3. Combinations of the verb бути with the Past Participle Passive

E.g. The school will be built next year.

Школа буде збудована наступного року.

4. indefinite-personal sentences

   • when the doer of the action is not mentioned

E.g. The article had already been translated by that time.

Статтю вже переклали до того часу.

5. definite-personal sentences

   • by the verb in the Active Voice if the doer of the action is mentioned

E.g. They were invited by my friend.

Їх запросив мій друг.

§ 4. The Use of the Passive Voice

In English the most important information or something that is already known is placed at the beginning of the sentence, while something less important or new, at the end. Passive sentences can be used:

• with the doer of the action being mentioned

E.g. Kobzar was written by T.Shevchenko.

NOTE 3. The doer (agent) of the action can be introduced by the prepositions BY (living being) and WITH (tool/instrument).

E.g. The man was shot (by the soldier) with the rifle.

If the doer (agent) of the action is a lifeless thing, the use of the preposition BY shows that the action is accidental, while the use of the preposition WITH shows that the action is deliberate.

E.g. The man was killed by a falling stone. (accidentally)

The man was killed with the stone. (deliberately)

• without the doer of the action being mentioned:

  • the doer of the action is either unknown or does not need to be mentioned

E.g. The diamond was stolen in 1972 and is still being searched for.

I know that after the meeting I will be asked to explain my point of view.

• when people want to avoid responsibility

E.g. Oh mum, look, the cup has been broken! I really don’t know who has done that.

The Passive Voice can be used in:

1. Informal English

   • with or without the doer of the action being mentioned

E.g. I’m sure this picture was painted by J.Constable.

Lately I have been offered a job in Central Ukraine.

2. Formal notices and announcements

E.g. Students are required to present themselves ten minutes before examination begins.

3. Press reports

• when the doer is not known or does not need to be mentioned

E.g. Many people have been questioned because of yesterday’s car theft.

4. academic and scientific writing

• when we focus on the activity rather than on people involved

E.g. The research has been carried out since 2007.

The mixture is heated to 500ºC.

5. headlines, advertisements and notices

• the auxiliary verbs are often dropped

E.g. President (has been) assassinated!

Credit cards (are) accepted.

THE SEQUENCE OF TENSES

§ 1. The General Notion

The Sequence of Tenses is the dependence of the tense of the verb (predicate) in the subordinate clause on the tense of the verb (predicate) in the principal clause.

The rules of the sequence of tenses are generally observed in object, subject and predicative clauses when the verb in the principal clause is used in one of the past tenses (mostly in the Past Indefinite). If the verb in the principal clause is used in the present or future tenses, in the subordinate clause we can use any tense which is required by the sense.

	he wrote letters every day.
	he was writing the letter at that time.
	he had written the letter already.
	he had been writing the letter for an hour.
E.g. He said that	he would write the letter next day.
	he would be writing the letter then.
	he would have written the letter by that time.
	he would have been writing the letter for an hour by that time.

What she had done or would do next was not important.

The problem was how she would explain it to him.

BUT:	he writes letters every day.
	he is writing the letter now.
	he has written the letter already.
He says that	he has been writing the letter for an hour.
	he wrote the letter yesterday.
	he had written the letter by that time.
	he will be writing the letter then.
	what he writes every day.
He will tell us	when he wrote the letter.
	when he will write the letter.

The sequence of tenses is also not observed in attributive relative clauses and adverbial clauses of cause, comparison, concession and result.

E.g. I got on the bus which goes to Trafalgar Square.

I didn’t go to the party yesterday because I will have a test tomorrow.

At school I worked less than I do now.

She didn’t learn the rules yesterday though she is having an exam today.

They worked so hard today that they will feel weak and tired tomorrow.