Passive Voice
Learn how the passive voice shifts the focus of a sentence—and discover the ten topics you can explore to build the pattern from the basics through to fluent, natural use.
Start with the main idea
Passive voice puts the receiver of the action first.
Passive voice is a sentence structure in which the subject receives an action, rather than performing it. It is formed with a form of be followed by a past participle.
In My grandmother baked the cake., the subject, my grandmother, performs the action. In The cake was baked by my grandmother., the same event is described with the cake, the receiver of the action, placed first instead.
This page begins with the broad idea of what the passive voice is. Once that foundation is clear, you can explore each of the ten topics below in more detail.
The core shift
Active and passive voice describe the same event from different angles.
Every passive sentence has an active counterpart that describes the same event.
Active voice: the subject performs the action.
My grandmother baked the cake.
Passive voice: the subject receives the action.
The cake was baked by my grandmother.
The receiver of the action, the cake, moves into the subject position, and the performer, my grandmother, moves into an optional phrase at the end.
A common thread
Every passive form is built from be and a past participle.
For now, focus on noticing this pattern, rather than memorising every rule.
The form of be changes with the tense.
The report is reviewed. / The report was reviewed. / The report will be reviewed.
The tense of a passive sentence is carried entirely by the form of be.
The past participle stays the same throughout.
reviewed
Whatever the tense or modal verb involved, the main verb keeps its past participle form.
A modal verb can be added before be.
The task must be completed.
Modal verbs such as must, can and should fit into this same pattern.
Recognition clues
A few questions help identify a passive sentence.
Use several clues together, and always consider what the subject is doing in relation to the verb.
01
Is the subject receiving the action, rather than doing it?
If so, the sentence is likely passive.
02
Does the verb combine be with a past participle?
This combination is the core building block of every passive sentence.
03
Is the performer of the action named, unknown, or unimportant?
The passive voice allows the performer to be included with by, or left out entirely.
04
Does the context call for a more formal or objective tone?
The passive voice is common in formal, scientific and academic writing.
Where do you go next?
Explore each part of the passive voice in detail.
Everything you’ve learned so far explains the core idea behind the passive voice. The topics below build on that foundation, moving from the basics through to more advanced and formal uses. Choose any lesson that matches what you want to learn next.
Understanding the Passive Voice
Learn what the passive voice is, how it differs from the active voice, and why a writer might choose it.
Example: The cake was baked by my grandmother.
Forming the Passive Voice
See exactly how a passive sentence is built, step by step, from an active sentence.
Example: The window was broken.
Passive Voice in Different Tenses
Discover how the form of be changes to place a passive sentence in the present, past or future.
Example: The report is being reviewed.
Passive Voice with Modal Verbs
Learn how modal verbs combine with the passive voice to express necessity, possibility and more.
Example: The task must be completed by Friday.
Using “By…” (The Agent)
Find out when to name the performer of the action with a by phrase, and when it is better left out.
Example: The novel was written by a famous author.
Passive Infinitives & Gerunds
See how the passive voice appears in infinitive and gerund forms, beyond ordinary verb tenses.
Example: The car needs to be washed.
Impersonal Passive Structures
Learn how structures like “it is said” report a general belief without naming who holds it.
Example: It is said that the bridge is haunted.
Passive Voice in Formal & Academic English
Explore why the passive voice appears so often in scientific, academic and professional writing.
Example: The samples were analyzed under controlled conditions.
Common Passive Voice Mistakes
Review the most frequent errors learners make when forming or choosing the passive voice.
Example: The email was sended yesterday. (incorrect)
Passive Voice Practice & Review
Bring every part of the passive voice together with a set of review activities.
Example: Rewrite active sentences in the passive voice.
Building your understanding
The same event can be described from either angle.
Active and passive voice are not simply correct or incorrect versions of a sentence. Each one shifts what the sentence emphasises, and the choice between them depends on the writer’s purpose.
The same event, two emphases
Both versions below describe the same event, but they place different information first.
Examples
Researchers discovered the compound in 1928. — Active, emphasising who made the discovery.
The compound was discovered in 1928. — Passive, emphasising the compound itself, with the researchers left unnamed.
Remember
As you work through the individual lessons, you’ll discover that each topic highlights one part of using the passive voice well. The individual lessons explain how to build, adapt and choose the passive voice correctly.
Before you continue
You’re ready to explore the passive voice in more detail.
You now understand what the passive voice is, how it is built from be and a past participle, and how it compares to the active voice. From here, choose whichever topic is most useful for your own learning.
Continue your learning
Every lesson in this section focuses on one part of using the passive voice. Complete them in any order and return here whenever you need a refresher on the big picture.