Part 4 — Modals, Imperatives & Special Structures

1. Modal verbs

Active pattern

Subject + modal + V1 + object

Passive pattern

Object + modal + be + V3

Can

She can solve the problem.

The problem can be solved by her.

Must

You must obey the rules.

The rules must be obeyed.

Should

They should complete the work.

The work should be completed by them.

May

The committee may announce the result.

The result may be announced by the committee.

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2. Perfect modals

Active pattern

Subject + modal + have + V3 + object

Passive pattern

Object + modal + have been + V3

Example

She should have submitted the form.

The form should have been submitted by her.

Example

They might have cancelled the meeting.

The meeting might have been cancelled by them.

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3. Imperative sentences

An imperative normally has an understood subject you.

Command

Active

Close the door.

Passive

Let the door be closed.

Another command

Finish the work.

Let the work be finished.

Formula

Let + object + be + V3

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4. Polite requests

A natural passive can use requested, advised, ordered, instructed according to meaning.

Request

Please help the poor.

You are requested to help the poor.

Advice

Follow the doctor's instructions.

You are advised to follow the doctor's instructions.

Order

Leave the room immediately.

You are ordered to leave the room immediately.

MPT warning

Do not mechanically use let when the sentence is clearly a request or piece of advice and a better option is available.

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5. Negative imperatives

Active

Do not open the door.

Passive

Let the door not be opened.

A more natural form is:

The door must not be opened.

Active

Do not waste time.

Passive-style expression

Time should not be wasted.

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6. Sentences with two objects

Some verbs take an indirect object and a direct object.

Common verbs include:

give, send, offer, teach, tell, show, lend, promise, award

Active

He gave her a book.

Objects:

• indirect object: her
• direct object: a book

Passive option 1

She was given a book by him.

The indirect object becomes the subject.

Passive option 2

A book was given to her by him.

The direct object becomes the subject.

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7. More two-object examples

Active

The teacher taught us English.

Passive 1

We were taught English by the teacher.

Passive 2

English was taught to us by the teacher.

Active

They offered me a job.

Passive 1

I was offered a job.

Passive 2

A job was offered to me.

Active

She sent him a message.

Passive 1

He was sent a message by her.

Passive 2

A message was sent to him by her.

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8. Prepositional and phrasal verbs

Keep the required preposition with the verb.

Look after

Active

The nurse looked after the patient.

Passive

The patient was looked after by the nurse.

Do not remove after.

Laugh at

They laughed at him.

He was laughed at by them.

Listen to

Everyone listened to the speaker.

The speaker was listened to by everyone.

Send for

They sent for the doctor.

The doctor was sent for.

🧠

The preposition belongs to the verb.

Do not leave it behind or delete it.

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9. Verb + object + infinitive

Active

The teacher asked the students to submit the forms.

Passive

The students were asked to submit the forms.

Active

They advised him to rest.

Passive

He was advised to rest.

Active

The officer ordered the soldiers to advance.

Passive

The soldiers were ordered to advance.

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10. Bare infinitive after make, see and hear

In active voice, some verbs can take an object followed by a bare infinitive.

In passive voice, to normally appears.

Make

Active

The teacher made him rewrite the essay.

Passive

He was made to rewrite the essay by the teacher.

See

Active

They saw him enter the building.

Passive

He was seen to enter the building.

Hear

Active

We heard her sing the song.

Passive

She was heard to sing the song.

MPT trap

He was made rewrite the essay. ❌

He was made to rewrite the essay. ✅

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11. Infinitive passive

Active infinitive

I want someone to complete the work.

Passive infinitive

I want the work to be completed.

Formula

to be + V3

Example

The report needs to be checked.

The form has to be submitted.

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12. Gerund passive

Formula

being + V3

Example

She dislikes people criticizing her.

A passive-style construction:

She dislikes being criticized.

Example

He remembers the teacher praising him.

He remembers being praised by the teacher.

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13. Reporting verbs

Common reporting verbs include:

say, believe, think, know, report, expect, consider

Active

People say that he is honest.

Passive pattern 1

It is said that he is honest.

Passive pattern 2

He is said to be honest.

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14. Reporting about a past action

Active

People believe that he stole the money.

Passive

It is believed that he stole the money.

Or:

He is believed to have stolen the money.

Memory

Use to have + V3 when the reported action happened earlier.

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15. Object complement

Active

They elected him president.

Passive

He was elected president.

The complement president remains after the passive verb.

Active

They painted the door red.

Passive

The door was painted red.

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16. Cognate or fixed expressions

Not every active-looking sentence produces a natural passive.

Have meaning possession

She has a car.

Do not normally write:

A car is had by her.

Resemble

He resembles his father.

A passive is not normally used.

Suit

This dress suits her.

Passive is generally unnatural:

She is suited by this dress.

MPT rule

Check whether the verb is genuinely transitive and whether English normally allows its passive use.

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17. Passive with “get”

Informal English sometimes uses get + V3.

He got injured.

The window got broken.

For formal MPT grammar, prefer the standard be-passive unless the question specifically tests get.

He was injured.

The window was broken.

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18. Have/get something done

This is a causative structure, not an ordinary direct passive conversion.

Example

I had my car repaired.

Meaning:

Someone repaired my car for me.

Example

She got her hair cut.

Meaning:

Someone cut her hair for her.

Do not confuse this with:

Her car was repaired.

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19. Verbs that normally cannot become passive

Sentences without a true object cannot form an ordinary passive.

Arrive

The train arrived.

No passive.

Die

The man died.

No passive.

Sleep

The baby slept.

No passive.

Happen

An accident happened.

No passive.

Belong

This book belongs to me.

Do not write:

I am belonged to by this book.

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20. MPT special-structure examples

Question 1

Change into passive:

The teacher made him repeat the answer.

A. He was made repeat the answer.

B. He was made to repeat the answer.

C. The answer made him repeat.

D. He made to repeat the answer.

Answer: B

The passive of make + object + bare infinitive uses to + infinitive.

Question 2

Change into passive:

People believe that she is innocent.

A. She believes to be innocent.

B. She is believed to be innocent.

C. She was believed innocent by people.

D. It believes that she is innocent.

Answer: B

This is the personal passive of a reporting verb.

Question 3

Change into passive:

They looked after the child.

A. The child was looked by them.

B. The child was looked after by them.

C. The child looked after them.

D. The child had been looking after.

Answer: B

The preposition after must remain.

Special-structure conversion table

How to revise special structures

Do not memorize the sentence alone.

Memorize the structural change:

• make him work → he was made to work
• look after him → he was looked after
• give her a book → she was given a book
• say he is honest → he is said to be honest
• want someone to finish it → want it to be finished