Page 418 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

passives (1): passive structures and verb forms 412
Future progressive passives (will be being + pp) and perfect progressive passives (has been being + pp) are unusual.
Examples of passive infinitives: (to) be taken; (to) have been invited. Examples of passive -ing forms: being watched; having been invited. Note that verbs made up of more than one word (see 599-600) can have passive forms if they are transitive.
The furniture was broken up for firewood.
She likes being looked at. I need to be taken care o f He hates being made a fool of
For more about structures with prepositions at the ends of clauses. see 452.
3 use of tenses
Passive tenses are normally used in the same way as active tenses. So for example the present progressive passive is used, like the present progressive active, to talk about things that are going on at the time of speaking (see 464).
The papers are being prepared now.
The secretary is preparing the papers now.
And the present perfect passive can be used, like the present perfect active, to talk about finished actions with present consequences (see 455).
Alex has been arrested! The police have arrested Alex!
4 verbs not used in the passive
Not all verbs can have passive forms. Passive structures are impossible with intransitive verbs (see 606.2) like die or arrive, which cannot have objects, because there is nothing to become the subject of a passive sentence. Some transitive verbs, too, are seldom used in the passive. Most of these arc 'stative verbs' (verbs which refer to states, not actions). Examples are fit, have, lack, resemble, suit.
They have a nice house. (BUT NOT it nice h6ftS'e is hat1 by the,n.)
My shoes don't fit me. (BUT NOT {'nt n6tftHetl by my sh6es.)
Sylvia resembles a Greek goddess. (BUT NOT A GreekgtJtldess is resembled by
SylfJitL)
Your mother lacks tact. (BUT NOT Taet is kteketl ...)
She was having a bath. (BUT NOT it bat.'l W flS being htId by .'16.)
5 confusing forms
Students often confuse active and passive verb forms in English. Typical mistakes:
: W flS fJety intel'eSHng in the less6n.
We were tf(tteSti6ning by the intmigrttMn {'}JJieet'. She Ittts put in pFis6n J~' life.
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