Learning objectives
- Understand the difference between the active voice and the passive voice
- Form the passive voice correctly using to be + past participle
- Use the passive voice correctly in the present simple, past simple, present perfect and future
- Use the passive voice correctly with modal verbs (can, must, should)
- Transform an active sentence into a passive sentence step by step
- Know when to use the passive voice instead of the active voice
- Avoid common errors when forming the passive voice
Grammar & vocabulary
Formation: to be + past participle
The passive voice is formed with the correct tense of the verb "to be" + the past participle of the main verb. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence, and the original subject can be added at the end with "by", if relevant. Active: "The teacher corrects the tests." Passive: "The tests are corrected by the teacher."
The passive across different tenses
Present simple: is/are + past participle — "The letter is written every week." Past simple: was/were + past participle — "The letter was written yesterday." Present perfect: has/have been + past participle — "The letter has been written." Future: will be + past participle — "The letter will be written tomorrow." Modal passive: modal + be + past participle — "The letter can be written today." / "The letter must be written by Friday." / "The letter should be written carefully."
Step-by-step transformation: active to passive
Active sentence: "Workers built this bridge in 1990." Step 1 — find the object of the active sentence: "this bridge". Step 2 — make it the subject of the passive sentence: "This bridge..." Step 3 — put the correct form of "to be" in the same tense as the active verb (simple past "built" → "was"): "This bridge was..." Step 4 — add the past participle of the main verb: "This bridge was built..." Step 5 — add "by" + the original subject, if it adds useful information: "This bridge was built by workers in 1990." (or simply "This bridge was built in 1990." if the agent is not important).
When to use the passive voice
Use the passive when the agent is unknown: "My phone was stolen." (we don't know who did it). Use it when the agent is unimportant: "This medicine is produced in several countries." (who produces it matters less than the fact itself). Use it when the agent is obvious from context: "He was arrested yesterday." (obviously by the police). Use it in formal, scientific or academic writing, to focus on the action or the result rather than on the person who performed it: "The experiment was carried out under controlled conditions."
More examples across tenses
"English is spoken in many countries." (present simple). "The house was built in 1920." (past simple). "The results have been announced." (present perfect). "The problem will be solved soon." (future). "This exercise must be completed before Friday." (modal passive).
Common mistakes
Forgetting the verb 'to be' and using only the past participle — 'The letter written yesterday' is incorrect; the correct form is 'The letter was written yesterday.'
Using the wrong form of the past participle, especially with irregular verbs — 'The window was broke' is incorrect; the correct form is 'The window was broken.'
Keeping the object of the active sentence in the passive sentence instead of turning it into the new subject — 'The cake was baked a cake by her' is incorrect; the correct form is 'The cake was baked by her.'
Forgetting to change the form of 'to be' to match the tense of the original active sentence — a past action needs 'was/were', not 'is/are'.
Adding 'by + agent' when it is unnecessary or already obvious — 'The road was repaired by workers' is grammatically correct but often unnecessary in context; when the agent is obvious or unimportant, it is more natural to simply say 'The road was repaired.'
Worked example — A school announcement
Passage
"New exam rules were introduced by the ministry last month. All students must be informed about the changes before the next session. The new schedule has already been published on the school website, and further details will be announced next week."
Explanation
"were introduced" is past simple passive (was/were + past participle), matching a completed past action, with "by the ministry" added because the agent is relevant information. "must be informed" is a modal passive (modal + be + past participle), showing an obligation. "has already been published" is present perfect passive (has/have been + past participle), showing a completed action with present relevance, and no agent is given because it is unimportant here. "will be announced" is future passive (will be + past participle), describing a future action whose agent is not the focus of the sentence.
3 practice exercises
Exercise 1
EasyPut each sentence into the passive voice. 1) They clean the office every day. 2) Someone stole my bike last night. 3) The company will launch a new product next month.
Show answer
1) The office is cleaned every day. 2) My bike was stolen last night. 3) A new product will be launched next month.
Exercise 2
MediumPut each sentence into the passive voice, keeping the same tense. 1) The chef has prepared the meal. 2) Workers are building a new bridge. 3) You must finish the report by Friday. 4) They had already sold all the tickets before we arrived.
Show answer
1) The meal has been prepared. 2) A new bridge is being built. 3) The report must be finished by Friday. 4) All the tickets had already been sold before we arrived.
Exercise 3
HardTransform this sentence into the passive voice, then explain each step: "The government announced new education reforms yesterday."
Show answer
Passive: "New education reforms were announced by the government yesterday." Steps: 1) Identify the object of the active sentence ("new education reforms") — it becomes the subject of the passive sentence. 2) Change the verb to the correct passive form matching the original tense (simple past "announced" → "were announced", since "reforms" is plural). 3) Turn the original subject ("the government") into the agent, introduced by "by" (kept here because it adds relevant information). 4) Keep the time expression ("yesterday") in its usual position at the end.
3 exercices, c'est un début.
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FAQ
How do you form the passive voice in English?
The passive voice is formed with the correct tense of the verb 'to be' + the past participle of the main verb — for example, 'is written' (present simple passive), 'was written' (past simple passive), 'has been written' (present perfect passive), or 'will be written' (future passive).
When should you use the passive voice instead of the active voice?
The passive voice is used when the person or thing that performs the action (the agent) is unknown, unimportant, or already obvious from context, and it is also common in formal or scientific writing to focus attention on the action or the result rather than on who did it.
How do you transform an active sentence into a passive sentence?
The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence, the verb changes to the correct form of 'to be' + past participle, and the original subject becomes the agent, introduced by 'by', which can be included or omitted depending on whether it is relevant.