Voice

The passive voice, which provides information about the roles of different participants in an event, is formed with the auxiliary "be" and the "-ed" participle form of the lexical verb. Examples:

* (Sentence) "The older critics slammed the play with vituperation inexplicable unless one attributes it to homophobia."[50]
* (passive voice) "Ever notice how she was (past of "be") slammed (-ed participle) by the critics until the actors started doing it themselves?"

Properties:

* Modal verbs can occur in passive voice.
o "And if they couldn't get a handle on it soon, cities and towns all up and down the Eastern Seaboard could (modal) be slammed (passive) by the biggest storm of the year ...."
* Passive voice can be combined with non-tensed verbs such as "-ing" form and the "to-" infinitive.
o "There he was—getting slammed by the critics—and still taking the high road."
o "We were about to be slammed by an 80-foot breaking wave."
* Passive voice can combine with both the progressive and the perfect aspects.
o (passive, progressive): "The wind had picked up. The boat was being slammed by the swells, and floundering."
o (passive, perfect): "Although, alas, it's not such an exclusive club. I've sent them to everyone who has been slammed by that dreadful woman."