Simple Passive (Present and Past).

The passive voice focuses on the action or the person/thing affected, rather than who does it. This is useful in formal writing and reports, and when the doer (the agent, e.g., by the chef) is unknown or unimportant. It is also common in everyday English: My bike was stolen.

1.What the passive voice shows

Quick preview: be + past participle.

In an active sentence, the subject does the action:

• “The chef cooks the meal.” → chef = subject, cooks = verb, meal = object

In a passive sentence, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject:

• “The meal is cooked by the chef.” → meal = subject, focus on what happens to it

Key idea: The passive focuses on the action or result, not the doer.

How to change active → passive:

1. Move the object to subject position.
2. Choose be in the same tense as the active verb (is/are; was/were).
3. Use the past participle.
4. Add by + agent only if needed.

2.Forming the simple passive

2.1Present simple passive

Structure: subject + is/are + past participle

• Singular subject → is
• Plural subject → are

2.2Past simple passive

Structure: subject + was/were + past participle

• Singular subject → was
• Plural subject → were

2.3Passive with modal verbs

After a modal verb, use modal + be + past participle. The modal does not change for singular or plural subjects.

• “The form must be signed.”
• “It can be done today.”
• “The room should be cleaned before the meeting.”

2.4Negative and question forms

Put not after be for a negative. Put be before the subject for a question.

Tense	Negative	Question
present simple passive	“The room isn’t cleaned every day.”	“Is the room cleaned every day?”
past simple passive	“The letters weren’t delivered yesterday.”	“Were the letters delivered yesterday?”

Short answers repeat only the form of be: “Is it cleaned every day?” — “Yes, it is.” / “No, it isn’t.”

2.5Irregular past participles

The past participle is not always a regular -ed form. Irregular forms must be learned:

Base verb	Past participle	Passive example
write	written	“The report is written in English.”
break	broken	“The window was broken last night.”
take	taken	“The photos were taken in 2024.”
make	made	“The cake was made yesterday.”
do	done	“The work is done.”
give	given	“A prize was given.”
send	sent	“The email was sent.”
build	built	“The bridge was built in 1990.”
choose	chosen	“The winner was chosen.”

3.When to use the passive

Use the passive voice when:

1. The action is more important than the doer. Example: The bridge was built in 1990. (Who built it is not important.)
2. The doer is unknown. Example: The window was broken last night.
3. The context is formal or impersonal, and the doer is generic. Example: The rules are explained at the beginning of the course.

3.1By and with

Use by to name the person or thing that does the action (the agent). Use with to name the tool or material used for the action (the instrument).

• “The window was broken by a boy.”
• “The window was broken with a stone.”

4.Get passive

In informal English, we also use get + past participle for events that happen to someone, often unexpectedly.

• “My bike got stolen.”
• “He got hurt in the match.”

5.Active vs passive: more examples

Active	Passive	What the passive focuses on
People do not clean the room every day.	The room is not cleaned every day.	the room and its usual condition, not the cleaners
Did they send the email?	Was the email sent?	the email and whether it was sent, not the people asked
Someone stole the documents.	The documents were stolen.	the agent is unknown or unimportant

6.Two-object verbs

Both objects can become the passive subject:

• Active: “They gave Maya a prize.”
• “Maya was given a prize.” (more usual because the person receiving something is often the topic.)
• “A prize was given to Maya.” This is possible, but usually more marked in English.

When the thing becomes the subject, keep to or for before the person: A prize was given to Maya; A meal was made for the guests.

This pattern also works with other verbs:

• Active: “They sent Maya an invitation.” → “Maya was sent an invitation.”
• Active: “They offered Maya a job.” → “Maya was offered a job.”

Not every verb with two objects follows this pattern. With verbs such as explain, describe, and say, do not make the person the passive subject: ✗ I was explained the rule. Say: ✓ The rule was explained to me.

7.Practice: change active to passive

Change these sentences. Keep the tense, and include by + agent only if it adds useful information.

1. People recycle these bottles.
2. Someone repaired the lift yesterday.
3. You must wear a helmet.

Possible answers: 1. These bottles are recycled. 2. The lift was repaired yesterday. 3. A helmet must be worn.

8.Key takeaways

• Passive voice shifts focus from the doer to the action or object.
• Form: Present → is / are + past participle; Past → was / were + past participle
• Negatives add not after be; questions put be before the subject.
• Learn irregular past participles such as written, broken, and taken.
• Use passive when:
  • The action matters more than who did it
  • The doer is unknown
  • The context is impersonal, such as a report, rule, or instruction
• Use by for the agent and with for the tool or material: broken by a boy / broken with a stone.