Når udsagnsleddet står i handleform, er grundleddet den handlende (aktivt), og når udsagnsleddet står i lideform, er grundleddet målet for handlingen (passivt).
Handleform eller lideform?
Nogle udsagnsord har kun en handleform og andre kun en lideform, men langt de fleste har begge former. Når du vælger mellem handleform og lideform, vælger du sætningens fokus og emne.
F.eks.
She was driving down the street, when she saw a person lying on the pavement and the back of a swerving and speeding car. She helped the accident victim up from the pavement and….
Det er heltinden i situationen, du vil fortælle om, så du fastholder fokus på hende ved at gøre hende til grundled i alle sætninger. Det betyder så, at alle udsagnsleddene skal i handleform was driving (udvidet datid), saw, helped (simpel datid).
Bøjningsformer i simpel passiv – det regelmæssige udsagnsord to help:
| Grundled | Nutid | Datid | Førnutid |
| I | am helped | was helped | have been helped |
| You | are helped | were helped | have been helped |
| He/she/it | is helped | was helped | has been helped |
| We | were helped | were helped | have been helped |
| You | were helped | were helped | have been helped |
| They | were helped | were helped | have been helped |
Bøjningsformer i simpel passiv – det regelmæssige udsagnsord to help – fortsat:
| Grundled | Førdatid | Fremtid |
| I | had been helped | shall be helped |
| You | had been helped | will be helped |
| He/she/it | had been helped | will be helped |
| We | had been helped | shall be helped |
| You | had been helped | will be helped |
| They | had been helped | will be helped |
Note
Hvis du forestiller dig, at vi afleder en navnemåde af to help, som hedder to be helped, er bøjningen let at holde styr på. Du bøjer bare to be og fastholder helped hele vejen igennem.
Du kan kende simpel lideform fra udvidet handleform (skema II i afsnittet om Simpel og udvidet tid) på, at der ikke er nogen ing-former i simpel passiv.
Eksempel
The accident victim was a pedestrian quietly walking along the pavement, when he was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver. The victim was helped to his feet and…
Det er ofret for ulykken, du vil fortælle om. Som i første eksempel fastholder du fokus ved at gøre ofret til grundled i alle sætningerne. Derfor må du skifte fra handleform i første sætning was walking (udvidet datid) til lideform i de to efterfølgende sætninger was knocked down og was helped (simpel datid).
Hvis du tænker på den engelske betegnelse for handleform og lideform, active and passive voice, så vælger du altså, hvilket tema der skal være ”stemmeførende”, når du vælger mellem handleform og lideform.
Udvidet lideform
| Grundled | Nutid | Datid | Førnutid |
| I | am being helped | was being helped | have been being helped |
| You | are being helped | were being helped | have been being helped |
| He/she/it | is being helped | was being helped | has been being helped |
| We | are being helped | were being helped | have been being helped |
| You | are being helped | were being helped | have been being helped |
| They | are being helped | were being helped | have been being helped |
| Grundled | Førdatid | Fremtid |
| I | had been being helped | shall be being helped |
| You | had been being helped | will be being helped |
| He/she/it | had been being helped | will be being helped |
| We | had been being helped | shall be being helped |
| You | had been being helped | will be being helped |
| They | had been being helped | will be being helped |
Bemærk
Ing-formen siger, at det er udvidet tid: being udvider helped. Hvis du forestiller dig, at vi afleder en navnemåde af to be helped, som hedder to be being helped, er bøjningen let at holde styr på. Du bøjer bare to be og fastholder being helped hele vejen igennem.