What is a Passive Infinitive?
A passive infinitive is a grammatical structure formed by combining "to be" with a past participle, such as "to be eaten" or "to be completed." It shifts the focus from the doer of the action to the action itself, highlighting what is being done rather than who is doing it.
What is a Passive Infinitive?
A passive infinitive is formed with "to be" followed by a past participle. This construction shifts the focus from the doer to the action itself, making the action the primary point of interest. Unlike active infinitives, which focus on the subject performing the action, passive infinitives emphasize the action received by the subject.
Example:
Active: She wants to eat the cake.
Passive: The cake wants to be eaten.
Comparison:
Active Infinitive: "to see," "to do," "to make"
Passive Infinitive: "to be seen," "to be done," "to be made"
How to Form Passive Infinitives
Creating passive infinitives involves combining "to be" with a past participle. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Start with "to be."
Add the past participle of the main verb.
Examples:
Active: He needs to fix the car.
Passive: The car needs to be fixed.
Common Verbs Used with Passive Infinitives:
Need: The documents need to be signed.
Want: The cake wants to be eaten.
Expect: The project is expected to be completed.
Prefer: The tasks are preferred to be handled by the team.
Like: The proposal likes to be reviewed thoroughly.
Usage of Passive Infinitives in Sentences
Passive infinitives are useful in various contexts. They often appear in formal writing or when the doer is unknown or irrelevant. Here are more examples to illustrate their usage:
Formal Writing:
The contract is required to be signed by all parties.
The presentation needs to be finalized by the marketing team.
Everyday Speech:
The laundry needs to be done today.
The kids expect the game to be played soon.
In Different Contexts:
In business: "The report is expected to be delivered by Monday."
In academic writing: "The theory needs to be tested through rigorous experiments."
In instructions: "The form is required to be filled out completely."
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Learners often confuse passive and active forms or misuse the past participle. Here are some common errors and tips to avoid them:
Examples of Mistakes:
Incorrect: The cake needs to eaten.
Correct: The cake needs to be eaten.
Incorrect: The project is wanted to be completed.
Correct: The project wants to be completed.
Tips:
Always use "to be" before the past participle.
Ensure the past participle is correct and matches the verb.
Practice and Application
To master passive infinitives, practice is essential. Here are exercises and real-life examples to help reinforce your understanding:
Exercise: Convert the following active sentences into passive infinitives:
They plan to build the house.
The house plans to be built.
She wants to open the store.
The store wants to be opened.
He needs to clean the room.
The room needs to be cleaned.
They expect to finish the project by Friday.
The project is expected to be finished by Friday.
She prefers to read the report before the meeting.
The report prefers to be read before the meeting.
Real-life Example: In business writing, you might use passive infinitives to emphasize procedures or actions:
"The proposal needs to be approved by the board."
"The minutes of the meeting are required to be documented accurately."