known or is not important.

eg 36 people were injured.

eg The nose was damaged in the accident.

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