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Structure: ‘passive 2’

When do we use the passive?

There are some easily understood situations when we use the passive. We can use the passive;

1) When we don’t know who performed an action (we don’t know the ‘agent’ of an action).

Three computers were stolen from the company’s offices. (we don’t know who did it)

2) When we don’t want to mention who performed the action because it’s not important.

Finally the mess in the cabin was cleaned! (the cleaners probably did it, but the action was more important than who did it)

Have a look at the diagram below to see examples of the passive in some less common tenses and then try to write some of your own examples.

Diagram showing the form of some other passives.
Form of some other passives.

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