Passive (is / was + V-ed)
Passive (is / was + V-ed) means “Passive: the subject receives the action — English is spoken here”. Use be + past participle when the doer is unknown or unimportant: English is spoken in many countries. Formation: am/is/are + past participle · was/were + past participle
Passive: the subject receives the action — English is spoken here
A2Formation
am/is/are + past participle · was/were + past participle
Explanation
Use be + past participle when the doer is unknown or unimportant: English is spoken in many countries. This temple was built in 1650. Present: am/is/are + participle; past: was/were + participle. To mention the doer, add by: The book was written by a doctor.
Examples
Note
The past participle often differs from the past form: speak–spoke–spoken, write–wrote–written, build–built–built. Learn verbs in three forms.
FAQ
Passive (is / was + V-ed) — what does it mean and how is it used?
Passive: the subject receives the action — English is spoken here. Use be + past participle when the doer is unknown or unimportant: English is spoken in many countries. This temple was built in 1650. Present: am/is/are + participle; past: was/were + participle. To mention the doer, add by: The book was written by a doctor.
Passive (is / was + V-ed) — how do you form it?
am/is/are + past participle · was/were + past participle
Passive (is / was + V-ed) — any usage notes?
The past participle often differs from the past form: speak–spoke–spoken, write–wrote–written, build–built–built. Learn verbs in three forms.