Using passive voice

Overview

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Transitive verbs normally have both active and passive forms and can therefore be used in both active and passive clauses:

Lai then tied up Ms Hui and pushed both workers into a storeroom.
                                           active clauses

Ms Hui was then tied up and both workers were pushed into a storeroom.
                                passive clauses

However, intransitive verbs do not normally have passive forms. Therefore the second of the following sentences is impossible, as both fall and die are intransitive verbs:

As a result, Wong fell down the shaft and died.  

As a result, Wong was fallen down the shaft and was died.

However, sometimes passive voice does occur with verbs that are classed as intransitive, but which are followed by prepositions. In such cases it is the object of the preposition that becomes the subject of the passive clause:

Someone has slept in my bed.
        active clause

My bed has been slept in by someone.
        passive clause

For further information about this, see Using passive voice: Passive voice with verbs + prepositions.

For further information about the relationships between passive voice and transitivity, see
Using passive voice: Passive voice and transitivity and Using passive voice: Passive voice with ditransitive verbs.

Introduction
Relating passive clauses to active clauses
Which verbs can be used in passive voice?
Passive voice with verbs other than action verbs
How to use passive voice
Passives and -ed adjectives