THE PASSIVE VOICE

We use the active form to say what the subject does.

He drove the car yesterday.
I clean my house once a week.
We use the passive form to say what happens to the subject.

The car was driven by somebody else yesterday.
The house was cleaned only yesterday
Sometimes when we use the passive we do not know who did the action.

My watch was made in Switzerland.
Mr car has been damaged.
Sometimes we know who did something but it is not as important as what was done.

It was sent by Harry yesterday.
I was told by Sarah.
Often we use the passive to bring the topic we are interested in to the front of the sentence.

The vegetables are all grown by local farmers.
This door should be replaced when you have time.
Notice that the correct form is ' I was born' (not 'I am born'.

I was born in 1987
You were born in the same year as me.
Notice that the passive of 'doing' is 'being done'.

I don't like you staring at me.
I don't like being stared at.


I hate people talking to me in clubs.
I hate being talked to in clubs.
When things happen or change, and especially in informal English, you can use 'get' instead of 'be' in the passive.

There was an accident but nobody was hurt
There was an accident but nobody got hurt


I was offered the job but I didn't take it.
I got offered the job but I didn't take it.