Passif en anglais

Sujet + BE (conjugué) + Participe Passé (+ by-agent)

• Actif : They build houses.
• Passif : Houses are built (by them).

Note : “by…” est souvent omis.

• Présent simple : The car is washed every week.
• Passé simple : The house was built in 1900.
• Futur simple : The report will be finished tomorrow.
• Present perfect : The project has been completed.
• Past perfect : The meeting had been canceled.
• Modaux : The problem can be solved.
• Modaux + perfect : The project should have been completed.

• Agent inconnu : My wallet was stolen.
• Agent non important : The road is cleaned at night.
• Accent sur l’objet / résultat : The law was passed in 1999.

• Deux objets
  1. They gave me a book.
  2. I was given a book.
  3. A book was given to me.

• It is said that… / He is said to…
  1. People say she is rich.
  2. It is said that she is rich.
  3. She is said to be rich.

• Modaux perfect
  1. He must have been seen by the police.

• Verbes à particule
  1. Everyone laughed at him.
  2. He was laughed at.

• Certains verbes ne se mettent pas au passif : fit, have, resemble…
• Trop de passif = style lourd (surtout presse, science, droit).
• Attention aux temps :
  1. They told us… → We were told… (et pas “have been”).

Résumé : Actif → Passif = BE (conjugué au temps voulu) + Participe Passé