Passive Forms
The passive voice allows you to focus on the action or the recipient of the action, rather than the doer. Mastering the passive enables you to write and speak formally, objectively, and with variety. In this lesson, you will review passive formation across tenses, learn formal passive reporting patterns, and extend to causatives, two-object passives, and selected advanced uses.
1. Basics of the Passive
Use
- To emphasize what happened, not who did it.
- To make language formal, objective, or impersonal.
- Common in processes, scientific writing, and official reports.
Formation
Object of the active sentence → subject in the passive + be (agreeing with the new subject in the correct tense) + past participle (+ by + agent if needed)
Only verbs that take an object can usually be made passive (e.g., make, build, give). Intransitive verbs like arrive, happen, occur do not form a normal passive (An accident occurred → not An accident was occurred). A few transitive verbs also normally resist the passive, including have, fit, suit, resemble, and lack: say Her sister resembles her, not She is resembled by her sister.
Examples
- The report was written by the manager.
- The cookies were baked yesterday.
- A new bridge is being built in the city center.
Notes
The agent (“by…”) is optional if unknown or unimportant.
The documents were signed yesterday. ✓
The documents were signed by the CEO. ✓
Use by for the agent (the doer) and with for the instrument:
- “The window was broken by a boy.”
- “The window was broken with a hammer.”
Get passive
Get + past participle is an informal alternative to be + past participle, often used for changes of state or events that affect someone, sometimes negatively:
- “He got fired.”
- “She got promoted.”
Avoid the get passive in formal reports, where be passive is normally more appropriate.
Prepositional and phrasal-verb passives
The preposition stays with the verb in a passive:
- “The bed had been slept in.”
- “The doctor was sent for.”
- “The proposal was looked into.”
2. Passive in Different Tenses
Present simple
is/are + past participle
- The files are checked every day.
Past simple
was/were + past participle
- The decision was announced yesterday.
Future simple
will be + past participle
- The results will be published next week.
Present continuous
am/is/are being + past participle
- The room is being cleaned now.
Past continuous
was/were being + past participle
- The house was being renovated when I visited.
Present perfect
has/have been + past participle
- The project has been completed successfully.
Past perfect
had been + past participle
- The documents had been prepared before the meeting.
Future perfect
will have been + past participle
- By next Monday, all applications will have been processed.
Modals
modal + be + past participle (present/future) / modal + have been + past participle (past)
- The problem should be solved quickly.
- The figures must be verified.
- The figures must have been verified.
Must be verified often expresses an obligation or requirement; must have been verified often expresses a logical deduction about the past. Advanced forms such as might be being monitored and could have been being monitored exist but are rare — prefer rephrasing in formal writing.
Tips
- Perfect forms emphasize completion or result.
- Continuous passive emphasizes ongoing action.
- Modals express necessity, probability, or obligation formally.
3. Passive with Reporting Verbs
Used to make reported speech or statements more formal.
Equivalent future-oriented reporting patterns
- It is expected that the proposal will be reviewed.
- The proposal is expected to be reviewed.
Notes
Distinguish be + past participle as a passive event from a resulting state. Some participles are adjectival as well as passive. Compare: The door was closed at 6 p.m. (someone closed it: event) and The door was closed all day (state). If a by-phrase such as by the guard fits naturally, the form is more likely an eventive passive.
- passive reporting verb + to-infinitive / perfect infinitive: distance/impersonal reporting. He is reported to have resigned.
- be + to-infinitive can also express official arrangement/instruction. The President is to visit tomorrow.
Also note two core passive reporting structures (same meaning):
- It is believed that the new rules apply to all staff.
- The new rules are believed to apply to all staff.
And for past meaning:
- It is reported that he has resigned.
- He is reported to have resigned.
4. Causative Passive
The causative passive is used when someone arranges for another person to do something. The focus is on the action being done, not on who does it.
Structure
have / get + object + past participle
Examples (Past tense)
- I had my car repaired yesterday.
- She got her house painted last week.
Examples (Present tense)
- I have my car repaired every year.
- She gets her house painted regularly.
Causative meaning = I arrange/pay for it: I have my car repaired every year (as part of a service plan).
Ordinary passive = the car receives the action, agent unknown: My car is repaired every year.
Examples (Future tense)
- I will have my car repaired tomorrow.
- She will get her house painted next month.
Notes
“Get” is slightly less formal than “have” and is more common in spoken English. Remember, in causative passive, the focus is on the action performed on the object, not on who performs it.
Quick check
Try one question now
Check your answer when you are ready.
5. Passive with Two Objects
Some verbs take two objects, and both can appear in the passive.
Examples
- Active: The teacher gave the students homework.
- Passive 1: Homework was given to the students.
- Passive 2: The students were given homework.
The person-subject passive is usually more frequent: The students were given homework. If the thing is the subject, use a to-phrase for the recipient: Homework was given to the students.
6. Passive within Advanced Structures
These are not new passive forms; they are structures where passive is commonly used for focus and formality.
In the examples below, notice that the passive inside the structure still follows the same tense/modal patterns from Sections 1–2 (e.g., had been signed, is considered, would have been delayed).
A. Clefts and fronting
- Example: It was the manager who was praised for the project.
- Focuses on emphasis.
- Fronting: Never before had such a decision been taken.
B. Passive with gerunds
- Example: Being promoted is considered a great achievement.
- Useful for formal, academic, and professional writing, where an objective or impersonal tone is required.
C. Passive in conditionals
- Example: If the documents had been signed earlier, the project would have started on time.
- Combines perfect tenses and passive to express hypothetical outcomes.
7. Key Points and Takeaways
- The passive emphasizes the action or recipient, not the doer.
- Use the passive in all tenses, modals, perfect/continuous forms, and reporting structures.
- It is essential for formal writing, academic texts, and professional communication.
- Mastery allows you to write objectively, emphasize results, and add stylistic variety.
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Last updated August 23, 2026