Verbs which cannot be used in the passive voice

Intransitive verbs

Intransitive verbs (verbs that do not take an object) cannot be passive. For this reason, the following sentences have no passive equivalents:

We arrived home late at night.
Did you sleep well?
He was running too fast.

Certain state verbs

Certain state verbs are not used in the passive even if they are transitive. Examples of such verbs are: belong, have (own), lack, resemble, suit etc. The following sentences cannot be made passive:

Joanne has two brothers.
Does this bag belong to you?
Unfortunately, Friday doesn't suit me.

Remember that some state verbs also have active meanings (e.g. measure, fit and weigh). If these verbs are used with the active meaning, they can be passive:

The truck weighed 2.5 tons. (Its weight was 2.5 tons.) (active sentence, stative meaning, cannot be made passive)

They weighed the truck before and after loading the cargo. (They measured its weight.) (active sentence, active meaning, can be made passive)
The truck was weighed before and after loading the cargo. (passive sentence)

There are state verbs which can normally be passive:

Nothing is known about the thief.
She is loved by all her friends.
I have the feeling I've been misunderstood.

Verbs which are always passive

Some verbs are used almost exclusively in the passive voice:

He was born into a wealthy family.
When your order is shipped, we will send you a confirmation e-mail.
The victims were hospitalised immediately.
The room was strewn with books and magazines.
The area is mainly populated by families with small children.

Active verbs with a passive meaning

Some verbs are used in the active form with a passive meaning:

The company's new phone doesn't sell as well as the last one. (Fewer people buy it.)
The sign on the door read "No entry". (That is what you read on it.)
The trousers have been mended, and now the hole doesn't show. (It can't be seen.)

Active gerunds after need, require and want also have passive meanings:

The walls need painting. (They should be painted.)
Liquid nitrogen requires careful handling. (It should be handled carefully.)
The dog wants feeding. (It should be fed.)

Passive verbs with an active meaning

Some verbs can be used in the passive form with an active meaning:

My parents are retired now. (My parents have retired.)
Are you finished yet? (Have you finished yet?)
Those days are gone. (Those days have gone.)