Passive voice
Put the action or its receiver first, and use the right form of be.
The basic pattern
Passive = subject + be + past participle. The tense is shown by be; the main verb stays in the past participle.
| Voice | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Active | doer + verb + object | Ada painted the portrait. |
| Passive | receiver + be + past participle | The portrait was painted by Ada. |
The active object (the portrait) becomes the passive subject. Use by only when it matters who did the action: The portrait was painted by Ada. Otherwise, The portrait was painted is enough.
Passive forms by tense
Change the form of be to match the tense and subject. Keep the main verb in the past participle.
| Tense or structure | Passive form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present simple | am / is / are + past participle | The rooms are cleaned every day. |
| Past simple | was / were + past participle | The rooms were cleaned yesterday. |
| Future with will | will be + past participle | The rooms will be cleaned tomorrow. |
| Present continuous | am / is / are being + past participle | The rooms are being cleaned now. |
| Past continuous | was / were being + past participle | The rooms were being cleaned when I arrived. |
| Present perfect | have / has been + past participle | The rooms have been cleaned. |
| Past perfect | had been + past participle | The rooms had been cleaned before we arrived. |
| Be going to | am / is / are going to be + past participle | The rooms are going to be cleaned. |
| Modal verbs | modal + be + past participle | The rooms must be cleaned today. |
Regular participles usually end in -ed (cleaned). Irregular verbs have their own forms: write → written, make → made, take → taken.
Negatives and questions
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Negative | be + not + past participle | The door was not locked. |
| Question | be + subject + past participle? | Was the door locked? |
| Perfect negative | have / has + not + been + past participle | The door has not been locked. |
| Modal question | modal + subject + be + past participle? | Can the door be locked? |
Use hasn't, wasn't and other normal contractions when appropriate: The door wasn't locked.
When to use the passive
| Focus | Example |
|---|---|
| The doer is unknown | My bike was stolen. |
| The doer is not important | The road was repaired last week. |
| The result or receiver matters more | The invitations have been sent. |
| A process is being described | The beans are roasted before they are packed. |
Use the active voice when the doer is the focus: Ada painted the portrait. Use the passive when the portrait or what happened to it is the focus.
Two objects
Some verbs, such as give and send, can have two objects. Either one can become the passive subject.
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| Active | They gave me a key. |
| Passive: person first | I was given a key. |
| Passive: thing first | A key was given to me. |
Only verbs that can take an object can normally be made passive. For example, happen does not take a direct object, so was happened is not possible.
Common mistakes
| Incorrect | Correct | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| The letter sent yesterday. | The letter was sent yesterday. | Include a form of be. |
| The letter was send yesterday. | The letter was sent yesterday. | Use the past participle. |
| The letters was sent. | The letters were sent. | Make be agree with the subject. |
| The room is being clean. | The room is being cleaned. | Continuous passive: being + past participle. |
| The package has delivered. | The package has been delivered. | Perfect passive: been + past participle. |