1. Passive - "be done" and "have been done"

PASSIVE (1) (BE DONE/HAVE BEEN DONE)

1.     Active and passive

Study this example:

This house was built in 1895.

This is a passive sentence. Compare:

Somebody built this house in 1895. (active)

This house was built in 1895. (passive)

We often prefer the passive when it is not so important who or what did the action. In this example, it is not so important who built the house.

In a passive sentence, if you want to say who did or what caused the action, use by:

-         This house was built by my grandfather. (= my grandfather built it)

-         Have you ever been bitten by a dog? (= Has a dog ever bitten you?)

2.     In passive sentences we use the correct form of be (is/are/was/were/has been etc.) + the past participle:

(be) done – (be) cleaned – (be) damaged – (be) built – (be) seen

3.     The passive infinitive is be done/be cleaned/be built etc. we use the infinitive after modal verbs (will, can, must etc.) and a number of other verbs (for example: have to, be going to, want to). Compare:

Active: We can solve this problem.

Passive: This problem can be solved.

-         The new hotel will be opened next year.

-         George might be sent to America by his company in August.

-         The music at the party was very loud and could be heard from far away.

-         This room is going to be painted next week.

-         Go away! I want to be left alone.

There is past infinitive form: have been done/have been cleaned/have been built etc.:

Active: Somebody should have cleaned the windows yesterday.

Passive: The windows should have been cleaned yesterday.

-         My bicycle has disappeared. It must have been stolen.

-         She wouldn’t have been injured if she had been wearing a seat-belt.

-         The weather was awful. The football match ought to have been cancelled.