Do you remember how to use the passive voice?
| Active | Sarah took that photograph. |
| Passive | That photograph was taken by Sarah. |
We can use gerunds and infinitives in the passive voice. Remember, the passive voice is used to put more emphasis on the receiver in a sentence, instead of the doer.
When we use passive gerunds and infinitives, we often do not include the doer at all in the sentence. Passive gerund phrases are formed using:
'being' or 'getting' + past participle
It is more common to use the verb 'being' with gerunds.
I really like getting brushed.
Being treated fairly is important to all students.
Harold dislikes being given more responsibility.
Notice that none of these sentences has a doer after the passive voice. For example, 'getting brushed' instead of 'getting brushed by someone.'
Infinitives in the passive voice are formed using:
'to be' or 'to get' + past participle
When we use passive infinitives, we can use 'get' instead of 'be' because it sounds more passionate and emotional. We often use the word 'get' to describe people.
Jack wants to get taken more seriously.
I need to be carried out of here, please.
It's important to be given responsibilities at home.
Sometimes when a passive infinitive comes right after a noun or pronoun, we can leave out the 'to be' or 'to get' to make a sharper statement.
| With 'to be' | I want these boxes to be removed from my house immediately. |
| Without 'to be' | I want these boxes removed from my house immediately. |
Exercise
Please open the exercise to continue.