24 Passive Voice: Verbs with Object + Infinitive

The Passive Form expresses the idea of something or someone receiving an action or experiencing a particular event or effect. {see Passive Structure, B1 level}

We can make both active and passive sentences. When we use a verb in Passive Form, the subject undergoes the action rather than doing it.

Verbs can be followed by following object + infinitive structure. Mostly, these sentences can be made passive. For example: the word ¨say¨ in infinitive structure is only possible in passive structure.

With tenses of the auxiliary verb “to be” and the past participle of the main verb we can form passive verbs.

The structure for this Passive form is as follows:
Subject + verb (passive) + to-infinitive + complement.

• I am asked to deliver a private letter.
• Editor of the newspaper is persuaded by them to write about communication.
• They are asked to make a comment about the topic.

In active structures, some verbs are followed by object + infinitive (without to). These are see, feel, let, make, hear, etc. In Passive Structures, we use to-infinitive pattern.