The Passive

We use the active form to say what the subject does.

• He drove the car yesterday.
  
• I clean my house once a week.
  

We use the passive form to say what happens to the subject.

• The car was driven by somebody else yesterday.
  
• The house was cleaned only yesterday
  

Sometimes when we use the passive we do not know who did the action.

• My watch was made in Switzerland.
  
• My car has been damaged.
  

Sometimes we know who did something but it is not as important as what was done.

• It was sent by Harry yesterday.
  
• I was told by Sarah.
  

Often we use the passive to bring the topic we are interested in to the front of the sentence.

• The vegetables are all grown by local farmers.
  
• This door should be replaced when you have time.
  

Notice that the correct form is ' I was born' (not 'I am born'.

• I was born in 1987
  
• You were born in the same year as me.
  

Notice that the passive of 'doing' is 'being done'.

• I don't like you staring at me.
  
• I don't like being stared at.
  
• I hate people talking to me in clubs.
  
• I hate being talked to in clubs.
  

When things happen or change, and especially in informal English, you can use 'get' instead of 'be' in the passive.

• There was an accident but nobody was hurt
  
• There was an accident but nobody got hurt
  
• I was offered the job but I didn't take it.
  
• I got offered the job but I didn't take it.