Passive 2
As mentioned earlier, passive voice is used for actions and processes where the doer is not specified. It is also used in formal writings and news to emphasize the action rather than the subject. Note that verbs are used in their third form after the auxiliary verb. Now, let’s look at how passive is used in different tenses:
Present Simple:
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English is taught in all schools.
Present Continuous:
Our house is being painted.
The car is being repaired now.
Past Tense:
This house was built in 2005.
Penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming.
Present Perfect:
Japanese coasts have been affected/destroyed by a tsunami.
Thousands of people have been evacuated.
His building has been destroyed.
Past Perfect:
Last year many people had been killed in the war.
We can specify who performed the action by adding “by” to the sentence. In such sentences, if “by” is not used, the sentence may not convey a clear meaning:
The 2011 Olympic games were held by the Chinese Government.
Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare.
Titanic was written and directed by James Cameron.