Structure of the passive voice

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AFFIRMATIVE FORM
  

If you want to conjugate a verb in the passive voice you need: the auxiliary verb be in the tense required by the situation +  the main verb in past participle.


Be is the part of the structure that changes in the conjugation, therefore, if you want to conjugate the verb build in the third person singular of:


  the simple past tense (passive voice), you put be in the past and build in past participle:

The Taj Mahal was built in the seventeenth century.

  the future simple tense (passive voice), you put be in future simple and build in past participle

The new supermarket will be built at the end of Perth Road.

   the future perfect tense (passive voice), you put be in future perfect and build in past participle:

The new supermarket will have been finished by the time you move into your new house.

   etc.


INTERROGATIVE FORM  (...aux. verb + subject...) unless the question word is the subject:


Why was President Kennedy assassinated? Who was assassinated in 1963? (When the question word is the subject of the verb, the verb is not put in the interrogative form.)

 
  If you have more than one auxiliary verb, the first one is put before the subject:

Will the old church be pulled down?



NEGATIVE FORM  (...aux. verb + not ...):

Peter was not chosen to join the school football team.

    If you have more than one auxiliary verb, you put not after the first one:

The old church will not be pulled down.

 


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