Advanced passive form
Definition
Advanced passive forms place be + past participle inside more complex verb structures. These include modal perfect passives, passive infinitives, passive -ing forms and combinations involving perfect or continuous meaning.
Examples
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The report should have been completed by Friday.
A modal perfect passive refers to an expected past result.
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She disliked being treated as a beginner.
The passive -ing form follows disliked.
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The error appears to have been overlooked.
A perfect passive infinitive places the overlooked event before the present appearance.
Basic passive vs. modal perfect passive
The documents were signed yesterday.
A tense-marked form of be is followed by a past participle.
The documents should have been signed yesterday.
The passive sits inside should have, adding an unrealized expectation about the past.
The passive core remains be + past participle, but the form of be changes to fit the larger verb structure.
The agent is often omitted
Complex passive forms are especially useful when the affected person or thing matters more than the agent, or when the agent is unknown, obvious or deliberately left unstated.
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The decision may have been influenced by several factors.
The sentence focuses on the decision and the possible influence.
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Having been warned twice, the company changed its procedure.
The perfect passive participle clause presents an earlier passive event.
Common mistakes
The report should have completed by Friday.
The report should have been completed by Friday.
A passive modal perfect needs have been + past participle.
She resented to be ignored.
She resented being ignored.
Resent is followed by an -ing form; the passive form is being ignored.
Quick check
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence contains a modal perfect passive?
The structure is modal + have been + past participle.Which sentence uses a passive -ing form correctly?
After the preposition to, use being + past participle: being recorded.Which sentence contains a perfect passive infinitive?
To have been moved is a perfect passive infinitive.Nice work — you've completed the quick check.
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