Introduction to Passive Voice
The passive voice is used when the action, result or person affected by an action is more important than the person who performs it.
The window was broken.
English is spoken in many countries.
The results will be announced tomorrow.
In these passive voice examples, the focus is on the window, English and the results. The person or thing responsible for the action may be unknown, obvious or simply unimportant.
The passive voice is common in news reports, formal writing, scientific descriptions, instructions and situations where the speaker wants to sound neutral.
The basic passive structure is:
subject + form of be + past participle
The building was completed in 2018.
Learning the passive voice requires two main skills: choosing the correct form of be and using the past participle of the main verb. The form of be follows the normal tense rules. Review the present simple tense if you are unsure when to use am, is or are.
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What is the passive voice?
In an active sentence, the subject performs the action.
The chef prepared the meal.
In a passive sentence, the subject receives or experiences the action.
The meal was prepared by the chef.
The meaning is similar, but the focus changes.
In the active sentence, the focus is on the chef. In the passive sentence, the focus is on the meal.
The person or thing that performs the action is called the agent. In passive sentences, the agent can be introduced with by:
The novel was written by George Orwell.
However, passive sentences often omit the agent:
My bicycle was stolen.
The speaker may not know who stole it.
Only verbs that can take an object can normally be changed into the passive voice.
Active:
Someone opened the door.
Passive:
The door was opened.
The verb arrive does not normally take an object, so it cannot form a standard passive sentence.
Incorrect:
The station was arrived.
Correct:
The train arrived at the station.
Active voice versus passive voice
The active voice usually sounds more direct because it clearly states who performs the action.
The company employs 300 people.
The passive voice moves the object of the active sentence into the subject position.
Three hundred people are employed by the company.
To change an active sentence into the passive:
- Move the active object to the beginning.
- Choose the correct form of be.
- Change the main verb to its past participle.
- Add the original subject after by only when it is useful.
Active:
The council repaired the road.
Object: the road
Passive:
The road was repaired by the council.
The tense does not change. The active sentence is in the past simple, so the passive sentence must also describe a completed past action.
How to form the passive
The general passive voice rule is:
subject + be + past participle
The form of be changes according to the tense and subject.
Affirmative sentences
The room is cleaned every day.
The room was cleaned yesterday.
The room will be cleaned tomorrow.
Negative sentences
Place not after the form of be.
The room is not cleaned every day.
The room was not cleaned yesterday.
The room will not be cleaned tomorrow.
Questions
Move the form of be before the subject.
Is the room cleaned every day?
Was the room cleaned yesterday?
Will the room be cleaned tomorrow?
Including the agent
Use by when the person or thing responsible adds important information.
The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.
Do not include the agent when it is unknown, obvious or unnecessary.
My phone was stolen.
The suspect was arrested.
The office is cleaned every evening.
In the last two examples, it is obvious that the police arrested the suspect and that a cleaner cleans the office.
Passive forms in different tenses
The passive voice can be used in many English tenses. The main verb always appears as a past participle, while be carries the tense.
Present simple passive
Use the present simple passive for routines, general processes and facts.
Coffee is grown in many countries.
The classrooms are cleaned every evening.
The same time rules apply to the active and passive forms. Review the past simple tense for completed actions and finished past periods.
Past simple passive
Use the past simple passive for completed past actions.
The bridge was built in 1995.
Two people were injured in the accident.
Continuous passive forms
Use being when the action is in progress.
The road is being repaired.
The documents were being copied when the machine stopped.
Perfect passive forms
Use been after have, has or had.
The problem has been solved.
The room had been prepared before the guests arrived.
When to use the passive voice
When the agent is unknown
My wallet has been stolen.
The speaker does not know who stole it.
When the agent is obvious
The driver was arrested.
It is obvious that the police made the arrest.
The patient was taken to hospital.
The exact medical staff or emergency workers are not important.
When the action or result is more important
The new school will be opened in September.
The important information is the school and its opening date, not the people opening it.
In formal and academic writing
The passive voice can help create an objective or impersonal tone.
The data was collected over six months.
The samples were tested under controlled conditions.
However, the passive voice should not be used simply to make every sentence sound formal. Active sentences are often clearer.
Less clear:
A decision was made to cancel the event.
More direct:
The organisers decided to cancel the event.
IELTS candidates should also read our guide to using the passive voice in IELTS Writing Task 1, particularly for process diagrams and descriptions where the action matters more than the person performing it.
In news reports
News reports often focus on events and affected people.
Three houses were damaged in the storm.
A new policy has been announced.
For processes and instructions
The beans are collected and transported to the factory.
The mixture is heated before the sugar is added.
The people performing each step are less important than the process itself.
Passive voice with modal verbs
Modal verbs include can, could, may, might, must, should and would.
The passive structure is:
modal verb + be + past participle
The form must be completed today.
This problem can be solved.
The meeting might be cancelled.
The rules should be explained more clearly.
For past modal meanings, use:
modal + have been + past participle
The email should have been sent yesterday.
The mistake could have been avoided.
The documents may have been lost.
In negative sentences, place not after the modal verb.
The information must not be shared.
The building cannot be entered without permission.
Common mistakes
Forgetting the verb be
Incorrect:
The report completed yesterday.
Correct:
The report was completed yesterday.
A passive sentence requires an appropriate form of be.
Using the past simple instead of the past participle
Incorrect:
The letter was wrote by Maria.
Correct:
The letter was written by Maria.
The passive voice uses the past participle, not necessarily the past simple form.
Choosing the wrong form of be
Incorrect:
The cars was repaired.
Correct:
The cars were repaired.
The form of be must agree with the subject.
Keeping both active and passive objects
Incorrect:
The company launched the product was launched.
Correct active sentence:
The company launched the product.
Correct passive sentence:
The product was launched by the company.
Using by when the agent is unnecessary
Unnatural:
English is spoken by people in many countries.
More natural:
English is spoken in many countries.
Overusing the passive voice
Passive sentences are useful, but too many can make writing indirect.
Wordy:
The proposal was reviewed, and a decision was made by the managers.
Clearer:
The managers reviewed the proposal and made a decision.
Choose the voice that gives the clearest focus.
Exercises and answers
Change each active sentence into the passive voice. Omit the agent when it is unnecessary.
- The company produces thousands of computers every year.
- Someone stole my bicycle last night.
- The team is preparing the final report.
- They have cancelled the afternoon flight.
- The council will build a new sports centre.
- You must complete the form before Friday.
- The police arrested two suspects.
- Someone had cleaned the room before we arrived.
- They are going to announce the results tomorrow.
- People speak English in many countries.
- The manager should have explained the changes.
- A local architect designed the building.
Answers and explanations
- Thousands of computers are produced every year.
The active verb is in the present simple, so use are + produced. - My bicycle was stolen last night.
Use the past simple passive. The agent is unknown. - The final report is being prepared.
The active sentence is in the present continuous, so use is being + past participle. - The afternoon flight has been cancelled.
Use has been + past participle for the present perfect passive. - A new sports centre will be built.
Use will be + past participle. - The form must be completed before Friday.
After a modal verb, use be + past participle. - Two suspects were arrested.
The subject is plural, so use were. The police are the obvious agent. - The room had been cleaned before we arrived.
Use had been + past participle for the past perfect passive. - The results are going to be announced tomorrow.
Use am, is or are going to be + past participle. - English is spoken in many countries.
Use the present simple passive for a general fact. - The changes should have been explained.
Use should have been + past participle for a past modal passive. - The building was designed by a local architect.
The agent is useful because it identifies the person responsible for the design.
The passive voice is formed with be plus the past participle. Use it when the action, result or affected person is more important than the agent, or when the agent is unknown, obvious or unnecessary. Choose the active voice when the person responsible is important and a more direct sentence is clearer.
Related Grammar Lessons
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