Passive voice

Basic structure

The standard passive voice is formed by using be + past participle. In many cases, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive (with transitive verbs). Only verbs that can take an object can normally be made passive.

In passive sentences, the subject receives the action; it does not perform it.

Structure:

• be (in the correct tense/aspect: am/is/are, was/were, will be, has/have been, is/are being, etc.) + past participle
• (or modal + be) in the correct tense/aspect … + past participle (e.g., can be done, must be completed, should be checked)

Example:

• Active: “The manager approves the request.”
• Passive: “The request is approved by the manager.”
• We often omit the agent: “The request is approved.” We include by + agent when the doer is important or to avoid ambiguity: “The request is approved by the manager (not the assistant).”

1. Present passive forms

Present simple passive

Form:

• subject + am / is / are + past participle

Examples:

• Active: “They clean the classrooms every day.”
  Passive: “The classrooms are cleaned every day.”
• Active: “People use this software worldwide.”
  Passive: “This software is used worldwide.”
• Active: “The company produces the cars locally.”
  Passive: “The cars are produced locally.”

Present continuous passive

Form:

• subject + am / is / are being + past participle

Note: continuous forms are generally used with actions in progress; most stative verbs are not used in the continuous (e.g., we say “It is known”, not “It is being known” in most contexts).

Examples:

• Active: “They are repairing the road.”
  Passive: “The road is being repaired.”
• Active: “The team is reviewing the report.”
  Passive: “The report is being reviewed.”
• Active: “They are interviewing candidates.”
  Passive: “Candidates are being interviewed.”

Present perfect passive

Form:

• subject + has / have been + past participle

Examples:

• Active: “They have completed the project.”
  Passive: “The project has been completed.”
• Active: “Someone has stolen the laptop.”
  Passive: “The laptop has been stolen.”
• Active: “They have updated the system.”
  Passive: “The system has been updated.”

2. Past passive forms

Past simple passive

Form:

• subject + was / were + past participle

Examples:

• Active: “They built the bridge in 2010.”
  Passive: “The bridge was built in 2010.”
• Active: “Someone broke the window.”
  Passive: “The window was broken.”
• Active: “They announced the results yesterday.”
  Passive: “The results were announced yesterday.”

Past continuous passive

Form:

• subject + was / were being + past participle

Examples:

• Active: “They were questioning the suspect.”
  Passive: “The suspect was being questioned.”
• Active: “The workers were painting the house.”
  Passive: “The house was being painted.”
• Active: “They were repairing the machines.”
  Passive: “The machines were being repaired.”

Past perfect passive

Form:

• subject + had been + past participle

Examples:

• Active: “They had completed the work before noon.”
  Passive: “The work had been completed before noon.”
• Active: “Someone had locked the door.”
  Passive: “The door had been locked.”
• Active: “They had cancelled the flight.”
  Passive: “The flight had been cancelled.”

3. Future passive forms

Future simple passive

Form:

• subject + will be + past participle

Examples:

• Active: “They will announce the decision tomorrow.”
  Passive: “The decision will be announced tomorrow.”
• Active: “Someone will deliver the package.”
  Passive: “The package will be delivered.”
• Active: “They will complete the task soon.”
  Passive: “The task will be completed soon.”

Future perfect passive

Form:

• subject + will have been + past participle

Use it to emphasise that something will be completed before a specific future time (often with ‘by + time/date’).

Examples:

• Active: “They will have finished the report by Friday.”
  Passive: “The report will have been completed by Friday.”
• Active: “Someone will have repaired the system by Monday.”
  Passive: “The system will have been repaired by Monday.”
• Active: “They will have completed the training.”
  Passive: “The training will have been completed.”

4. When we use the passive voice

We use the passive when:

• the action is more important than the doer
• the doer is unknown
• the doer is not important
• we want a formal or neutral tone

Illustrative examples:

• “My bike was stolen.” (doer unknown)
• “The samples were analysed yesterday.” (formal/neutral tone; focus on action/result)
• “The meeting has been postponed.” (doer not important/obvious)

Choosing active or passive: a worked example

Imagine a scientific report about test samples. The results and procedure matter more than the identity of the staff.

• Active: “The laboratory team analysed the samples yesterday.” This begins with the team and focuses on who performed the action.
• Passive: “The samples were analysed yesterday.” This begins with the samples and focuses on the procedure and its result.

The passive version is a natural choice because the doer is obvious or unimportant in this context. If the identity of the doer becomes important, add it: “The samples were analysed by an independent laboratory, not by the manufacturer.”

5. Passive Sentences with Two Objects

Some verbs can have two objects: a person who receives something and the thing that they receive. Common examples include give, send, offer, show, tell, teach and lend.

With these verbs, either object can often become the subject of a passive sentence. The person-as-subject form is especially common.

• Active: “They gave Maya a prize.”
• Passive (person): “Maya was given a prize.”
• Passive (thing): “A prize was given to Maya.”

Another example:

• Active: “Someone sent me an email.”
• Passive (person): “I was sent an email.”
• Passive (thing): “An email was sent to me.”

6. The “Get”-Passive in Informal English

In conversation and informal writing, get + past participle can be used instead of the be-passive for many events. It often makes the event sound more dynamic, personal, unexpected or accidental.

• “He got injured during the match.”
• “My phone got stolen on the train.”
• “We got stuck in traffic.”
• “They got invited to the wedding.”

Compare:

• “He was injured during the match.” (neutral description)
• “He got injured during the match.” (more informal; focuses on what happened to him)

7. Key Patterns to Remember

• Active → focus on who does it
• Passive → focus on what happens
• Two-object verb → the person or the thing can often become the passive subject
• Informal event → get + past participle is sometimes possible

Form reminder:

• be → the standard passive auxiliary; it shows the tense/aspect
• get → an informal alternative for many events; it also changes for tense
• past participle → shows the action