Master 10 common types of special passive voice in English

Special passive voice is an important English grammatical item. How many types of passive voice are there? What are special passive structures and their usage? Let's delve into this aspect with PREP in the article below!

I. What is passive voice?

Passive voice emphasizes what person/object is affected by an action, rather than who performs the action. The tense used in a passive voice must be consistent with that in the active form. For example:

• Active voice: Tom wrote the book. ➡ Passive voice: The book was written by Tom.
• Active voice: She is eating the cake. ➡ Passive voice: The cake is being eaten (by her). 
• Active voice: They will build a new bridge. ➡ Passive voice: A new bridge will be built by them.

In the above passive sentences, the subject changes from the person or object performing the action (Tom, She, They) to the object affected by the action (The book, The cake, A new bridge); and the verb also changes to the passive form by adding "be" (was, is being, will be).

Passive sentences are employed in a neutral tone and focus more on the action rather than who performs the action (thereby avoiding direct criticism).

II. The structure of special passive voice

Below is a summary of the most commonly used structures of special passive sentences. Let's learn together with PREP about how many structures of special passive voice there are and how to use them!

1. A verb + 2 objects

2. A Verb + an object + an infinitive verb with “to”

3. A verb + an object + a bare infinitive verb (without “to”)

Verbs indicating senses: feel, see, watch, notice, hear, listen to,… + O + V ➡ The passive form is formed by using the past participle form of the main verb - bare infinitive verb (without “to”).

Structure of special passive voice: 

S + Passive V + to V

Examples:

• I heard her run upstairs. ➡ She was heard to run upstairs. 
• I felt something to fall down. ➡ Something was felt to fall down.

Notes: Make and Help are also included in this case:

• She made him tell the truth. ➡ He was made to tell the truth. 
• The teacher helps students to do homework. ➡ The students are helped to do homework by the teacher. 

4. A verb + an object + a gerund

A verb is followed by an object + gerund: see, hear, find, stop, keep… + object + V-ing ➡ The passive form is formed by using the past participle form of the main verb.

Structure of special passive voice: 

S + Passive verb + V-ing

Examples: 

• He kept me waiting. ➡ I was kept waiting. 
• My mother stopped me from crossing the road. ➡ I was stopped crossing the road. 

Note: When the object of the gerund refers to the same entity as the subject of the sentence, the passive form is formed by using the passive form of the gerund.

S + V + Passive gerund (being + VP2)

Examples:

• He doesn’t like people laughing at him. ➡ He doesn’t like being laughed at. 
• She likes people going pleased and complimenting her. ➡ She likes being given pleased compliments. 

5. A verb + an infinitive verb/gerund + an object

Some verbs like advise, agree, insist, arrage, suggest, propose, recommend, determine, decide, demand, ect,… + to V/ gerund + O. The passive voice is expressed in the that-clause.

Structure of special passive voice: 

S + V + that + S + Should be + VP2

Examples: 

• He decided to take that position. ➡ He decided that the position should be taken.
• We recommend changing your internet provider. ➡ We recommend that your internet providers should be changed.

6. A verb + an object + the object’s complement

The direct object after some verbs can be followed by various complements of the object (nouns or adjectives). In special passive sentences, these complements become those of the subject and follow the verb. For example:

• I believed him innocent. ➡ He was believed innocent. 
• They elected my father president. ➡ My father was elected president. 

7. A verb + a that-clause

When the "that" clause is used as the object with verbs like: Agree, allege, announce, assume, hope, believe, claim, consider, estimate, expect, feel, find, know, report, rumor, say, think, understand,... the special passive sentence has three structures below

8. Have/get something done

We use "Have/get something done" - a special passive sentence structure to describe something or something being completed or finished. For example:

• I have my house painted green. 
• I get my clothes ironed smoothly. 

III. Exercises on special passive voice with detailed answers

Exercise: Turn the following sentences into special passive voice

1. It is impossible for us to complete the exercise in 30 minutes.
2. They make me do housework alone.
3. I have my father repair my motorbike.
4. People said that he had been very thrifty.
5. People believe that their director is very rich.
6. They need to clean the car.
7. My friends elected me as the monitor.
8. My teacher gives me the assignment.
9. She made him tell the truth.
10. She doesn’t like people laughing at her.

Answer keys:

1. It is impossible for the exercise to be completed in 30 minutes.
2. I am made to do housework alone.
3. I have my motorbike repaired by my father.
4. He was said to have been very thrifty.
5. It is believed that their director is very rich. 
6. The car needs cleaning.
7. I was elected monitor by my friends.
8. I am given the assignment by my teacher.
9. He was made to tell the truth.
10. He doesn’t like being laughed at.

IV. Master IELTS Skills for a High Band Score 

In this article, PREP has consolidated information about 10 types of special passive voice, along with exercises for you to review the concepts. If your goal is to achieve a Band 7 or higher, these IELTS resources are for you:

👉 IELTS course : Master IELTS With Us!