Passive Verb Essay

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General Notions of the Passive Passive verb forms have one of the tenses of the verb to be and a past participle. Verbs which take an object (transitive verbs) can have a passive form. A transitive verb expresses an action that someone or something does to something or someone. The verb is used with an object. They destroyed the building. – The building was destroyed. The news surprised me. – I was surprised by the news. Verbs which do not take an object (intransitive verbs) do not have passive forms. An intransitive verb expresses an action that happens by itself. The verb is not used with an object, so no passive form can be used. I slept for nearly ten hours last night. The ship slowly disappeared from view. However, many verbs can be used at different times with and without objects – that is, they can be both transitive and intransitive. Compare: * Are they meeting him at the station? (transitive) – Is he being met at the station? (passive) * When shall we meet? (intransitive) Some intransitive verbs agree appear arrive become belong collapse consist of cost depend die disappear emerge exist fall go inquire laugh live look last occur remain respond rise sit sleep stand stay swim vanish wait The Passive is formed by using the appropriate tense of the verb (to) be + past participle of the main verb. | Simple | Continuous | Perfect | Present | is done | is being done | have been done | Past | was done | was being done | had been done | Future | will be done | ------- | will have been done | Future in the Past | would be done | ------- | would have been done | The Future Continuous, the Present Perfect Continuous, the Past Perfect Continuous, the Future Perfect Continuous are not normally used in the passive. The Passive is used: 1) When the person

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