Passive voice

De Passive komt voor in alle werkwoordstijden:
de tegenwoordige tijd, de verleden tijd, de toekomst, de voltooide tijd en in de ing-vorm.
Check de voorbeelden maar eens:

Active	Passive
We make butter from milk.	Butter is made from milk.
Somebody stole my car last week.	My car was stolen last week.
They are building some new houses.	Some new houses are being built.
He was teasing his little sister all the time.	His little sister was being teased all the time.
They have painted the front door.	The front door has been painted.
I told you that he had done it.	I told you it had been done by him.
My mum will clean my room tomorrow.	My room will be cleaned by my mum tomorrow.
They can't repair my watch.	My watch can't be repaired.

Het zal je misschien opvallen dat vooral de voltooide tijd lastig is.
In het Nederlands zeg je:

De voordeur is geschilderd.
(Vroeger zeiden de mensen: De voordeur is geschilderd geworden)

Dat wordt dan in het Engels vertaald met:

The front door has been painted.

Als je wilt zeggen door wie iets gedaan wordt, dan moet je het voorzetsel - by - gebruiken.

Voorbeeld:

The police arrested the thief.	The thief was arrested by the police.
The nurse took this man to hospital.	This man was taken to hospital by the nurse.