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In addition to having simple present passive (“is done”) and simple past passive (“was done”), we also have the present continuous passive and the present perfect passive. As before, the passive indicates that the doer of the action is unspecified.

Present Continuous Passive: is/are being …

Examples:

Please take the stairs – the elevator is being fixed. (= someone is fixing the elevator)
Tom is being picked up after school. (= someone is picking Tom up after school)
We can’t check into our hotel room yet – it’s (it is) being cleaned right now. (= someone is cleaning the room now)

Present Perfect Passive: has/have been …

Examples:

You don’t have to take the stairs anymore – the elevator has been fixed. (= someone has fixed it)
Tom has already been picked up – he doesn’t need a ride now. (= someone has already picked up Tom)
Let’s check into our room now – it’s (it has) been cleaned. (= someone has cleaned the room)

Exercises: Use the present continuous (is/are being…) or the present perfect (has/have been…) with the words in the parentheses to complete the sentences.

Example:

The tree (cut) down tomorrow.==> The tree is being cut down tomorrow.

1. Don’t sit down on the sofa. It (clean) right now.
2. We (invite) to a wedding on Saturday, so keep your schedule open for that day.
3. The president’s speech (broadcast) on TV tonight.
4. You’ll have to wait to do the laundry. The washing machine (fix).
5. Our living room (paint), so we are spending the day at the mall.
6. Your grandmother’s wedding dress (repair / clean / and box up), so it’s as good as new.
7. The window (break)! Which one of the neighborhood kids did it, do you think?
8. Twelve trees (cut) down to make space for a swimming pool.
9. Sorry I’m late. The bus (tie) up in traffic for 30 minutes.
10. The grass (already / mow), so you can cross that off your chore list.

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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.

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