Micro-listening
Passive voice: when to use it
When should you use the passive voice?
Use the passive voice when the action or result matters more than the person doing it, or when the doer is unknown or obvious. Form it with the correct tense of 'be' and a past participle. For example: 'The invitations have been sent.' Add 'by' only when naming the doer gives useful information.
Key points
- The passive puts the person or thing receiving an action first.
- Build passive verbs with 'be' and a past participle.
- Change 'be' to show the tense; the participle stays the same.
- Use 'by' when identifying the doer adds useful information.
This lesson has 5 stages. You can stop at any time and continue later.
At a glance
| Form | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Passive verb | Highlights an action or result rather than its doer. | The meeting room was cleaned before lunch. |
| Passive with 'by' | Names the doer when that detail is useful. | The mural was designed by a local artist. |
| Past participle as an adjective | Describes a condition rather than an action. | The café is closed on Mondays. |
Stage 1 of 5
Understand
What it means, when to use it, and mistakes to avoid.
The full explanation
The passive voice changes the focus of a sentence. In an active sentence, the subject performs the action. In a passive sentence, the subject experiences the action. This helps you guide the listener toward the result rather than the person who caused it. It appears frequently in news reports, office updates, instructions, and daily conversations.
The office computers are updated every Friday night.
Why it works: Are updated uses the present simple passive to describe a regular routine where the technician is not named.
3 more examples
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Our flight was cancelled because of heavy snow.
Was cancelled focuses on the disrupted flight rather than the airline staff who made the decision.
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A new community park is being built near the river.
Is being built shows an action that is currently in progress.
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The award was presented by the school director.
By the school director gives useful information about the specific person who handed over the award.
Read the full guide
Focus on the action instead of the person
Every sentence makes a choice about what to emphasize first. When you say the mechanic fixed the car, your focus is on the mechanic. When you say the car was fixed, your focus shifts to the vehicle. You choose the passive form when the result matters most to your listener, or when you simply do not know who completed the work.
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The front entrance was locked at nine.
Why it works: The sentence explains the status of the building without naming the security guard.
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Our parcel was delivered this afternoon.
Why it works: The arrival of the parcel is the key message for the household.
Your turn
Why would an office manager say 'The email was sent' instead of 'I sent the email'?
Answer: Because the email itself and the completed action are the main points.
Show the answer
Answer: Because the email itself and the completed action are the main points.
The passive voice highlights the action and its result when the person doing it is already obvious or unimportant.
Build passive verbs with be and a past participle
The basic pattern for any passive verb requires two parts working together. First, you need a form of the verb be, which changes to show time. Second, you add the past participle of your main action verb. Regular participles end in -ed, such as cleaned or repaired. Irregular verbs use specific participle forms, such as written, sold, or broken.
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Breakfast is served until ten every morning.
Why it works: Is gives the present time, while served is the regular past participle.
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The final chapter was written in one weekend.
Why it works: Was shows past time, while written is an irregular past participle.
You can practise this again in Active and passive voice: choose clear sentences and Resume writing tips: Describe Your Work Clearly.
Your turn
Which sentence uses the correct passive verb structure?
Answer: The contract was written by our legal advisor.
Show the answer
Answer: The contract was written by our legal advisor.
Passive verbs require the past participle form written, not the simple past wrote or the base verb write.
Change the tense of be to show time
When you change an active sentence into a passive sentence, the past participle never changes its form. Instead, you change the verb be to match the original tense. Use am, is, or are for simple present facts. Use was or were for past events. Use will be when you discuss future actions or scheduled arrangements.
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Trash is collected every Tuesday morning.
Why it works: Is collected shows a regular present routine.
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The old schoolhouse was painted last summer.
Why it works: Was painted indicates a finished past action.
Your turn
How do you change 'Workers clean the lobby every night' into the passive voice?
Answer: The lobby is cleaned every night.
Show the answer
Answer: The lobby is cleaned every night.
The original sentence is in the present simple, so the passive uses the present form is cleaned.
Describe ongoing actions with being
When an action is happening right now, you need the continuous passive form. You make this by placing being between the verb be and the past participle. In the present, you use is being or are being plus the participle. This pattern tells your listener that someone is currently performing the work, even if you do not mention that person.
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Our road is being resurfaced this week.
Why it works: Is being resurfaced shows that the work is currently happening.
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Your questions are being answered in the chat room.
Why it works: Are being answered tells the audience that staff members are answering questions right now.
Your turn
Which sentence shows that car repairs are happening at this very moment?
Answer: My car is being repaired at the garage.
Show the answer
Answer: My car is being repaired at the garage.
The continuous passive structure is being repaired indicates that the repair work is in progress now.
Connect past results to the present with been
Use the present perfect passive when an action happened earlier but the result affects the present moment. Form this with has been or have been followed by the past participle. This structure is common in work updates and daily announcements when an action has finished and people need to know the current situation.
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All the invitations have been sent to guests.
Why it works: Have been sent means the sending is complete and the invitations are on their way.
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The broken heating system has been fixed.
Why it works: Has been fixed explains that the heat is working now as a result of earlier work.
Your turn
Choose the best sentence to tell your team that the report is finished and ready.
Answer: The summary has been approved for the meeting.
Show the answer
Answer: The summary has been approved for the meeting.
Has been approved shows a completed action with an immediate result for the upcoming meeting.
Add the doer with by only when it adds value
A passive sentence does not need to name the person who performed the action. Only add by plus a name or noun when that detail gives valuable information to your reader. If the doer is obvious, unknown, or unimportant, leave it out. Naming an unknown cleaner or driver usually adds unnecessary words to your sentence.
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This portrait was painted by Frida Kahlo.
Why it works: By Frida Kahlo is essential information because the identity of the artist matters.
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My wallet was stolen on the bus.
Why it works: No by phrase is needed because the thief is unknown.
Your turn
In which sentence is the phrase with 'by' genuinely helpful?
Answer: The novel was written by a local journalist.
Show the answer
Answer: The novel was written by a local journalist.
Police officers arrest thieves and cleaners sweep floors, so those agents are obvious. Naming the specific author provides useful new information.
Separate passive verbs from descriptive adjectives
Many past participles also function as ordinary adjectives that describe condition rather than action. You can tell them apart by looking at the context and time words in the sentence. An action usually answers the question of when or how something was done, whereas an adjective simply describes how a thing appears right now.
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The bank was closed at six sharp.
Why it works: At six sharp shows an action taking place at a specific moment.
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The bank is closed on Sundays.
Why it works: Closed describes the regular state of the building on that day.
Your turn
Which sentence describes an action taking place rather than a static state?
Answer: The museum doors were opened by the security guard at eight.
Show the answer
Answer: The museum doors were opened by the security guard at eight.
The sentence mentions the specific time and the agent who performed the action of opening the doors.
Avoid common errors with passive verbs
Learners often make two predictable mistakes when writing passive sentences. The first is forgetting the verb be entirely, writing sentences like the package sent yesterday. The second mistake is using an active verb when the subject cannot perform the action, or using a simple past form instead of an irregular participle. Always verify both parts of your verb phrase.
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The secret was discovered by accident.
Why it works: Was discovered includes both be and the past participle correctly.
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The missing keys were found under the sofa.
Why it works: Were found uses the irregular participle found instead of an incorrect form.
Your turn
Which sentence contains a common error with passive verb formation?
Answer: The new website launched by the marketing team yesterday.
Show the answer
Answer: The new website launched by the marketing team yesterday.
This sentence omits the verb be. It should say 'The new website was launched by the marketing team yesterday.'
Common mistakes
What learners often say, what to say instead, and why.
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Not this:
The parcel delivered this morning.Say: The parcel was delivered this morning.
A passive verb needs a form of 'be' before its past participle.
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Not this:
The report was wrote by Nina.Say: The report was written by Nina.
'Written' is the past participle needed in this passive form.
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Not this:
A problem was happened during the journey.Say: A problem happened during the journey.
'Happen' has no direct object to become the subject of a passive sentence.
Questions about "Passive voice: when to use it"
When should I include 'by' in a passive sentence?
Include 'by' only when naming the person or thing that performed the action provides important information that the listener does not already know. If the doer is obvious from context, unknown, or irrelevant to your message, omit the phrase entirely. Adding unnecessary agents makes your English sound wordy.
The play was written by William Shakespeare.
The thief was arrested near the bank.
Can all English verbs be used in the passive voice?
No. Only transitive verbs, which take a direct object, can be used in the passive voice. Intransitive verbs like happen, sleep, arrive, and die do not have an object, so there is nothing to move to the front of the sentence. You cannot say an accident was happened.
The package arrived this morning.
An unexpected event happened during the festival.
Is the passive voice too formal for everyday conversation?
Not at all. While active sentences are more common in casual chats, native speakers use passive forms constantly in routine life. You hear it when talking about broken items, lost goods, package deliveries, or daily rules where the person performing the action is not the focus of attention.
My phone screen was cracked yesterday.
Dinner is served at seven tonight.
What is the difference between 'was repaired' and 'has been repaired'?
Use 'was repaired' when the repair finished at a specific time in the past. Use 'has been repaired' when the action recently finished and you want to emphasize that the item is working right now. The present perfect connects the finished action directly to current circumstances.
The printer was repaired on Tuesday.
The printer has been repaired, so you can print your file now.
Before you go
Remember this
Choose the passive voice when the result matters more than the doer. Form the verb with be in the correct tense followed by a past participle. Leave out the doer if that information is obvious or unimportant. When naming the creator or agent adds real value, connect that noun with by.
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Use: passive voice: when to use it
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