The passive

English course · B2 · Upper intermediate · 6 short videos

Goal — I can understand and use the passive, in the news and at work.

Grammar — passive in all tenses: is being fixed, has been seen, will be finished, by + agent, I was born

Words — website, down, fix, broken, finished, rare, bird, spotted, photographed, fed, closed, allegedly, reported

The videos of this unit

The website is down. Who's responsible?

Tom Why is the website down?

Ben It's being fixed right now.

Tom Fixed by whom?

Ben By me.

Tom And who broke it?

Ben …It was broken by me too.

Tom When will it be finished?

Ben In ten minutes. Probably.

Useful expression It's being fixed right now. — Use “is being” + past participle for something happening now.

Breaking news from London!

Ava A rare bird has been seen in central London.

Ava It was photographed this morning outside Bean There café.

Sam It's been fed croissants all morning.

Ava The café has now been closed.

The favourite word of journalists.

Word allegedly /əˈledʒɪdli/ — People say it's true, but it hasn't been proven.

Stop saying “I am born in 1999”.

Common mistake ~~I am born in 1999.~~ → I was born in 1999.

Why: “Born” is a passive, and your birth happened in the past. So: was born.

Now or already done?

Word fix /fɪks/ / fixed /fɪkst/

Passive quiz: 4 questions!