Using passive voice
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Passive voice with possession verbs | page 2 of 3 |
Have, own and possess
Possession verbs such as have, own and possess can be used to represent a relationship of what can be glossed as "ownership". Some such verbs can occur in passive clauses and some cannot.
The verb own may occur in passive clauses:
Garden Square is owned by the National Australia Financial Management group. (Bank of English)
However, the common verb have when used as a possession verb is never used
in passive clauses 
. So we have:
They have the special skills needed to succeed in an often tough but satisfying world. (Bank of English)
The following is not possible:
The special skills needed to succeed in an often tough but satisfying world are had (by them).
The verb possess can be used in passive clauses to express a relationship of ownership, but this use is quite rare:
Regan points out that there is no identifiable characteristic that literally all human beings have that is not also possessed by some non-human beings.
(Bank of English)
In most cases in which possess is used in passive clauses it has the special meaning of "being completely controlled by some kind of (usually evil) spirit, or very strong emotion":
Saguno became convinced his 26-year-old bride-to-be, Mary Odegbami, was possessed by the devil. (Bank of English)
For teaching purposes, it may therefore be best at least initially to put possess along with have as verbs not used in passive clauses to express possession.
For further information about possession verbs, see 
Representing
being and having: Using have and other possession verbs.
Have, own and possess
