English Grammar

Verbs



A verb is a word or a combination of words that describes what the subject of a sentence is doing. Verbs can indicate (physical or mental) actions, occurrences, and states of being.
In fact, without a verb, we cannot have a meaningful sentence.
Verbs come in different types and forms so that they can perform differently in order to provide complete meaning.

Examples :
go, jump, sleep, eat, think, be, change, become, drive, complete.

Sentences Subject Verb
Kylie works on Saturdays. Kylie work
We had a nice lunch. We had
I think that he is right. I think
He drove for hours. He drove



English Grammar Verbs summary



Dynamic Verbs (verbs actions)

An action verb is a verb that expresses something that a person, animal, object, or process in nature (such as a storm) can do rather than expressing a state of being.

Examples : Walk, Run, Swim, Play, Talk, Say, Sit, Read, Write, Jog, Cough, Sleep, Jump, Sing, Dance, Eat, Drink, Teach, Present, Build, Break, Tow, Toss, Hug, Fight.

• Ali plays rugby.
In this sentence, the verb plays expresses an action that Ali does: Ali physically plays the sport of rugby. That is why plays is an action verb.

Stative Verbs (state-of-being « Experiences or Feelings »)

Stative verbs describe states of being or feeling rather than actions.
Stative verbs generally express a long-term state or quality that doesn’t change easily.
Common examples include: be, believe, know, love, want …
Stative verbs cannot be used in the progressive tenses.

For the most part, we use stative verbs to express abstract concepts.
Opinions and beliefs
Opinions et croyances		 believe, know, think, support, disagree, remember
أفعال الاعتقاد والتفكير
Emotions
Émotions		 like, love, hate, need, want, wish, desire, fear, feel, prefer
أفعال المشاعر والأحاسيس
The senses
Les sens		 look, see, appear, taste, sound, hear, feel, seem, smell, touch
أفعال الحواس الطبيعية
Possession have, own, possess, belong, control
أفعال الملكية

Examples :
  • I am so happy right now.
  • Ali believes in himself.
  • We loved that day at the beach.
  • The flower smells lovely.
  • The wind sounds loud.
  • The wind sounds like a train.


Verbs that can be dynamic or stative

A lot of verbs have more than one meaning, so they can be used as dynamic or stative. These include perception words : see, hear, taste, smell, feel.
The verbs, like think, have, and, above all be, follow the same voluntary / involuntary rules as perception verbs. Depending on how they’re used, they can be either dynamic or stative.

Examples :
  • I think toads are better than frogs.
    (stative: expresses an opinion or feeling always there; involuntary)

  • All morning I was thinking about how toads are better than frogs.
    (dynamic: expresses the temporary action of thinking; voluntary)

  • I have a ten-year-old dog.
    (stative: expresses permanent ownership; involuntary)

  • I am having a party for my dog’s eleventh birthday.
    (dynamic: used as part of phrase; voluntary)

  • He is nice to everyone.
    (stative: expresses an ongoing state or personality trait; involuntary)

  • He was just being nice to everyone to get a promotion.
    (dynamic: expresses a temporary/intentional state; voluntary)





Types of Verbs

Verbs can be classified into numerous types according to their function or role in a sentence or context. Let us look into the various types of verbs and some examples of each type of verb.


The Main Verb

The main verb tells us what the action in the sentence is. The main verb can be a present form, a bare infinitive, a past simple form, a past participle or a present participle.

Examples :
  • She eats cereal for breakfast.
  •      --> main verb in present form

  • My dog doesn’t bark.
  •      --> main verb in bare infinitive

  • Yesterday at 3 pm, they were speaking on the telephone.
  •      --> main verb in present participle



Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary verbs (also called helping verbs) include verbs such as "be," "do," and "have". They’re used in combination with another (main) verb to modify its meaning. Auxiliary verbs can be used to indicate tense, mood, and voice. They’re also used to form negative statements when used with words such as “not” and “never”.

Auxiliary verbs must be conjugated for tense and person (e.g., “I am,” “she was”).

Examples :
  • My dog doesn’t bark.
  •      --> negated action in simple present, third person singular

  • I have read the newspaper..
  •      --> completed action in present perfect

  • Yesterday at 3 pm, they were speaking on the telephone.
  •      --> action in progress in past progressive

  • I have eaten sushi many times before. (tense)
  • That piece of sushi was eaten by me. (voice)
  • Did you eat my sushi? (mood)


Sometimes the auxiliary verb and the main verb are the same.
Example :
  • I haven’t had my breakfast yet.
  •      --> main verb in past participle/auxiliary verb and main verb are the same




Examples :
  • I may want to talk to you again.
  • They must play their best game to win.
  • She should call him.
  • I will go there.


Examples : Modal verbs in a sentence
  • I can read Arabic and Hebrew.
  • Martin should speak a little louder.
  • Talia ought to perform at the talent show.


Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is a phrase made up of two or more words that acts as an individual verb. Phrasal verbs typically combine a verb with an adverb or preposition to create a meaning independent of the original words. For example, the verb "kick" and the preposition "off" combine to form the phrasal verb "kick off," which means "begin."

Examples : Modal verbs in a sentence
  • I’m going to move out next month.
  • She broke down in tears.
  • Don't look down upon the poor.
  • I'll see to it.
  • When the bus stops, passengers get out on the sidewalk.
  • After losing his job, he’s getting by on savings.


Linking-Verbs

A linking verb connects the subject of a sentence with a "subject complement" (i.e., a noun or adjective that describes it). Common linking verbs include the verbs "be," "seem," "become," and "feel."

Examples : Linking verbs in a sentence
  • Fionn is proud.
  • The pillow feels soft.
  • The mild sauce also tastes spicy.
  • Birds look happy when the sun comes out.
  • The student felt pride when they used perfect grammar.
  • Garfield is a cat. Here, "Garfield" and "a cat" are the same thing, so "is" acts as a linking verb.
  • Garfield is in the kitchen.
  • Garfield became fat by eating lasagnas.
  • Garfield seems to hate Mondays.

Generally, linking verbs are called "be" verbs which are - am, is, are, was, were. However, there are some other verbs that can work as linking verbs. Those verbs are:
     act, feel, remain, appear, become, seem, smell, sound, grow, look, prove, stay, taste, turn.

Some verbs in this list can also be action verbs. To figure out if they are linking verbs, you should try replacing them with forms of the be verbs. If the changed sentence makes sense, that verb is a linking verb.


Examples : Linking verbs in a sentence
  • She appears ready for the game. (She is ready for the game.)
  • The food seemed delicious. (The food was delicious.)
  • You look happy. (You are happy.)


Transitive, intransitive, and ditransitive

Transitive, intransitive, and ditransitive refer to how a verb acts with direct and indirect objects. A direct object is the person or thing that the action happens to, while an indirect object is the person or thing that receives the direct object.

Example :
  •     Ali threw the ball to Ahmed.
Subject Verb Direct Object Indirect Object
(action) (is what was thrown) (he received the ball)
Ali threw the ball to Ahmed

Verbs that don’t use either a direct or indirect object are called intransitive. These verbs are complete actions by themselves.
Examples : go, walk, run, talk, sit, sleep, work

Verbs that use a direct object, but not an indirect object, are called transitive. They don’t always need a direct object, but they have the option.
Examples : clean, like, love, dislike, hate, want, learn, deserve, say

Verbs that use both direct and indirect objects are called ditransitive. They don’t always need an indirect object, but they have the option.
Examples : throw, make, buy, sell, read, give, lend, bring

Transitive verb is one that expresses an action and can take a direct object.
      With transitive verb :
      subject + verb + direct object
Intransitive verb cannot take an object.
      With intransitive verb :
      subject + verb
Ditransitive verbs have two objects: a direct object and an indirect object
      With ditransitive verb :
      subject + verb + direct object + indirect object

Examples : Transitive verbs in a sentence
subject + verb + direct object

  • Kelly asks a question.
  • Toby buys groceries.
  • No, I already ate a sandwich.
  • She went to the fair.
  • We do not like being called out loud in crowds.
  • I love visiting my village home.
  • John caught the ball.
  • He took the train.
  • You made a long list of ideas!
  • Does the cat want more food?
  • Please, give me the cat's dish.

Examples : Intransitive verbs in a sentence
subject + verb

  • Rita coughed.
  • Rita coughed loudly.
  • Rita coughed on me!
  • No, I already ate.
  • I laughed.
  • John ran.
  • A ghast of cold wind blew.
  • Finally, my train has arrived!
  • Last week, Jessie’s hamster died.
  • Quiet, please! The baby is sleeping.
  • Mike went home early.
  • The children danced beautifully.

Examples : Distransitive verbs in a sentence
verb: subject + verb + direct object + indirect object

  • Amira reads me a book.
  • She brought her father some fruits.
  • My husband sent her a letter.
  • She cooked all her friends a delicious cake.

A useful way to tell if a sentence or clause has a direct object or not, is to ask "What ?" or "Who(m) ?" when looking at the verb. For example :

  • He baked a cake. Baked what? A cake.
  • Jerry hugged his mother. Hugged whom? His mother.

Linking vs Intransitive and Transitive Verbs

All verbs have a subject (the person or thing that "does" the action). The real difference between linking, intransitive and transitive verbs is whether or not they have an object (the person or thing that "gets" the action).

S    = subject
V    = verb
SC  = subject complement
DO = direct object
IO   = indirect object
linking verbs
take a subject complement		 intransitive verbs
take no object		 transitive verbs
take an object
mono-transitive verbs
take one object :
a direct object		 ditransitive verbs
take two objects :
an indirect object +
direct object
cannot be passive can be passive
S-V-SC S-V S-V-DO S-V-IO-DO
be
seem
become
appear
feel
get
look		 arrive
break down
come
cough
go
sleep		 clean
destroy
eat
like
turn down
want		 buy
give
pass
send
show
tell
many verbs are ambitransitive - they can be intransitive or transitive depending on context



Regular Verbs and Irregular Verbs

Regular Verb

The Verbs that follow the most usual conjugations are considered Regular Verbs. It is regular since it abides by most if not all of the regular grammar rules there are.
Examples :
  • Rehan plays cricket.
  • Tam called out my name.
  • You really walked all the way back?


Irregular Verb

The Verbs that have irregularities in terms of following grammar rules are Irregular Verbs, in general.
Examples :
  • Do the dishes.
  • I hardly ever drink enough water in a day.
  • She drove all the way back.


Below is a list of the most common irregular verbs in English for Beginner level organised by type.

Type 1 : The infinitive, past simple and past participle are all the same (same – same – same)

Infinitive Past Simple Past Participle Traduction ترجمة
Put put put Mettre يضع
Read

 read* read* Lire يقرأ

* the pronunciation of the infinitive read /ri:d/ becomes /red/ in the past simple and past participle forms



Type 2 : The past simple and past participle forms are the same, but different to the infinitive (different - same - same)

Infinitive Past Simple Past Participle Traduction ترجمة
Can could (no participle) Pouvoir يستطيع
Feel felt felt Sentir يشعر
Find found found Trouver يجد
Get got got, gotten (US English) Obtenir يحصل
Have had had Avoir يملك
Hear heard heard Entendre يسمع
Learn learnt, learned learnt, learned Apprendre يتعلم
Leave left left Partir يترك
Make made made Faire يصنع
Meet met met Rencontrer يقابل
Pay paid paid Payer يدفع
Say said said Dire يقول
Send sent sent Envoyer يرسل
Shall should (no participle) Devoir وجب
Sit sat sat S'asseoir يجلس
Sleep slept slept Dormir ينام
Teach taught taught Enseigner يعلم
Tell told told Dire يخبر
Think thought thought Pense يفكر
understand understood understood comprendre يفهم


Type 3 : The infinitive, the past simple and past participle are all different (different - different - different)

Infinitive Past Simple Past Participle Traduction ترجمة
Be was/were been être يكون
Come came come venir يأتي
Do did done faire يفعل
Draw drew drawn dessiner يرسم
Drink drank drunk boire يشرب
Drive drove driven conduire يقود
Eat ate eaten manger يأكل
Fly flew flown voler يطير
Forget forgot forgotten oublier ينسى
Give gave given donner يعطي
Go went gone aller يذهب
Know knew known connaitre يَعْرِف
Run ran run courir يجري
See saw seen voir يرى
Show showed shown montrer يبين
Sing sang sung chanter غنى
Speak spoke spoken parler يتحدث
Swim swam swum nager يسبح
Take took taken prendre يأخذ
wake up woke up woken up se réveiller استيقظ
Wear wore worn porter احمل
Write wrote written écrire يكتب





Verb Forms

A verb is used in different ways to indicate the time in which the subject is performing an action. There are various verb forms that are used.
Verbs can change form depending on subject, tense, mood, and voice. This is called conjugation.
These forms work mostly for regular verbs; irregular verbs each have their own special forms.

Root Verb 3rd Person Singular Simple Past Present Participle Past Participle
Dance (regular) dances danced dancing Danced
Sing (irregular) sings sang singing Sung


Root Verb

The root form is the basic form of the verb with no changes. It’s also the simple present tense for everything except the third-person singular.
Examples :
  • Read
  • Write
  • Eat
  • Sit
  • Sing

Simple Present – Third Person Singular

Used with subjects like he, she, the singular they, or it, the third-person singular in the present tense just adds an -s to the end of the root form most of the time.
For verbs that end in a consonant and -y (try, carry), you remove the y and add -ies (tries, carries). If the verb ends in a vowel and -y (say, buy), you just add an –s like normal (says, buys).
Verbs that end in -ch, -sh, -x, -z, or -s add -es to the end instead of just –s. For example, watch becomes watches, and kiss becomes kisses.

Present Participle

The present participle is used in the continuous form of tenses to indicate an action that is continuing or in progress at that particular moment or sometime in the past or in the future. These words are formed just by adding an 'ing' to the root verb. For verbs ending with an 'e', in most cases, the present participle is formed by removing the 'e' and then adding 'ing' to the remaining portion of the verb.

Examples :
Malika is watching a movie along with her cousin. (Present Continuous Tense)
My mother is baking cakes. (Present Continuous Tense)
All my brothers were playing Parchis in the evening. (Past Continuous Tense)

Simple Past

The past tense shows an action that already happened. In most cases it's made by adding -ed to the end of the root form, or just -d if the root form already ends in an e.
For the irregular verbs, their rules for the past don’t tend to be consistent.

Examples :
  • The doctor asked me to take tablets for ten days. (The root verb here is 'ask')
  • Ali bought the car he checked out last week. (The root verbs here are 'buy' and 'check')
  • The baby drank the milk completely. (The root verb here is 'drink')

Past participle

The past participle form of the verb is used to denote the perfect tense forms in a sentence.
Past participle can also be used as an adjective or noun in some cases.

• The past participles of regular verbs are usually formed by adding the suffix "-ed" (e.g., "learn" becomes "learned").
• The past participles of irregular verbs have numerous endings like "-en," "-n," "-ne," and "-t" (e.g., "kneel" becomes "knelt").

Examples : Past participles of regular verbs
  • The respected novelist has been nominated for an award.
  • Encouraged by his friends, Reynold signed up for the race.
  • I have parked the car in a nearby garage.
  • The children played with the excited dog.
  • The injured cyclist was helped by a passerby.
  • I had expected more people to come to the party.
  • She was really interested in the presentation.
  • I was bored, waiting for the bus.
  • The children are excited about the party.
  • Young graduates are motivated to work hard.
  • We were very surprised to hear the news.
  • He was tired after the match.

Examples : Past participles of irregular verbs
  • The train will have left by the time you arrive.
  • Haley is looking for her lost dog.
  • Hidden in the forest, the cabin is quite difficult to find.
  • Prita has bought me a gift.
  • This computer is broken. It doesn’t work.

Examples : Past participles as adjectives
  • Joseph threw the burned toast in the bin.
  • The man was clearly agitated.
  • Rose swept up the shattered vase.

List of the past participle of the most common verbs

Base Form Simple Past Past Participle Traduction ترجمة
arise arose arisen surgir تَنَشَّأَ
awake awoke awoken s'éveiller استيقظ
be was, were been être يكون
beat beat beaten battre يهزم
become became become devenir يصبح
begin began begun commencer يبدأ
bend bent bent plier يلوي
bet bet bet parier يراهن
bite bit bitten mordre يعض
bleed bled bled saigner ينزف
blow blew blown souffler ينفخ
break broke broken casser يكسر
bring brought brought apporter يحضر
build built built construire يبني
burn burnt/burned burnt/burned brûler يحرق
burst burst burst éclater ينفجر
buy bought bought acheter يشتري
catch caught caught attraper يمسك
choose chose chosen choisir يختار
come came come Venir يأتي
cost cost cost coûter يكلف
cut cut cut couper يقطع
dig dug dug creuser يحفر
do did done faire يفعل
draw drew drawn dessiner يرسم
dream dreamed/dreamt dreamed/dreamt rêver يحلم
drink drank drunk boire يشرب
drive drove driven conduire يقود
eat ate eaten manger يأكل
fall fell fallen Tomber يسقط
feed fed fed alimenter يٌطعم
feel felt felt sentir يشعر
fight fought fought lutter يعارك
find found found trouver يجد
fly flew flown voler يطير
forget forgot forgotten oublier ينسى
get got got/gotten obtenir يحصل
give gave given donner يعطي
go went gone aller يذهب
grow grew grown grandir ينمو
have had had avoir يملك
hear heard heard entendre يسمع
hide hid hidden cacher يخفي
hit hit hit frapper يضرب
hold held held attraper يمسك
hurt hurt hurt blesser يؤذي
keep kept kept garder يحفظ
know knew known savoir يعرف
learn learnt/learned learnt/learned apprendre يتعلم
leave left left partir يترك
let let let laisser يترك
lie lay lain mentir يكذب
lose lost lost perdre يخسر
make made made faire يصنع
meet met met rencontrer يقابل
pay paid paid payer يدفع
put put put mettre يضع
read read read lire يقرأ
ride rode ridden monter يركب
ring rang rung sonner جرس
run ran run courir يجري
say said said dire يقول
see saw seen voir يرى
sell sold sold vendre يبيع
send sent sent envoyer يرسل
shoot shot shot tirer يطلق النار
show showed shown montrer يعرض
shut shut shut fermer يغلق
sing sang sung chanter يغني
sit sat sat s'asseoir يجلس
sleep slept slept dormir ينام
speak spoke spoken parler يتكلم
spend spent spent dépenser ينفق
stand stood stood se tenir debout يقف
steal stole stolen voler يسرق
swim swam swum nager يسبح
take took taken prendre يأخذ
teach taught taught enseigner يعلم
tell told told dire يخبر
think thought thought penser يفكر
throw threw thrown lancer يرمي
understand understood understood comprendre يفهم
wear wore worn porter يرتدي
win won won gagner يفوز
write wrote written écrire يكتب

Examples :
  • I have searched the entire loft for that box, but I did not find it.
    (The root verb here is 'search', 'have searched' is the verb in the sentence that indicates the perfect tense and 'searched' is the past participle)

  • Dylan had read the book already.
    (In the above example, the root verb here is 'read', 'have read' is the verb in the sentence that indicates the perfect tense and 'read' is the past participle. In this case, all forms of the verb take the same spelling but have a different pronunciation)

  • The sentence "I have spoken to my teacher" is in the present perfect tense. The past participle "spoken" is used here to describe the action of speaking that has already taken place.

  • The past participle can also be an adjective or a noun. For example, the sentence "The broken window needs to be fixed" uses the past participle "broken" as an adjective to describe the window.



Infinitives and gerunds

If you want to use a verb as a noun, you can turn it into an infinitive or gerund, the noun forms of verbs.

Infinitives

Infinitives, like gerunds, can be used to turn verbs into nouns by adding a preposition 'to' in front of the root verb.
Although technically two words, an infinitive acts as a single word, usually a noun, but sometimes also an adjective or adverb.

To forgive is divine. (noun)
Bring a snack to eat if you get hungry. (adjective describing "snack")

Examples :
  • Would you like to have something?
  • I like to dance in my free time.
  • I am going to talk to my friend.
  • I wanted to help you out.
  • Are you trying to go there?
  • I just love to flaunt my new Ferarri.

Gerunds

Any verb can be transformed into a gerund by adding ‘ing’ to the root verb , identical to the present participle. Gerunds, when it stands by themselves, can be used as nouns. A gerund can be used as a verb when used with an auxiliary verb to indicate an action that is continuing at a particular period of time.

Examples :
  • He is eating an apple.
  • Joy will be coming home next week.
  • Walking every day is good exercise.
  • Drinking and driving is dangerous.
  • Eating fruits and vegetables is good for you.
  • Smoking is injurious to health.
  • Walking is good for health.
  • I love swimming.

Difference between infinitives and gerunds

So what’s the difference between infinitives and gerunds? Often, they are interchangeable—both infinitives and gerunds can act as subjects and direct objects.

Examples :
  • Living with a dog changes your outlook on life. (correct)
  • To live with a dog changes your outlook on life. (also correct)

However, only gerunds can be the object of a preposition.

Examples :
  • When I'm not fishing, I'm thinking about fishing..

Moreover, some transitive verbs only use infinitives as a direct object—for example, want.

Examples :
  • I want to break free. (correct)
  • I want breaking free. (incorrect)

Although there are others, some common verbs use infinitives. They include the following: choose, decide, hope, plan, prepare, promise, wish.

In general, use the infinitives for situations that are abstract, unreal, or haven't happened yet. Use gerunds for situations that are specific, real, or have already happened.

Examples :
  • In the mornings, I really like to exercise. (abstract; infinitive)
  • This morning, I really liked exercising. (specific; gerund)

Active Voice and Passive Voice

What is Voice of a verb ?
The Voice of a verb shows whether the subject is active or passive. The verb is active if the subject performs an action, and passive if the subject receives an action.

Examples :
  • The watchman opens the door. (active)
  • The door is opened by the watchman. (passive)
  • Stricklen threw the ball to Williams. (active)
  • The ball was thrown to Williams by Stricklen. (passive)
  • Williams was thrown the ball by Stricklen. (passive)

Types of Voices of Verb
There are Two Basic Kinds of Voice in English Grammar :
1. Active Voice
2. Passive Voice

What is Active Voice ?
When the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb then it is Active Voice. Active voice is used when more straightforward relation and clarity is required between the subject and the verb.

Active Voice examples :
  • I swim in the ocean.
    --> I (subject) is doing swim (verb) ocean (object).
  • My mom plays violin.
    --> mom (subject) is doing plays (verb) violin (object).
  • The man must have eaten five hamburgers.
    --> The man (subject) is doing the eating (verb) hamburgers (object).
  • Mina mailed the letter.
    --> Mina (subject) is doing the mailing (verb) letter (object).

What is Passive Voice ?
When the object is acted upon by the subject, the sentence is written in Passive voice. Passive voice is used when the doer of the action is not known and the focus of the sentence is on the action and not the subject.

Passive Voice examples :
  • The apple was eaten by Sofia.
    --> Apple (subject) was being eaten (verb).
  • Five hamburgers must have eaten by the man.
    --> Hamburgers (subject) are being eaten (verb).
  • The letter was mailed by Mina.
    --> The letter (subject) was being mailed (verb).

Conversion of Active and Passive voice
Active voice defines that the subject is doing the action and the passive voice refers to that the subject is being acted upon.
Passive voice is generally used for descriptive purposes. In contrast, active voice is typically used in live conversations.

  • Rita wrote a letter. (Subject + Verb + Object)
  • A letter was written by Rita. (Object) + (auxiliary verb) + (past participle) + (by subject).
  • She cooks food. (Subject + Verb + Object)
  • The food is cooked by her. (Object) + (auxiliary verb) + (past participle) + (by subject)

In passive voice sometimes the subject is not used, i.e. the subject in passive voice can be omitted if the sentence without it gives enough meaning.

Example :
  • Milk is sold in litres

Change the base verb in the active sentence into the past participle preceded by (By, With, to, etc).
Base verbs are never used in passive voice sentences.

  • She prepares dinner. (Subject + Verb + Object)
  • The dinner is prepared by her. (Object) + (auxiliary verb) + (past participle) + (by subject).
  • She knows him. (Subject + Verb + Object)
  • He is known to her. (Object) + (auxiliary verb) + (past participle) + (to subject).
  • Juice fills the jar. (Subject + Verb + Object)
  • The jar is filled with juice. (Object) + (auxiliary verb) + (past participle) + (with subject).

While conversion of Active voice sentence to Passive voice sentence, the pronoun used in the sentence also changes in the following manner :

Active Voice Pronoun Passive Voice Pronoun
I Me
We Us
He Him
She Her
They Them
You You
It It

The rules for using auxiliary verbs in passive voice sentences are different for each tense.

In Present Simple :
Active Voice
Verb Form : First Form / Base Form		 Passive Voice
Verb Form : is/am/are + Past Participle
I write a letter. A letter is written by me.
She speaks French. French is spoken by her.
He does not drink coffee. Coffee is not drunk by him.

You will find suitable examples in the Tenses section.