Passive voice
Forming and using the passive across all tenses, with modals, infinitives and reporting verbs.
We use the passive voice when the action is more important than the person who does it, or when the doer is unknown, obvious or unimportant. The passive is formed with the correct tense of 'be' plus the past participle (V3): the house is built, was built, has been built, will be built, is being built, was being built. After modal verbs we use 'be + V3' (must be done, can be repaired) and after some verbs we use the passive infinitive (to be done) or gerund. If we want to mention who does the action, we add a 'by' phrase. For example: 'The letter was written by Anna.' Reporting verbs such as say, think and believe form special passive patterns: 'It is said that he is rich' or 'He is said to be rich.'
Key terms
| Tense | Passive form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | am/is/are + V3 | English is spoken all over the world. |
| Past Simple | was/were + V3 | The bridge was built in 1990. |
| Present Perfect | have/has been + V3 | My bike has been stolen. |
| Modal | modal + be + V3 | This homework must be finished before Monday. |
| Future Simple | will be + V3 | The new stadium will be opened next year. |
| Step | What to do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Move the active object to the front as the new subject | Someone cleans the office -> The office ... |
| 2 | Use the correct tense of 'be' (same tense as the active verb) | cleans -> is |
| 3 | Add the past participle (V3) of the main verb | is + cleaned |
| 4 | Add a 'by' phrase only if the doer is important | The office is cleaned every day. |
- 1Active sentence: The children broke the window yesterday.
- 2New subject: Move the object 'the window' to the front as the subject.
- 3Form of 'be': The active verb is past simple ('broke'), so 'be' becomes past simple: 'was' (singular subject).
- 4Add V3: Add the past participle 'broken': 'was broken'.
- 5Optional 'by' phrase: Result: 'The window was broken by the children yesterday.'
- 1Active sentence: Someone has stolen my bike.
- 2New subject: Move the object 'my bike' to the front as the subject.
- 3Form of 'be': The active verb is present perfect ('has stolen'), so 'be' becomes 'has been'.
- 4Add V3: Add the past participle 'stolen': 'has been stolen'.
- 5Result: My bike has been stolen. The vague doer 'someone' is dropped.
The passive is always 'be' + V3 (past participle). Forms like 'must been finished' or 'must be handle' are wrong: after 'be' you need the past participle, for example 'must be finished', 'must be handled'.
It is the 'be' that carries the tense, not the main verb. Keep 'be' in the same tense as the active sentence: a present simple original stays present ('Wheat is harvested'), and a past original stays past ('The factory was knocked down').
The 'by + agent' phrase is optional. Add it only when the doer is important; drop it when the doer is unknown, obvious or unimportant, as in 'My bike has been stolen.'
Match 'be' to the subject's number: use 'is/was' with a singular or uncountable subject (coffee is produced) and 'are/were' with a plural one (these photographs were taken).
Rules
- 1Form the passive with the correct tense of 'be' + past participle (V3); keep the same tense as the active sentence.
- 2Move the active object to the front as the new subject; add the doer in a 'by' phrase only if it is important.
- 3After modal verbs use 'modal + be + V3' (It must be finished) and use the passive infinitive 'to be + V3' after verbs like want, need, expect.
- 4Continuous passives use 'be + being + V3' (is being repaired, was being repaired); perfect passives use 'have/has/had been + V3'.
- 5Reporting verbs make two passive patterns: 'It is said that + clause' and 'Subject + is said + to-infinitive'.
Practice
15 easy · 15 medium · 15 hard
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