Key considerations

In this chapter we look at two distinct types of passive construction: ‘standard’ constructions (e.g. our car was/got broken into) and ‘causative’ constructions (e.g. we had/got our car repaired).

Teaching materials often concentrate on the form of standard passive constructions, and practice activities often involve mechanically transforming active constructions into passive ones. Learners sometimes end up with the impression that passive constructions are some kind of optional, deviant version of active constructions. While we usually do need to give learners plenty of practice in forming passive constructions correctly, we also need to encourage learners both to notice and understand when and why we choose them, and how often we use them. We also need to encourage them to use the constructions in appropriate contexts themselves.

Because the form of passive constructions is quite complex, coursebooks often teach the passive form of particular tenses one at a time. Taking into account the abilities and strengths of particular students, teachers sometimes decide to teach the underlying rules (e.g. ‘we use a form of the verb be + past participle’), and require learners to apply these to any tense.

We generally introduce causative passive constructions when learners are already confident in using standard passive constructions in a range of tenses.

Some materials use the term ‘passive voice’, but the term is used to mean different things. In this book we use the term ‘passive constructions’, and include forms with be, get and have as auxiliary verbs.

What are standard passive constructions?

What do they do?

Clauses are either active or passive, and in active constructions the subject of an object verb is usually the agent, the ‘doer’.

The subject of a clause usually establishes ‘what the clause is about’; it often refers to something which is already known to the listener or reader. What follows this is the new or important information. The key information in this exchange is that the person rang the bell and the reason for this. In passive constructions, the subject still establishes ‘what the clause is about’, but it is the recipient of the action, not the agent.