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Passive & Reporting
Quick rule
be + past participle. Use it when the action or the receiver matters more than the doer — or when the doer is obvious, unknown or best left out.
The results will be published next week.
Applications are being reviewed at the moment.
The bridge is thought to have been built in 1840.
Our flight had been cancelled before we reached the airport.
Common mistake
✗ The window broke by the storm. → ✓ The window was broken by the storm.
Short practice
Passive: 'Someone has cleaned the office.' → The office has been cleaned.