What is a passive voice? When do you use it? How to form a passive voice? If you are looking for those answers, you’ll definitely love this post.
The passive voice shows that the action (verb) and the thing that receives the action (object) are more important than the agent that performs the action (subject).
Use passive voice when the agent is obvious, unknown, or unimportant. Or when your focus is the action and the object.
For example :
- Was this car made in China?
- My car is being repaired because of the accident.
- Three people were injured in that accident.
I have gone through several grammar books and summarized everything you need to know about the passive voice.
Some of the information is for advanced English use, so feel free to jump back and forth through this table of contents to find what you need at the moment.
- Active and passive voice
- When to use the passive
- How to form the passive
- Passive form of modals
- Passive voice using have to
- The passive using by-phrase
- Using “be supposed to” to make the passive
- The passive with get
- Have or get something done in passive
- Reporting with the passive
- The passive with two objects
- Stative (non-progressive) passive
- Exception in passive
- Common mistakes in passive
- Summary
Note : Other books and articles may refer to the passive voice as “the passive” or “passive form.” They have the same meaning as “passive voice.”
Active and passive voice
First, let’s look at the form of a passive voice from an active sentence.
An active sentence looks like this :
I made these cupcakes.
The passive voice of that active sentence is :
These cupcakes were made by me.
Based on that example, we can say:
- The object in an active sentence becomes the subject in a passive sentence.
- The subject in an active sentence becomes the object in a passive sentence.
- The subject in a passive sentence receives the action.
Compare them in this picture :
When to use the passive
We use the passive when :
1. It is not important to know exactly who did something
For example :
- My jeans were made in Vietnam.
- Is Spanish spoken in Peru?
- That villa was built in 1920.
- Avocado is only grown in several countries.
2. We do not know exactly who or what did something
For example :
- My wallet has been stolen. (I do not know exactly who has stolen my wallet.)
- The books have been misplaced.
- The files were deleted.
- The security alarm was triggered last night.
3. It is obvious who or what did something
For example :
- The criminal has been arrested. (Obviously the police have arrested that criminal.)
- The suspect has been questioned.
- The patients were treated well at this hospital.
- The project has been approved.
4. The agent is people in general
For example :
- The test answers can be found at the back of the book. (Anyone can look at the back of the book.)
- The instructions are provided on the first page.
- The rules must be followed.
- The information can be accessed online.
5. We don’t want to say who did something
In informal context, we often use active sentences with an agent such as : people, somebody/someone, something, we, they or you.
In more formal contexts we often use a passive to avoid mentioning an agent.
For example :
People see more trash on the city border. (active)
More trash is seen on the city border. (passive)
Somebody made a mistake in vote counting in the last election. (active)
A mistake was made in vote counting in the last election. (passive)
(The speaker might not want to say who was responsible for that mistake.)
An error was found in that financial report. (active)
A complaint was filed against the publishing company. (passive)
6. We want to improve writing style
Repeating the same words may sounds boring, so you need to improve your writing style.
For example :
Version 1
The government has installed some surveillance cameras in city streets. The government has activated some surveillance cameras in the parks.
The underlined words above are repeated and it sounds dull. Let’s make a few change.
Version 2
The government has installed some surveillance cameras in city streets. They have been activated in the parks.
The second version is changed into passive and improved with pronoun.
Look at another examples here :
We got the furniture from my uncle’s workshop. Local woodworkers made the furniture. (before)
We got the furniture from my uncle’s workshop. They were made by local woodworkers. (after)
How to form the passive
To form a passive sentence, we can only use transitive verbs (verbs that can be followed by an object). That is why intransitive verbs are never passive.
Forming passive sentences also depends on the tenses we are using. However, we use this form for all passives : be + past participle.
“Be” can be in any of its forms: am, is, are, was, were, has been, have been, will be, etc.
The passive also follows the subject-verb agreement.
Let’s take a look at some examples on each tenses.
Present simple passive
The passive in present simple use : is/am/are + past participle.
For example :
- This book is used in our English class.
- Elton John’s songs are always played on the radio.
- I am told to wait here by that nurse.
Note that the passive would still make sense without the by-phrase.
I am told to wait here by that nurse.
I am told to wait here.
| Active | Maria | cleans | the house. |
| Passive | The house | is cleaned | (by Maria). |
Present continuous passive
The passive in present continuous use : is/am/are being + past participle.
For example :
- Our documents are being reviewed.
- My grandmother is being treated on a different floor.
- I am being watched by the FBI.
| Active | The owner | is renovating | the restaurant. |
| Passive | The restaurant | is being renovated | (by the owner). |
Present perfect passive
The present perfect passive use : has/have been + past participle.
For example :
- The tickets have been sold.
- The venue has been fully booked.
- My package has not been delivered yet.
| Active | The police | have caught | the robber. |
| Passive | The robber | has been caught | (by the police). |
Past simple passive
The passive in past simple use : was/were + past participle.
For example :
- The windows were cleaned last weekend.
- The memo was sent to all employees yesterday.
- The children were saved from the fire.
| Active | The flood | destroyed | the whole city. |
| Passive | The whole city | was destroyed | (by the flood). |
Past continuous passive
The past continuous passive use : was/were being + past participle.
For example :
- The new employee was being introduced when I entered the meeting room.
- Jim was being watched by the CIA when I moved to his apartment.
- The trees were being cut by the time we arrived there.
| Active | Our manager | was introducing | the new employee. |
| Passive | The new employee | was being introduced | (by our manager). |
Past perfect passive
The past perfect passive use : had been + past participle.
For example :
- We were about to get in the taxi, but the party had been canceled.
- The windows had been fixed before the storm hit.
- The entrance had been closed before we arrived.
- All hotels had been fully booked before we left the city.
| Active | Our manager | had canceled | the office party. |
| Passive | The office party | had been canceled | (by our manager). |
Future simple passive
The future simple passive use : will be + past participle.
Sometimes, but rarely, we use is/are going to be + past participle.
- The kitchen will be finished at the end of the month.
- I will be given more information after the phone call.
- The streets will be cleared for the annual parade this weekend.
- The house is going to be renovated next month.
- The packages are going to be delivered tomorrow.
| Active | The police | will catch | the thief. |
| Passive | The thief | will be caught | (by the police). |
| Active | My parents | are going to renovate | the house. |
| Passive | The house | is going to be renovated | (by my parents). |
Future perfect passive
The future perfect passive use : will have been + past participle.
For example :
- The courier will have delivered the package tomorrow afternoon.
- The front seats will have been taken if we’re not hurrying up.
- The rooms will have been cleaned by the time we arrive at the hotel.
| Active | The courier | will have delivered | your package. |
| Passive | Your package | will have been delivered | (by the courier). |
Questions in passive
Making questions in passive can be a little bit tricky.
I suggest you practice the passive in the affirmative (positive) first. It’s easier to form questions once you get used to the affirmative.
But, if you want to challenge yourself, give it a go.
Here are some examples :
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| Is the FBI watching Jim? | Is Jim being watched by the FBI? |
| Did the students complete the assignment? | Was the assignment completed on time by the students? |
| Has Jim solved the problem? | Has the problem been solved by Jim? |
| Will the municipality clear the streets? | Will the streets be cleared by the municipality? |
Passive form of modals
Most passives with modal verbs are formed with :
modal + be + past participle
or
modal + have been + past participle
Note : The modals do not change form.
For example :
- The door can’t be opened.
- Children should be taught some manners.
- She may be excused from class.
- This book had better be returned to the library before Monday.
- The new policy ought to be considered by the council.
- The document should have been sent last month.
- This villa must have been built over 50 years ago.
- Mark couldn’t have been offered the job.
- Jack ought to have been invited to the ceremony.
Compare them in the active voice. You may note here that the modals do not change.
| Active | Passive |
|---|---|
| The people can’t open the door. | The door can’t be opened. |
| Parents should teach children some manners. | Children should be taught some manners. |
| The teacher may excuse Kim from class. | Kim may be excused from class. |
| Someone had better return this book to the library before Monday. | This book had better be returned to the library before Monday. |
| The council ought to consider the new policy. | The new policy ought to be considered by the council. |
| The secretary should have sent the document last month. | The document should have been sent last month. |
| My grandparents must have built this villa over 50 years ago. | This villa must have been built over 50 years ago. |
| The oil company couldn’t have offered Mark the job. | Mark couldn’t have been offered the job. |
| The mayor ought to have invited Jack to the ceremony. | Jack ought to have been invited to the ceremony. |
Passive voice using have to
The passive voice using have to use this form : has to/have to be + past participle.
For example :
- Someone has to tell Diana about the secret. (active)
- Diana has to be told about the secret. (passive)
- Someone has to warn April and Diana about the layoff at the office. (active)
- April and Diana have to be warned about the layoff at the office. (passive)
Passive voice using the by-phrase
The by-phrase is used in passive sentences when it is important to know who does the action.
For example :
- The thief was seen by the police officer.
- This coffee table was made by my father. He’s a carpenter.
Normally, we don’t need to use a by-phrase in a passive sentence.
But, if you want to focus the attention on each subject in some passive sentences, you may want to use the by-phrase.
Take a look at this conversation.
A : Wow, nice dresses!
B : Thanks. This dress was made by my sister. That dress was made by my mother.
Using “be supposed to” to make the passive
We use be supposed to when talking about something that is expected to occur.
Imagine that yesterday I asked you to call me this Sunday. You promised to call me.
I expect you to call me. So, I say :
You’re supposed to call me this Sunday. Don’t forget, okay?
Today is Sunday. You didn’t call me. Something I expected didn’t occur. I say :
You were supposed to call me today, but you didn’t.
Another example :
- Alan was supposed to be home at eleven, but he didn’t get in until midnight.
- We are supposed to present a song for the graduation day.
- The weather is supposed to be cold tomorrow.
- The plane is supposed to arrive at 6 a.m.
- I was supposed to call my parents last night, but I didn’t.
The passive with get
We use the passive voice with get to :
1. Replace “be” for informal communication purposes
In informal spoken English, we use get instead of be in expressing the passive. But, it is not common in formal writing.
For example :
- Cars are stolen in that town every day.
Cars get stolen in that town every day.
- Tom was mugged yesterday.
Tom got mugged yesterday.
2. Present information more indirectly.
You can smoothen a complaint using get.
Let’s say you’ve asked your brother to clean the kitchen. But he didn’t do it.
You want to complain, but you don’t want to sound too bossy or rough.
Or maybe he’s a sensitive person and you don’t want to annoy him.
So, instead of saying, “You did not clean the kitchen,” you say, “The kitchen didn’t get cleaned.“
Note the difference in tone between those sentences. You may want to use the latter so the person you are complaining to will not feel annoyed.
The form we can use : get/got + past participle.
The past participle here functions as an adjective; it describes the subject.
Have or get something done in passive
When someone else does something for us, we use the structure : has/have + object + past participle.
It is not necessary to mention who did the action.
For example :
- The queen had her meals prepared.
- I had my hair cut.
- I’m having my shop expanded.
- My brother has his car fixed.
In informal speech, we use get instead of have.
For example :
- I got my hair cut.
- When are you getting that tire changed?
We can use the same structure to talk about unpleasant events.
For example :
- I had my jewelry stolen last night. (formal)
- I got my jewelry stolen last night. (informal)
Reporting with the passive
When we want to express something that people in general say or believe, we use passive reporting verbs.
You can see them widely used in academic writing. Or news reports.
For example :
- It is believed that some unknown species inhabit that island.
- It has been reported that three passengers have drowned.
- That part of the ocean is known to be extremely dangerous.
- There are said to be at least 50 passengers in the current search.
- It has been announced that the local government will cover all the damage.
- It has been rumored that the most dangerous group ruled that place.
- It was agreed that the island must be isolated.
The passive with two objects
Some verbs can have two objects. You may have heard them as direct and indirect objects.
To change the active sentence with two objects into passive, just start with any object.
Both objects can be used at the beginning of the sentence.
Take a look at these active and passive sentences.
Active sentence :
- The locals gave some information to the police.
The locals gave the police some information.
(direct object = the police, indirect object = some information)
Passive sentence :
- Some information was given to the police by the locals.
- The police were given some information by the locals.
Pay attention to the subject-verb agreement, such as : Some information was … The police were …
Stative (non-progressive) passive
Stative (non-progressive) passive is when a passive form is used to describe an existing situation or state.
In this passive form :
- There is no by-phrase
- The past participle is an adjective (it describes the subject), not an action
Let’s understand this first :
The window is big. The window is black.
= Big and black are adjectives.
The big black window is locked. (stative passive)
= Locked is a past participle, but it’s not a verb or action. It’s an adjective. It describes the state of that door.
Another example :
- She locked the window an hour ago. (active)
The window was locked by her an hour ago. (passive)
Now the window is locked. (stative passive)
- Dean broke the vase this morning. (active)
The vase was broken by Dean. (passive)
Now the vase is broken. (stative passive)
Common stative (non-progressive) passive verbs + preposition
Some prepositions (except “by”) can follow the stative passive verbs.
For example :
- I am interested in extreme sports.
- Marko is married to the mayor’s daughter.
- She is satisfied with her songs.
Exception in passive
Some verbs describing states (e.g. have, become, seem) are not usually made passive.
For example :
Other countries in Europe have a similar policy about recycling.
You cannot change that into :
A similar policy about recycling is had by other countries in Europe. (wrong)
Another examples :
- That building has become a landmark in this city.
In this city, a landmark has been become by that building. (wrong)
- She seems happy.
Happy is seemed by her. (wrong)
However, we can change some other verbs describing states into passive (e.g. intend, know, own).
For example :
- We intend our latest product to help the older population.
Our latest product is intended to help the older population. (passive)
- The people know that the mayor is a philanthropist.
The mayor is known as a philanthropist. (passive)
- He owns the biggest charity in the city.
The biggest charity in the city is owned by him. (passive)
Common mistakes in passive
Some common mistakes that you may experience are :
Wrong subject-verb agreement
Remember that the subject in the passive is the object in active sentence.
So, when you switch them up, don’t forget the correct “be” form.
For example :
The police have caught the robber. (active)
The robber has been caught by the police. (correct)
The robber have been caught by the police.(wrong)
The police is a plural noun, meanwhile the robber is a singular noun.
Using past simple instead of past participle
You should check your conjugation when changing the active into passive.
For regular verbs, you may be familiar with -ed form. Regular verbs have the same form in past simple and past participle.
But, the irregular verbs can be a little bit tricky.
For example :
My sister sees some helicopters passing on our farm. (active)
Some helicopters are saw passing on our farm. (wrong, with past simple)
Some helicopters are seen passing on our farm. (correct, with past participle)
Check the table of irregular verbs on Cambridge Dictionary page to make your practice gets better.
Summary
It’s a long topic grammar, but here is the brief summary on this chart below.
Grammar book reference
Azar, Betty Schrampfer. Fundamentals of English Grammar: With Answer Key. Longman, 2003.
Hewings, Martin, and Simon Haines. Grammar and Vocabulary for Advanced: With Answers. Cambridge University Press, 2016.
DK. English for Everyone: English Grammar Guide: A Comprehensive Visual Reference. DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley), 2016.
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