Simple explanation
What is the passive voice? In an active sentence, the subject performs the action: The company released the report. In a passive sentence, the focus moves to the person or thing affected by the action: The report was released. We often choose the passive when the agent is unknown, unimportant, obvious from context, or less important than the action or its result. The core pattern: be + past participle Most passive structures follow one central pattern: an appropriate form of be followed by the past participle of the main verb. The tense and aspect are mainly expressed through the auxiliary structure, while the main verb remains a past participle. Compare is repaired, was repaired, is being repaired, has been repaired, and will be repaired. How to change an active sentence into a passive sentence First, identify the object of the active sentence. This normally becomes the subject of the passive sentence. Next, put be into the appropriate tense and change the main verb to its past participle. Finally, include the original subject with by only if it adds useful information. For example, Someone stole my bike last night becomes My bike was stolen last night. The passive in simple tenses The Present Simple Passive uses am/is/are + past participle, while the Past Simple Passive uses was/were + past participle. With will, the future passive is formed with will be + past participle. These forms are common when describing processes, rules, services, past events, announcements, and future decisions. The passive in continuous forms When the action is in progress, passive continuous forms contain being. The Present Continuous Passive uses am/is/are being + past participle, and the Past Continuous Passive uses was/were being + past participle. Being is an important signal that the passive action is ongoing at the relevant time. The passive in perfect forms Perfect passive forms contain been. The Present Perfect Passive uses have/has been + past participle, while the Past Perfect Passive uses had been + past participle. These forms are useful when the completion or result of an action matters, especially in relation to the present or another point in the past. The passive with modal verbs With modal verbs such as can, could, may, might, must, should, and would, use modal + be + past participle. For example, The form must be signed. To refer to a past situation, a perfect modal passive can be used: modal + have been + past participle, as in The problem should have been reported earlier. When should you use by? A passive sentence does not automatically need an agent. If the person or organization responsible is unknown, obvious, or irrelevant, the agent is normally omitted. If the identity of the agent is important information, use by: The novel was written by George Orwell. The decision to include the agent depends on meaning and information focus, not simply on grammar. Negative passive sentences and questions To make a passive sentence negative, put not after the first auxiliary verb: The documents were not sent. To form a question, move the first auxiliary before the subject: Were the documents sent? The same principle applies to more complex structures: Has the problem been solved? Can this machine be repaired? Not every possible passive form is equally natural In theory, the passive can combine with many tense and aspect patterns. However, structures such as has been being repaired or will be being repaired are heavy and uncommon in everyday English. Speakers often rewrite the sentence instead. At B2 level, active control of frequent passive forms is more useful than producing every theoretically possible combination.
Grammar formula
Present Simple Passive
subject + am/is/are + past participleThese machines are checked every morning.
Past Simple Passive
subject + was/were + past participleThe road was closed last night.
Future Simple Passive
subject + will be + past participleThe results will be announced tomorrow.
Present Continuous Passive
subject + am/is/are being + past participleThe office is being renovated.
Past Continuous Passive
subject + was/were being + past participleThe patient was being examined.
Present Perfect Passive
subject + have/has been + past participleThe documents have been uploaded.
Past Perfect Passive
subject + had been + past participleThe room had been cleaned before we arrived.
Modal Passive
subject + modal + be + past participleThe form must be signed.
Perfect Modal Passive
subject + modal + have been + past participleThe mistake should have been noticed earlier.
Passive Infinitive
to be + past participleThe equipment needs to be tested.
Negative Passive
subject + first auxiliary + not + remaining passive structureThe final decision has not been made.
Passive Question
first auxiliary + subject + remaining passive structureHas the package been delivered?
Core rules
- 1
Use be + past participle
The central passive pattern is a suitable form of be followed by the past participle of the main verb.
- 2
Keep the original tense
When changing an active sentence into the passive, preserve its tense by choosing the correct auxiliary form: is repaired, was repaired, is being repaired, has been repaired, or will be repaired.
- 3
Use the past participle of the main verb
The main lexical verb appears as a past participle in the passive: write → written, take → taken, build → built, choose → chosen.
- 4
The standard passive normally requires a transitive verb
A normal active-to-passive transformation requires an object that can become the subject of the passive sentence. Intransitive verbs such as happen, arrive, and sleep therefore do not normally form this type of passive.
- 5
Mention the agent only when useful
Use by + agent when the identity of the person or thing responsible adds relevant information. Otherwise, omit it.
- 6
Use being in continuous passives
Present and past continuous passives use am/is/are being or was/were being followed by the past participle.
- 7
Use been in perfect passives
Present Perfect Passive uses have/has been, and Past Perfect Passive uses had been, followed by the past participle.
- 8
Use be after a modal verb
The normal passive pattern after a modal is modal + be + past participle: can be changed, must be completed, should be checked.
Useful examples
English is spoken in many countries.
People speak English in many countries.
The Present Simple Passive is used for a general fact where the speakers themselves are not the focus.
My laptop was stolen on the train.
Someone stole my laptop while I was on the train.
The Past Simple Passive is natural because the person who stole the laptop is unknown.
The final results will be announced on Friday.
Someone will announce the final results on Friday.
Will be + past participle expresses a future passive action.
A new bridge is being built near the station.
Workers are currently building a new bridge near the station.
Is being built shows that the construction is in progress now.
The suspect was being questioned when the lawyer arrived.
The police were questioning the suspect when the lawyer arrived.
The Past Continuous Passive describes an action that was already in progress at a particular moment in the past.
Several changes have been made to the schedule.
Someone has made several changes to the schedule.
The Present Perfect Passive focuses on changes that have already happened and are relevant now.
The building had already been evacuated before the fire spread.
People had already evacuated the building before the fire spread.
The Past Perfect Passive shows that the evacuation was completed before another past event.
All applications must be submitted by midnight.
Applicants must submit all applications by midnight.
Must be submitted combines obligation with the passive.
This problem can be solved without replacing the entire system.
It is possible to solve this problem without replacing the whole system.
Can be solved expresses possibility while keeping the focus on the problem.
The accident should have been reported immediately.
Someone should have reported the accident immediately.
Should have been reported refers to a past action that was expected or appropriate.
The new software is expected to reduce processing time.
People expect the new software to reduce processing time.
Is expected to is a common reporting passive in formal and professional English.
The equipment needs to be checked before use.
Someone needs to check the equipment before it is used.
To be checked is a passive infinitive.
Has your application been approved yet?
Has someone approved your application yet?
In a Present Perfect Passive question, has moves before the subject.
The meeting has not been cancelled.
Nobody has cancelled the meeting.
Not comes after the first auxiliary, has.
The novel was written by a young journalist.
A young journalist wrote the novel.
The agent is included with by because the writer's identity provides useful information.
Visitors are asked to turn off their phones.
Visitors receive a request to switch off their phones.
Are asked to is a common passive pattern for polite or formal instructions.
Common mistakes
- ❌ The report was write yesterday. ✅ The report was written yesterday. The main verb must be a past participle in the passive. The past participle of write is written.
- ❌ The emails have sent already. ✅ The emails have been sent already. The Present Perfect Passive requires have/has been + past participle.
- ❌ The car is being repair now. ✅ The car is being repaired now. The verb after being must be a past participle.
- ❌ The work will finished tomorrow. ✅ The work will be finished tomorrow. The future passive with will requires be before the past participle.
- ❌ This problem can solved easily. ✅ This problem can be solved easily. After a modal verb, the standard passive requires be + past participle.
- ❌ The accident happened by a careless driver. ✅ The accident was caused by a careless driver. Happen is intransitive in this use and cannot form a standard passive. Cause is a transitive verb that expresses the intended meaning.
- ❌ The room cleaned every day. ✅ The room is cleaned every day. A past participle alone does not form the Present Simple Passive. The appropriate form of be is required.
- ❌ Was sent the email yesterday? ✅ Was the email sent yesterday? In a passive question, the auxiliary comes before the subject, followed by the rest of the passive structure.
Learning tips
- Identify the tense first, then choose the correct form of be.
- Do not memorize every passive tense as an unrelated formula. Start from the core pattern be + past participle.
- Before making a sentence passive, check whether the active verb has an object that can become the passive subject.
- Do not add by + agent automatically. Include it only when the agent adds meaningful information.
- Keep been and being separate: has been repaired describes a perfect passive, while is being repaired describes an ongoing passive action.
- The passive is especially common in formal writing, news, academic texts, instructions, and process descriptions, but it is also natural in everyday conversation.
- At B2 level, reporting patterns such as is believed to, is expected to, and is reported to are useful extensions of the passive.
- Very heavy forms such as has been being repaired are possible but uncommon. In normal communication, a simpler reformulation is often preferable.
Practise this topic
Interactive exercises for this topic are coming soon.
PlannedRelated grammar
Related dictionary words
Frequently asked questions
How do I decide whether to use the active or passive voice?
Use the active when the person or thing performing the action is central to your message. The passive is often more appropriate when the action, result, or affected person or thing deserves the main focus, or when the agent is unknown or unimportant.
Can the passive be used in every English tense?
The passive principle can combine with many tense and aspect patterns, but not every theoretically possible form is equally common. At B2 level, forms such as is done, was done, is being done, has been done, had been done, and will be done are especially useful.
What is the difference between been and being in passive structures?
Being normally appears in continuous passive forms and helps show that an action is in progress, as in is being repaired. Been appears in perfect passive structures such as has been repaired.
Do I always need to use by in a passive sentence?
No. Passive sentences frequently omit the agent. Use by + agent when the identity of the person or thing responsible is relevant to the message.
Why can't every English verb be made passive?
The standard passive transformation requires an object that can become the subject of the passive sentence. Intransitive verbs such as happen, arrive, and sleep do not have a direct object, so they normally cannot form this type of passive.
What is the difference between The company is repairing the road and The road is being repaired?
The first sentence focuses on the company performing the action. The second focuses on the road and the repair process, so the person or organization doing the work does not need to be mentioned.
What does should have been done mean?
It normally refers to a past action that was expected, advisable, or appropriate. For example, The door should have been locked means that locking the door was the expected or correct action.
Is the passive only used in formal English?
No. It is common in everyday sentences such as My phone was stolen and Has the food been delivered? However, passive structures are particularly frequent in reports, academic writing, news, instructions, and descriptions of processes.