В пособии рассматриваются основные моменты английской грамматики: части речи имя существительное, имя прилагательное и наречие; видо-временные формы глагола; модальные глаголы; неличные формы глагола

11. be about + infinitive

This structure expresses the immediate future and means ‘going to very
soon’:
Don’t go out now - we’re about to have lunch.
just can be added to make the future even more immediate:
I was just about to go to bed when there was a knock at the door.

THE PASSIVE VOICE

1. Form

A. The passive of an active tense is formed by putting the verb to be into the
same tense as the active verb and adding the past participle of the active verb.
The subject of the active verb becomes the ‘agent’ of the passive verb. The
agent is very often not mentioned. When it is mentioned it is preceded by by
and placed at the end of the clause:
My grandfather planted this tree.
This tree was planted by my grandfather.


B. Examples of present, past and perfect passive tenses (simple):
We clean the room every day. The room is cleaned every day.
They broke the window. The window was broken.
They have washed the car. The car has been washed.
2. Various Structures Expressed in the Passive


A. The passive of continuous tenses requires the present continuous forms of to
be, which are not much used in other cases:
They are repairing the bridge.
The bridge is being repaired.
The gardener was watering the flowers.
The flowers were being watered.
Other continuous tenses are extremely rare in the passive, so the sentences
such as:
They have/had been repairing the road or
They will/would be repairing the road
are not normally put into the passive.


B. After the future auxiliaries (will, be going to) and modal verbs we use passive
infinitive (simple or perfect)
They will open the new hotel next year. The new hotel will be opened…
We are going to paint this room. This room is going to be painted.
The government can create more jobs. More jobs can be created.
You should have told him. He should have been told.


C. Other infinitive combinations
Verbs of liking/loving/wanting/wishing etc. + object + infinitive form
their passive with the passive infinitive:
He wants someone to take photos. He wants photos to be taken.
With verbs of command/request/advice/ invitation indirect object + infinitive
we form the passive by using the passive form of the main verb:
He invited me to go. I was invited to go.
But with advise/beg/order/recommend/urge + indirect object + infinitive +
object we can form the passive in two ways: by making the main verb
passive, as above, or by advise etc. + that.....should + passive infinitive:
He urged the Council to reduce the rates.
The Council was/were urged to reduce the rates or
He urged that the rates should be reduced.