Passive Voice
Learn how to shift focus from the doer to the action. Master the passive voice structure: be + past participle, and understand when and why to use it.
What is the Passive Voice?
In English, we have two voices: active and passive. In the active voice, the subject performs the action. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action. The passive voice is used when we want to focus on the action itself rather than who did it, or when the doer is unknown or unimportant.
📘 Active Voice
Subject + verb + object
"The chef cooked the meal."
Focus on WHO did the action.
📘 Passive Voice
Subject + be + past participle + (by + agent)
"The meal was cooked by the chef."
Focus on WHAT happened.
Key idea: Active = subject does action | Passive = subject receives action.
Structure: How to Form the Passive
BE + PAST PARTICIPLE
The verb "be" changes according to the tense. The past participle remains the same.
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | writes | is/are written |
| Present Continuous | is writing | is being written |
| Past Simple | wrote | was/were written |
| Past Continuous | was writing | was being written |
| Present Perfect | has written | has been written |
| Past Perfect | had written | had been written |
| Future (will) | will write | will be written |
| Modal verbs | can write | can be written |
How to Transform Active to Passive
Step-by-Step:
- Identify the object of the active sentence → becomes the subject in passive
- Use the correct form of "be" (same tense as active verb)
- Add the past participle of the main verb
- Add "by + subject" if necessary (optional)
Example Transformation:
Active: Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.
→ Object: Hamlet (becomes subject)
→ "be" in past simple: was
→ Past participle: written
Passive: Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.
When to Use Passive Voice
1. The doer is unknown
"My car was stolen last night." (I don't know who stole it)
2. The doer is unimportant
"The bridge was built in 1990." (who built it is not important)
3. Scientific/academic writing
"The experiment was conducted in a laboratory."
4. To emphasize the action/result
"The suspect has been arrested." (focus on the arrest)
Examples in All Tenses
Present Simple:
"The letter is sent every day."
Present Continuous:
"The house is being painted now."
Past Simple:
"The movie was made in 2010."
Past Continuous:
"The dinner was being cooked when I arrived."
Present Perfect:
"The project has been completed."
Future (will):
"The results will be announced tomorrow."
Modal verbs:
"This work must be finished today."
With "by":
"This painting was painted by Picasso."
Passive Voice Without "by"
Often, we omit the agent (the person/thing doing the action) when it is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from context.
✅ With "by" (agent is important)
"The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci."
✅ Without "by" (agent is unknown/unimportant)
"My phone was stolen." (I don't know who)
"The road is being repaired." (who is repairing is obvious)
Active vs Passive: When to Choose
Use Active Voice when:
- The doer is important
- Writing is more direct and energetic
- In most everyday communication
- Example: "The CEO announced the new policy."
Use Passive Voice when:
- The doer is unknown or unimportant
- You want to emphasize the action/result
- In formal, scientific, or academic writing
- Example: "The new policy was announced yesterday."
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Incorrect:
"The book was wrote by Hemingway."
✅ Correct:
"The book was written by Hemingway."
Use past participle (written), not past simple (wrote).
❌ Incorrect:
"The letter is send every day."
✅ Correct:
"The letter is sent every day."
❌ Incorrect:
"The house is build now."
✅ Correct:
"The house is being built now."
❌ Incorrect:
"The project has been finish."
✅ Correct:
"The project has been finished."
Interactive Exercises
Practice what you've learned. Choose the correct passive form.
Quick Summary
be + past participle
is written, was made, has been done
Unknown/unimportant doer, emphasize action, formal writing
Object → Subject, be + past participle, (by + subject)
💡 Remember: Passive voice focuses on the action, not the doer. Use it when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or you want to emphasize the result!