English3: Grammar

Passive Voice:

The passive voice is a specific grammatical construction; not every expression that serves to take focus away from the performer of an action is classified as an instance of passive voice.

We have been cruelly deceived.

The captain was struck by a missile.

I got kicked in the face during the fight.

The passive voice can be used without referring to the agent of an action; it may therefore be used when the agent is unknown or unimportant, or the speaker does not wish to mention the agent.

However the passive voice can also be used together with a mention of the agent, using a by-phrase. In this case the reason for use of the passive is often connected with the positioning of this phrase at the end of the clause (unlike in the active voice, where the agent, as subject, normally precedes the verb). Here, in contrast to the examples above, passive constructions may in fact serve to place emphasis on the agent, since it is natural for information being emphasized to come at the end:
Don't you see? The patient was murdered by his own doctor!

Some examples:

Right now, the letter is being written by Sarah.

The car was repaired by Sam.

Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his mechanic's license.

The restaurant's fantastic dinners had been being prepared by Chef Jones for two years before he moved to Paris

The work will be finished by 5:00 PM.

A beautiful dinner is going to be made by Sally tonight.

The project will have been completed before the deadline.

The bills used to be paid by Jerry.