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B2 · Upper IntermediateLesson 1 of 2

Passive voice

Learn how English passive voice is formed with be plus a past participle, turning the object of an active sentence into its new subject, at B2 level.

By the flumi team About 10 min read Grammar learning path: Passive voice: forms and uses
Practice exercises

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. Most verbs with an object can form a passive: They clean the room → The room is cleaned. But some transitive verbs do not normally form a passive, including have, fit, suit, resemble, cost, and lack: The dress suits her (not She is suited by the dress).

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).”

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.”

    • 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.”

    • 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 finished 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.”

    • Going to passive

    Form:

    • subject + am / is / are going to be + past participle

    Use this form for plans or predictions.

    Examples

    • Active: “They are going to announce the results tomorrow.”
      • Passive: “The results are going to be announced tomorrow.”
  • Active: “They are going to renovate the library next year.”
    • Passive: “The library is going to be renovated next year.”

    • English normally avoids the very heavy future-continuous passive will be being done. Choose a different tense or reword the sentence instead.

    After a modal verb, use modal + be + past participle. The modal carries ideas such as necessity, possibility, advice or permission; be stays in the base form.

    • Active: “Someone must complete the form.”
      • Passive: “The form must be completed.”
    • Negative: “The form must not be left blank.”
    • Question: “Must the form be completed today?”
    • Active: “They can repair the bridge.”
      • Passive: “The bridge can be repaired.”

    Non-finite passive forms

    Passive infinitive

    Use to be + past participle after verbs, adjectives and other expressions that are followed by an infinitive.

    • “The brakes need to be checked.”
    • “She hopes to be promoted next year.”
    • “This information is likely to be published soon.”

    Passive -ing form

    Use being + past participle when an -ing form has a passive meaning.

    • “After being told the news, he left.”
    • “She dislikes being interrupted during meetings.”
    • “Being invited to speak was an honour.”

    Quick check

    Try one question now.

    1
    The package to the wrong address, so I had to go and collect it myself.

    Check your answer when you are ready. No sign-in needed.

    Reporting and causative passives

    Reporting and impersonal passives

    Formal reports often avoid naming the source directly. We can use It + passive reporting verb + that-clause or subject + passive reporting verb + infinitive.

    • “It is said that the company will expand.”
    • “The company is said to be planning an expansion.”
    • “He is believed to have left the country.”

    Have/get something done

    Use have + object + past participle when you arrange for another person to do a service. It can also describe an unwanted experience. Get + object + past participle is more informal and commonly describes services.

    • “I had my laptop repaired.” (I arranged for someone to repair it.)
    • “We are having the kitchen painted next week.”
    • “She got her hair cut before the wedding.”
    • “She had her phone stolen on holiday.” (Something happened to her.)

    For more detail on these patterns, see the related lesson Passive Voice: Additional Uses and Nuances.

    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.”

    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.”

    For a fuller discussion of two-object verbs, see Passive Voice: Additional Uses and Nuances.

    When the thing becomes the passive subject, we normally use to before the person: A prize was given to Maya. Not every verb allows both passive patterns, so learn these forms with common two-object verbs.

    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.”

    Compare:

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

    Use the be-passive for neutral or formal reporting. Use the get-passive carefully in informal contexts; it is less suitable for general facts such as “English is spoken worldwide.”

    Quick reference

    Tense or pattern Passive form Example
    Present simple am / is / are + past participle The rooms are cleaned every day.
    Present continuous am / is / are being + past participle The road is being repaired.
    Present perfect has / have been + past participle The project has been completed.
    Past simple was / were + past participle The bridge was built in 2010.
    Past continuous was / were being + past participle The suspect was being questioned.
    Past perfect had been + past participle The door had been locked.
    Future will be + past participle The decision will be announced tomorrow.
    Modal modal + be + past participle The form must be completed.
    Passive infinitive to be + past participle The brakes need to be checked.
    Passive -ing form being + past participle She dislikes being interrupted.

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    Last updated October 14, 2026