043 : Passive 2 (be done / been done / being done)

   A   

Study the following active and passive forms:

 

Infinitive

active  do/clean/see etc.	Somebody will clean this room later.
passive  be + done/cleaned/seen etc.	This room will be cleaned 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 should have received the letter by now. It might have been sent to the wrong address.
• If you had locked the car, 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 etc.	The room looks nice. Somebody has cleaned it.
passive  have/has been + done etc.	The room looks nice. It has been cleaned.

• Have you heard? The trip has been cancelled.
• 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 etc.	The room looked nice. Somebody had cleaned it.
passive  had been + done etc.	The room looked nice. It had been cleaned.

• The vegetables didn't taste good. They had been cooked 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?'  'No, thanks. 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. I think we were being followed.