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The Passive Voice in English: How to Form and Use It

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The passive voice puts the focus on the person or thing that receives an action, rather than the one that does it. You form it with the right tense of the verb to be plus the past participle: “English is spoken here,” “The castle was built in 1500.”

This guide is for B1 to B2 learners who want to use the passive correctly in writing, exams and professional English. By the end you will know how to form the passive in every tense, when to use it (and when not to), how to turn an active sentence into a passive one, and the mistakes to avoid. Three exercises are on this page so you can practice straight away.

On this page

A quick video summary

What the passive voice is

In an active sentence, the subject does the action: “A French winemaker makes this wine.” In a passive sentence, the subject receives the action: “This wine is made in France.” The passive lets you focus on the action or the result, and lets you leave out the doer when it is unknown, obvious, or not important.

The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. For example, “She gave me the book” becomes “The book was given to me.”

How to form the passive

The passive is always built the same way: take the correct tense of the verb to be, then add the past participle (the third form of the verb: taken, built, sent, written).

Part What it is Example
Subject the thing or person that receives the action The report
To be in the tense you need was
Past participle the third form of the main verb written
By + agent optional, only if the doer matters by the manager

So: “The report was written by the manager.” If the doer does not matter, drop it: “The report was written yesterday.”

The passive is easy to recognise and harder to produce. Forming it correctly under time pressure, in speech or an exam, takes practice. Book a free trial lesson and practice the passive with an experienced native teacher, no credit card needed.

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The passive voice in every tense

The pattern (to be + past participle) stays the same. Only the form of “to be” changes with the tense.

Tense Structure Passive example
Present simple am / is / are + past participle The best wines are made in France.
Present continuous am / is / are being + past participle The room is being redecorated.
Past simple was / were + past participle The castle was built in the sixteenth century.
Past continuous was / were being + past participle The television was being repaired.
Present perfect has / have been + past participle The child has been taken away.
Past perfect had been + past participle John had been arrested already.
Future (will) will be + past participle The present will be sent soon.
Modal / infinitive modal + be + past participle This must be done.
Gerund being + past participle We left without being told what to do.

When to use the passive voice

Use the passive when the action or the result matters more than who did it. It is common in formal, scientific, news and professional writing.

  • The doer is unknown: My bike was stolen last night.
  • The doer is obvious or not important: The streets are cleaned every morning.
  • You want to focus on the result: The bridge was completed in 2020.
  • You want a neutral, formal tone: Payment must be received within 30 days.

When the doer is important, add it with by: “The novel was written by a first-time author.” If the active sentence is clearer and more direct, use the active instead. Note that verbs with no object (intransitive verbs like arrive, happen, sleep) cannot be made passive.

How to change active to passive

Three steps turn an active sentence into a passive one.

  1. Move the object of the active sentence to the front to make it the new subject.
  2. Change the verb to to be (in the same tense) plus the past participle.
  3. Add the old subject after by only if it matters, otherwise leave it out.
Active Passive
Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.
They are building a new station. A new station is being built.
Someone has stolen my phone. My phone has been stolen.

Common mistakes with the passive voice

  1. Forgetting the verb to be. Wrong: “The house built in 1990.” Right: “The house was built in 1990.”
  2. Using the wrong past participle. Wrong: “The letter was writed.” Right: “The letter was written.” Use the third form of the verb.
  3. Making an intransitive verb passive. Wrong: “An accident was happened.” Right: “An accident happened.” Verbs with no object have no passive.
  4. Overusing the passive. If the doer is known and the sentence is clearer active, use active. “The team finished the project” is better than “The project was finished by the team” in most contexts.

Practice exercises on the passive voice

Exercise 1. Click on the words that form a passive sentence.

Exercise 2. Complete the sentences with the correct passive form of the verbs in brackets.

Exercise 3. Rewrite the sentences in the passive where it is advisable, leaving out the agent unless it is essential. Write active where a change to passive does not make sense.

Quick self-check

Turn each active sentence into the passive, then reveal the answers.

1. The chef cooks the meals fresh. (present simple)
2. They are painting the office. (present continuous)
3. Someone has booked the room. (present perfect)

Show answers

1. The meals are cooked fresh.   2. The office is being painted.   3. The room has been booked.

How did that feel? Spotting the passive in an exercise is one thing. Producing it correctly while you speak or write is the goal. In a free trial lesson, an experienced native teacher will have you using the passive in real sentences within minutes.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the passive voice?
The passive voice is a sentence structure where the subject receives the action instead of doing it. You form it with the verb to be plus the past participle, for example “The house was sold.” It focuses on the action or result rather than the doer.
How do you form the passive voice?
Use the correct tense of the verb to be plus the past participle of the main verb. For example, present simple “is made,” past simple “was built,” present perfect “has been taken.” The doer can be added with “by” if it matters.
When should you use the passive voice?
Use it when the action or result matters more than who did it, or when the doer is unknown, obvious or unimportant. It is common in formal, scientific, news and professional writing. If the active sentence is clearer, use the active instead.
How do you change an active sentence to passive?
Move the object of the active sentence to the front as the new subject, change the verb to “to be” (in the same tense) plus the past participle, and add the old subject after “by” only if it matters. “Shakespeare wrote Hamlet” becomes “Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.”
Can every verb be made passive?
No. Only transitive verbs (verbs that take an object) can be passive. Intransitive verbs with no object, such as arrive, happen, sleep and come, cannot be made passive. You cannot say “An accident was happened.”

Key takeaways

  • The passive focuses on the receiver of an action, not the doer.
  • Form it with to be (in the right tense) plus the past participle.
  • The pattern stays the same across tenses; only the form of “to be” changes.
  • Add the doer with “by” only when it matters; otherwise leave it out.
  • Only verbs with an object can be passive; use active when it is clearer.

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Written and reviewed by the experienced native English teachers at Live English, online since 2007.