The passive voice is a sentence structure where the focus shifts from who performs the action to who or what receives the action. In an active sentence, the subject does the action: The chef prepared the meal. In a passive sentence, the receiver of the action becomes the subject: The meal was prepared by the chef. Understanding when and how to use the passive voice is essential for both writing and speaking English at an intermediate level and beyond.
The passive voice is not wrong or inferior to the active voice. It serves specific purposes in academic writing, journalism, scientific reports, and everyday conversation. The key is knowing when each voice is the better choice.
How to Form / Structure
The passive voice is formed using the verb "to be" in the appropriate tense plus the past participle of the main verb.
Formula: Subject + to be (conjugated) + past participle (+ by agent)
Here is how the passive voice works across the most common English tenses:
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | She writes the report. | The report is written by her. |
| Past Simple | He fixed the car. | The car was fixed by him. |
| Present Continuous | They are building a house. | A house is being built by them. |
| Past Continuous | She was painting the wall. | The wall was being painted by her. |
| Present Perfect | We have completed the project. | The project has been completed by us. |
| Past Perfect | He had sent the email. | The email had been sent by him. |
| Future Simple | They will announce the results. | The results will be announced by them. |
| Modal Verbs | You must finish the work. | The work must be finished by you. |
The "by" phrase (called the agent) is optional. Include it only when the doer of the action is important or unknown information to the reader.
When to Use
The passive voice is the right choice in several specific situations:
1. When the doer is unknown or unimportant
- My bicycle was stolen last night. (We do not know who did it.)
- The pyramids were built thousands of years ago. (The specific builders are less important than the pyramids.)
2. When you want to emphasize the receiver of the action
- The new hospital will be opened next month. (The hospital is the focus, not the person opening it.)
- Three people were injured in the accident. (The injured people are the focus.)
3. In formal, academic, or scientific writing
- The experiment was conducted over six weeks.
- The data were analyzed using statistical software.
4. When the doer is obvious from context
- The suspect was arrested at 3 a.m. (Obviously by the police.)
- The package was delivered this morning. (Obviously by a delivery service.)
5. To be diplomatic or avoid blame
- Mistakes were made. (Avoids saying who made them.)
- The deadline was missed. (Less accusatory than naming someone.)
Common Mistakes
| Wrong | Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| The book was wrote by the author. | The book was written by the author. | Use the past participle, not the past simple. |
| The cake is make by my mother. | The cake is made by my mother. | "Make" must become the past participle "made." |
| The window was been broken. | The window was broken / has been broken. | Do not combine "was" with "been" directly. Choose one tense. |
| The letter has been wrote. | The letter has been written. | After "has been," always use the past participle. |
| My car got repair yesterday. | My car was repaired / got repaired yesterday. | The past participle must be the correct form. |
Tip: The most common mistake is using the wrong form of the past participle. If you are unsure, check a list of irregular verbs. Regular verbs simply add "-ed" (cleaned, painted, delivered), but irregular verbs have unique forms (written, stolen, built).
Practice Examples
Transform these active sentences into passive, then check the answers:
- Someone cleans the office every evening. — The office is cleaned every evening.
- Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. — The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.
- They are repairing the bridge right now. — The bridge is being repaired right now.
- The company has hired 50 new employees. — Fifty new employees have been hired by the company.
- We will hold the meeting on Friday. — The meeting will be held on Friday.
- Nobody told me about the changes. — I was not told about the changes.
- You must submit the application before June. — The application must be submitted before June.
Quick Reference
- Formula: Subject + to be + past participle (+ by agent).
- Use the passive when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious.
- Use it to emphasize the action or its receiver rather than the performer.
- The passive voice is common in formal writing, news reports, and scientific texts.
- Always use the correct past participle form, especially for irregular verbs.
- Include the "by" phrase only when the agent adds meaningful information.
- Avoid overusing the passive in everyday writing. When the doer matters, use the active voice for clarity and directness.
A strong command of both active and passive voice gives you more flexibility as a writer and speaker. Practice converting sentences between the two forms, and pay attention to how published texts use the passive voice in news articles, textbooks, and academic papers.
