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Frequent learner mistakes involving passive constructions.
Practice: build the sentences →An ordinary passive normally requires a transitive verb with a direct object.
In an active sentence, the direct object becomes the subject of the passive. Intransitive verbs such as arrive, sleep, and happen normally cannot form an ordinary passive.
The company released the product.
Компания выпустила продукт.
Transitive verb: can be passivized.
The product was released.
Продукт был выпущен.
Correct passive from transitive verb.
He arrived late.
Он прибыл поздно.
Intransitive: no ordinary passive.
The accident happened suddenly.
Авария произошла внезапно.
Intransitive: cannot be passivized.
Passive constructions require the appropriate form of be or another passive auxiliary construction.
Common errors include The house built last year instead of The house was built last year, and The work has completed instead of The work has been completed.
The house was built last year.
Дом был построен в прошлом году.
Correct: was + past participle.
The house built last year.
Дом построен в прошлом году.
Incorrect: missing auxiliary "was".
The work has been completed.
Работа была завершена.
Correct: has been + past participle.
The work has completed.
Работа завершилась.
Incorrect: missing "been".
The lexical verb in a basic passive construction must be in the past participle form.
Common mistakes include was wrote instead of was written and has been broke instead of has been broken.
The letter was written.
Письмо было написано.
Correct: past participle "written".
The letter was wrote.
Письмо было написано.
Incorrect: use past participle, not past simple.
The window has been broken.
Окно было разбито.
Correct: past participle "broken".
The window has been broke.
Окно было разбито.
Incorrect: use "broken".
After be in passive constructions, use the past participle rather than the ordinary Past Simple form when the two forms differ.
For example, The letter was written is correct, not The letter was wrote.
The letter was written yesterday.
Письмо было написано вчера.
Correct past participle.
The letter was wrote yesterday.
Письмо было написано вчера.
Incorrect: past simple "wrote" after be.
The house was built in 1990.
Дом был построен в 1990 году.
Correct participle "built".
The house was build in 1990.
Дом был построен в 1990 году.
Incorrect: base form "build" after be.
Perfect passive constructions require been between the perfect auxiliary and the past participle.
For example, The work has been completed and The building had been damaged.
The work has been completed.
Работа была завершена.
Correct: has been + past participle.
The work has completed.
Работа завершилась.
Incorrect: missing "been".
The building had been damaged.
Здание было повреждено.
Correct: had been + past participle.
The building had damaged.
Здание повредилось.
Incorrect: missing "been".
Being is used in progressive passive forms, while been is used in perfect passive forms.
Compare The road is being repaired with The road has been repaired.
The road is being repaired.
Дорога ремонтируется.
Progressive passive: is being + past participle.
The road has been repaired.
Дорогу отремонтировали.
Perfect passive: has been + past participle.
The road is been repaired.
Дорога ремонтируется.
Incorrect: use "being", not "been", after is.
The road has being repaired.
Дорогу отремонтировали.
Incorrect: use "been", not "being", after has.
The passive must preserve the intended tense and aspect of the active construction.
For example, They are building the house becomes The house is being built, while They built the house becomes The house was built.
They are building the house.
Они строят дом.
Active present continuous.
The house is being built.
Дом строится.
Correct passive present continuous.
They built the house.
Они построили дом.
Active past simple.
The house was built.
Дом был построен.
Correct passive past simple.
Core modal passives use modal + be + past participle.
Common errors include The form must completed instead of The form must be completed.
The form must be completed.
Форму необходимо заполнить.
Correct: modal + be + past participle.
The form must completed.
Форму необходимо заполнить.
Incorrect: missing "be".
The problem can be solved.
Проблему можно решить.
Correct modal passive.
The problem can solved.
Проблему можно решить.
Incorrect: missing "be".
Past modal passive constructions use modal + have been + past participle.
For example, The report should have been sent, not The report should have sent.
The report should have been sent.
Отчёт следовало отправить.
Correct: modal + have been + past participle.
The report should have sent.
Отчёт следовало отправить.
Incorrect: missing "been".
The mistake might have been corrected.
Ошибку, возможно, исправили.
Correct perfect modal passive.
The mistake might have corrected.
Ошибку, возможно, исправили.
Incorrect: missing "been".
Passive infinitives use to be + past participle.
Common errors include The work needs to completed instead of The work needs to be completed.
The work needs to be completed.
Работу нужно завершить.
Correct: to be + past participle.
The work needs to completed.
Работу нужно завершить.
Incorrect: missing "be".
She wants to be informed.
Она хочет, чтобы её проинформировали.
Correct passive infinitive.
She wants to informed.
Она хочет, чтобы её проинформировали.
Incorrect: missing "be".
Passive gerunds use being + past participle.
For example, He dislikes being ignored, not He dislikes be ignored.
He dislikes being ignored.
Он не любит, когда его игнорируют.
Correct: being + past participle.
He dislikes be ignored.
Он не любит, когда его игнорируют.
Incorrect: use "being".
She left without being noticed.
Она ушла незамеченной.
Correct passive gerund.
She left without be noticed.
Она ушла незамеченной.
Incorrect: use "being".
Choose active or passive voice according to which participant performs or receives the action.
Learners may accidentally reverse the roles of the agent and receiver when converting an active sentence to a passive one.
The dog bit the man.
Собака укусила мужчину.
Active: dog is agent, man is receiver.
The man was bitten by the dog.
Мужчину укусила собака.
Correct passive: roles preserved.
The dog was bitten by the man.
Собаку укусил мужчина.
Incorrect: reverses the roles.
The direct object of the active sentence normally becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
For example, Someone stole my phone becomes My phone was stolen, not Someone was stolen by my phone.
Someone stole my phone.
Кто-то украл мой телефон.
Active: object is "my phone".
My phone was stolen.
Мой телефон украли.
Correct passive subject.
Someone was stolen by my phone.
Кто-то был украден моим телефоном.
Incorrect: wrong subject.
Use by to introduce an agent and with to introduce an instrument, material, or means.
Compare The window was broken by the boy with The window was broken with a hammer.
The window was broken by the boy.
Окно было разбито мальчиком.
By + agent.
The window was broken with a hammer.
Окно было разбито молотком.
With + instrument.
The window was broken with the boy.
Окно было разбито мальчиком.
Incorrect: use "by" for agents.
The window was broken by a hammer.
Окно было разбито молотком.
Incorrect if hammer is instrument; use "with".
Do not add a generic or obvious agent when it contributes no useful information.
The passive is often more natural without phrases such as by people, by someone, or by the workers when their identity is not relevant.
English is spoken all over the world.
На английском говорят по всему миру.
Generic agent omitted.
English is spoken by people all over the world.
На английском говорят люди по всему миру.
Unnecessary generic agent.
The road was repaired last week.
Дорогу отремонтировали на прошлой неделе.
Agent omitted as obvious.
The road was repaired by workers last week.
Дорогу отремонтировали рабочие на прошлой неделе.
Unnecessary obvious agent.
Do not omit the agent when identifying who performed the action is essential to the meaning.
For example, The decision was made by the board may be necessary when contrasting the board with another organization.
The decision was made by the board.
Решение было принято советом директоров.
Agent important for meaning.
The decision was made.
Решение было принято.
Agent omitted; responsibility unclear.
The policy was introduced by the government.
Политика была введена правительством.
Agent essential for contrast.
The policy was introduced.
Политика была введена.
Agent omitted; may lose important info.
Do not form an ordinary passive from an intransitive verb that has no direct object.
Incorrect examples include He was arrived yesterday and The accident was happened suddenly.
He arrived yesterday.
Он прибыл вчера.
Intransitive: no ordinary passive.
He was arrived yesterday.
Он был прибыт вчера.
Incorrect: intransitive verb cannot be passivized.
The accident happened suddenly.
Авария произошла внезапно.
Intransitive.
The accident was happened suddenly.
Авария была произошла внезапно.
Incorrect: no passive for "happen".
When a passive construction comes from a verb followed by a preposition, the required preposition usually remains.
For example, She was looked after by her parents, not She was looked by her parents.
Her parents looked after her.
Родители присматривали за ней.
Active: look after.
She was looked after by her parents.
За ней присматривали родители.
Correct passive: preposition retained.
She was looked by her parents.
За ней присматривали родители.
Incorrect: missing preposition "after".
The problem was dealt with immediately.
С проблемой разобрались немедленно.
Correct passive with preposition.
When a verb has two objects, choose the appropriate passive subject and preserve the remaining object correctly.
For example, They gave me a book can become I was given a book or A book was given to me.
They gave me a book.
Мне дали книгу.
Active: two objects.
I was given a book.
Мне дали книгу.
Indirect object becomes subject; retained object: a book.
A book was given to me.
Книга была дана мне.
Direct object becomes subject; "to" retained.
A book was given me.
Книга была дана мне.
Incorrect if "to" is required in this construction.
Reporting passive constructions require the correct relationship between the passive verb and the infinitive.
For example, He is believed to have left is correct, not He is believed that he has left in the same personal passive pattern.
He is believed to have left.
Считается, что он ушёл.
Correct personal passive reporting.
He is believed that he has left.
Считается, что он ушёл.
Incorrect: personal passive requires infinitive.
It is believed that he has left.
Считается, что он ушёл.
Correct impersonal passive.
He is believed to leave.
Считается, что он ушёл.
Incorrect if earlier action is meant; use perfect infinitive.
Distinguish get + past participle used as a passive/change-of-state construction from get + object + past participle used causatively.
Compare He got injured in the accident with He got his car repaired.
He got injured in the accident.
Он пострадал в аварии.
Get passive: event affecting subject.
He got his car repaired.
Ему отремонтировали машину.
Causative get: get + object + past participle.
She got promoted.
Её повысили.
Get passive: change of state.
She got her hair cut.
Она подстриглась.
Causative get.
Do not use passive voice merely because it appears more formal.
When the agent is important and the active construction is shorter and clearer, active voice is usually preferable.
The manager approved the request.
Менеджер одобрил запрос.
Active: clearer when agent is important.
The request was approved.
Запрос был одобрен.
Passive: agent omitted.
The team completed the project.
Команда завершила проект.
Active: direct.
The project was completed by the team.
Проект был завершён командой.
Passive: less direct, possibly unnecessary.
Choose passive or active voice according to which participant should be the main topic or receive emphasis.
A passive construction can improve cohesion when the affected participant is already the topic of the surrounding discourse.
The company launched a new product. The product was developed in-house.
Компания выпустила новый продукт. Продукт был разработан внутри компании.
Passive keeps "the product" as topic.
The suspect was seen near the scene. He was later arrested.
Подозреваемого видели рядом с местом преступления. Позже его арестовали.
Passive maintains topic continuity.
The manuscript was discovered in a monastery. It was later published.
Рукопись была обнаружена в монастыре. Позже она была опубликована.
Passive presents new info about established topic.
Passive voice is common in formal and technical writing but is not inherently more formal than active voice.
Both voices can be appropriate in academic and professional writing depending on clarity, emphasis, and communicative purpose.
The samples were collected and analyzed.
Образцы были собраны и проанализированы.
Formal scientific passive.
We collected and analyzed the samples.
Мы собрали и проанализировали образцы.
Active also acceptable in modern scientific writing.
The application must be submitted by Friday.
Заявка должна быть подана к пятнице.
Formal official passive.
Accurate passive usage requires control of formation, tense, verb patterns, agent phrases, meaning, and register.
Review whether the verb can be passivized, whether the correct auxiliary and participle are used, whether the agent should be included, and whether active or passive voice best serves the context.
The house was built last year.
Дом был построен в прошлом году.
Correct passive formation.
The house built last year.
Дом построен в прошлом году.
Incorrect: missing auxiliary.
He was arrived yesterday.
Он был прибыт вчера.
Incorrect: intransitive cannot be passivized.
The report should have been sent.
Отчёт следовало отправить.
Correct perfect modal passive.
The decision was made by the board.
Решение было принято советом директоров.
Agent included where important.
English is spoken all over the world.
На английском говорят по всему миру.
Agent omitted appropriately.