Verbs · pillar 9 of 16

Voice

passive · causative · impersonal passive · ergative

10 lessons from B1 to C2 · 34 grammar points

Mindmap: Voice from A1 to C2

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# 9 Voice ## B1 - Passive: be + past participle - Present simple and past simple passive - by + agent (and when to leave it out) - Why use the passive (focus, unknown or unimportant agent) - Present perfect passive (has been done) - Future passive (will be done) - Modal passive (can / must / should be done) ## B2 - Ergative verbs (The door opened / I opened the door) - Middle voice (This book sells well; The shirt washes easily) - Verbs not reflexive in English (relax, feel, meet, concentrate) - Reciprocal verbs without each other (meet, marry, fight) - Continuous passives (is being done, was being done) - Passive infinitive and -ing (to be done, being done) - Passive with two objects (I was given a book / A book was given to me) - Passive with phrasal and prepositional verbs (was looked after, was laughed at) - get-passive (He got arrested) - need + -ing with passive meaning (The car needs washing) - have / get something done - have somebody do / get somebody to do - make somebody do - have something done for bad experiences (I had my phone stolen) - It is said / believed / thought that… - He is said / believed / thought to be… ## C1 - Impersonal passive with perfect and continuous infinitives (He is thought to have left) - There is said to be… - Reporting verbs in the passive (allege, claim, consider, expect, know, report, understand) - Passive of perception verbs (He was seen to leave / leaving) - be made to do - Stative vs dynamic passive (The door was closed) - Choosing active or passive for flow and focus - Passive with an object complement (He was considered a genius; She was elected captain) ## C2 - Complex passive infinitives (is said to have been doing) - Agency and the passive in news and academic writing - When the passive weakens your writing

Lessons in this pillar

B1.21Passive 1: present & past simpleCoreSoonComing soon
B1.22Passive 2: perfect, future & modalsCoreSoonComing soon
B2.8Ergative, reflexive & reciprocal verbsMiniSoonComing soon
B2.13Passive 3: continuous, infinitive, two objectsCoreSoonComing soon
B2.14Passive 4: phrasal verbs, get-passive, needs doingCoreSoonComing soon
B2.15Causative: have/get something doneCoreSoonComing soon
B2.16It is said that… / He is said to…MiniSoonComing soon
C1.12Impersonal passiveCoreSoonComing soon
C1.13Passive with see & make; choosing active or passiveCoreSoonComing soon
C2.7Voice: expert choicesCoreSoonComing soon

Every grammar point

The complete checklist for this pillar. Nothing is left out.

B1

Passive: be + past participle
Present simple and past simple passive
by + agent (and when to leave it out)
Why use the passive (focus, unknown or unimportant agent)
Present perfect passive (has been done)
Future passive (will be done)
Modal passive (can / must / should be done)

B2

Ergative verbs (The door opened / I opened the door)
Middle voice (This book sells well; The shirt washes easily)
Verbs not reflexive in English (relax, feel, meet, concentrate)
Reciprocal verbs without each other (meet, marry, fight)
Continuous passives (is being done, was being done)
Passive infinitive and -ing (to be done, being done)
Passive with two objects (I was given a book / A book was given to me)
Passive with phrasal and prepositional verbs (was looked after, was laughed at)
get-passive (He got arrested)
need + -ing with passive meaning (The car needs washing)
have / get something done
have somebody do / get somebody to do
make somebody do
have something done for bad experiences (I had my phone stolen)
It is said / believed / thought that…
He is said / believed / thought to be…

C1

Impersonal passive with perfect and continuous infinitives (He is thought to have left)
There is said to be…
Reporting verbs in the passive (allege, claim, consider, expect, know, report, understand)
Passive of perception verbs (He was seen to leave / leaving)
be made to do
Stative vs dynamic passive (The door was closed)
Choosing active or passive for flow and focus
Passive with an object complement (He was considered a genius; She was elected captain)

C2

Complex passive infinitives (is said to have been doing)
Agency and the passive in news and academic writing
When the passive weakens your writing