Sentences may be either active or passive. When a sentence is active, the doer of the action is specified:
John opened the door. (active – John is the one who opens the door)
When a sentence is passive, we are not told who is the doer of the action:
The door was opened. (passive – we don’t know who opened the door)
To make a passive sentence, we use an appropriate form of the verb “be” + past participle:
Simple Present passive: am / is / are + past participle
Simple Past passive: was / were + past participle
Examples:
The store was closed.
The bank was robbed last night.
Where were you born?
Ice cream is made from milk.
The toy is broken.
If we want to use a passive sentence and indicate the doer of the action, we can use the phrase “by…”:
The bank was robbed last night by a pair of masked gunmen.
The modern steam engine was invented by James Watt.
Exercises: Complete the sentences by using the passive (either present or past) of the indicated verb.
Example:
The baby (give) a bath yesterday. ==> The baby was given a bath yesterday.
1. We had a snow day last week, so classes (cancel).
2. The librarian charged me a fine because several pages of the book (tear).
3. Can I exchange these jeans for some new ones? The zipper (break).
4. The kitchen (clean) during the night by some good fairies.
5. The old factory (burn) down by a firebug.
6. There was an accident on the highway, and several people (take) to the hospital.
7. Jack (born) on a fishing trawler.
8. Tom (wake) up in the middle of the night by the baby’s crying.
9. The old lady (help) across the street by a Boy Scout.
10. That picture (take) on our honeymoon.