Passive Voice Basics

B1 · IntermediatePassive Voice

The house was built in 1990. The focus shifts from who did it to what happened.

What you'll learn

  • The passive voice is formed with 'be' (conjugated) + past participle
  • The passive puts the receiver of the action in subject position, not the doer
  • Use 'by' + agent only when the doer is important or surprising
  • Passive is common when the agent is unknown, unimportant, or obvious

Shifting the focus

In an active sentence, the subject does the action. In a passive sentence, the subject receives the action instead. This shifts the focus away from who did something and onto what happened to something or someone.

"Active: The children broke the window."
"Passive: The window was broken."

Forming the passive: be + past participle

To form the passive, use a conjugated form of 'be' followed by the past participle of the main verb. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.

"The house was built in 1990."
"English is spoken in many countries."

When to mention the agent with 'by'

You can add 'by' plus the agent if it's important or surprising who did the action. But very often the agent is left out entirely — because it's unknown, unimportant, obvious, or already clear from context.

"The letter was written by Anna. (the agent matters here)"
"My car was stolen last night. (we don't know who)"

Real English

"The bridge was completed last year."
"This song was recorded by a famous band."
"The report is being reviewed now."
"Rice is grown in many parts of Asia."

Watch out

✗The house built in 1990.
✓The house was built in 1990.

The passive always needs a conjugated form of 'be' before the past participle — never just the past participle alone.

✗My car was stolen by someone last night.
✓My car was stolen last night.

When the agent is unknown or unimportant, leave out 'by' entirely — adding a vague agent like 'by someone' is unnecessary.

✗The cake ate by the kids.
✓The cake was eaten by the kids.

The main verb must be in its past-participle form after 'be' — not the plain past-tense form.

Real life — Describing news

"Did you hear? The old cinema on Main Street is being renovated."

"Really? Who's doing the work?"

"Not sure — I just know it was bought by a local investor last year."

"Nice, I hope it reopens soon."

Practice

Exercise 1 · Choose the correct sentence

Choose the correct passive sentence.

Exercise 2 · Choose the correct sentence

Choose the correct passive sentence.

Exercise 3 · Choose the matching active sentence

Choose the active sentence that matches: 'The window was broken by the children.'

Exercise 4 · Choose the correct sentence

Choose the correct passive sentence (agent unknown, so omitted).

Exercise 5 · Choose the sentence that focuses on the action

Which sentence puts the focus on the action, not who did it?

Exercise 6 · Choose the correct sentence

Choose the correct passive sentence.

Exercise 7 · Choose the correct sentence

Choose the correct passive sentence.

Exercise 8 · Choose the correct sentence

Choose the correct passive sentence.

Exercise 9 · Rewrite in the passive

Rewrite in the passive: 'Someone painted this wall.'

Exercise 10 · Rewrite in the passive

Rewrite in the passive, naming the agent: 'Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.'

Exercise 11 · Sort into groups

The email was sent yesterday.
The cake was baked by my mom.
The window is being cleaned.
The bridge was designed by an engineer.

0 / 4 sorted

Quick challenge

Five quick questions to check what stuck.

Question 1 / 5

Score: 0/0

Choose the correct passive sentence.

You learned

  • The passive voice is formed with 'be' + past participle.
  • The passive puts the receiver of the action in subject position.
  • Add 'by' + agent only when the doer is important or surprising.
  • Passive is common when the agent is unknown, unimportant, or obvious.

Related grammar lessons

IntermediatePassive Voice

Passive Voice by Tense

Learn how the passive voice changes across tenses — the past participle stays fixed, and only the form of 'be' changes.

Upper IntermediatePassive Voice

Get-Passive

Learn how 'get' + past participle works as an informal alternative to 'be' + past participle, especially for sudden or unexpected events.

Upper IntermediatePassive Voice

Have / Get Something Done

Learn the causative structure — have/get + object + past participle — for talking about services someone else does for you.

AdvancedPassive Voice

Advanced Passive Structures

Learn more advanced passive patterns — passivizing an indirect object, passive infinitives and gerunds, and needs-to-be-done structures.

View all lessons in this category