Special Passive Structures Exercises

Special passive structures go beyond the standard tense-based passive to include the impersonal passive (It is said that...), the personal passive (He is believed to...), and the causative (have/get something done). These advanced forms appear in formal writing, news reports, and academic English.

The impersonal passive uses "It" as a formal subject: "It is believed that the economy will recover." The personal passive makes a person the subject: "She is believed to be the best candidate." The causative describes arranging for someone else to do something: "I had my car repaired" (a mechanic did it for me). The causative with "get" is more informal: "I got my hair cut." Negative experiences also use this pattern: "She had her bag stolen." These structures are essential for Cambridge B2 First and C1 Advanced exams, where they appear in key word transformation tasks. They are also common in IELTS academic writing, where an impersonal tone is valued. Mastering these forms shows a high level of grammatical control.