Страдательный залог в английском языке употребляется тогда, когда внимание говорящего сосредоточено не на субъекте, а на объекте действия. Глагол в страдательном залоге показывает, что подлежащее подвергается действию, а не само его выполняет. Сравните:
The worker started the machine-tool. - Рабочий включил станок.
| Таблица всех времен в Passive Voice | ||||
| Present | Past | Future | Future in-the-Past | |
| Simple (Indefinite) | Letters are written every day. | The letter was written yesterday. | The letter will be written tomorrow. | (He said that) the letter would be written the next day. |
| Continuous (Progressive) | The letter is being written now. | The letter was being written at 5 o’clock yesterday. | ||
| Perfect | The letter has already been written. | The letter had been written by 5 o’clock yesterday. | The letter will have been written by 5 o’clock tomorrow. | (He said that) the letter would have been written by 5 o’clock the next day. |
The machine-tool was started by the worker. - Станок был включен рабочим.