Passive Voice
Master the passive voice in English. Learn to shift the focus of a sentence, express actions without an agent, and use the passive in all tenses.
What Is the Passive Voice?
The passive voice is a grammatical structure where the object of the action becomes the subject of the sentence. It is used when the agent (who performs the action) is unknown, unimportant, or when we want to emphasise the action rather than who performs it.
📋 Quick Reference
Basic Structure
The passive voice is formed with the verb 'be' + past participle of the main verb.
| Element | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Object of the active action | The book |
| Verb 'be' | Matches the tense | is/was/will be |
| Past participle | Main verb | written |
| Agent (optional) | Who performs the action | by the author |
El libro fue escrito por el autor
The book was written by the author
The book was written by the author
La casa es construida por los trabajadores
The house is being built by the workers
The house is being built by the workers
El proyecto será terminado mañana
The project will be finished tomorrow
The project will be finished tomorrow
Basic Formation
To form the passive voice:
- Identify the object of the active sentence
- Turn it into the subject of the passive
- Use 'be' in the appropriate tense
- Add the past participle of the verb
Passive Voice in Different Tenses
The passive voice can be used in all verb tenses.
| Tense | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | am/is/are + participle | The letter is written |
| Past Simple | was/were + participle | The letter was written |
| Future Simple | will be + participle | The letter will be written |
| Present Perfect | have/has been + participle | The letter has been written |
| Past Perfect | had been + participle | The letter had been written |
| Present Continuous | am/is/are being + participle | The letter is being written |
| Past Continuous | was/were being + participle | The letter was being written |
La carta es escrita (presente)
The letter is written
The letter is written (present)
La carta fue escrita ayer (pasado)
The letter was written yesterday
The letter was written yesterday (past)
La carta será escrita mañana (futuro)
The letter will be written tomorrow
The letter will be written tomorrow (future)
La carta ha sido escrita (perfecto)
The letter has been written
The letter has been written (perfect)
Agreement of the Verb 'Be'
The verb 'be' must agree with:
- The subject (singular/plural)
- The verb tense
- The person (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
- The aspect (simple, continuous, perfect)
When to Use the Passive Voice
There are specific situations where the passive voice is more appropriate than the active voice.
| Situation | Reason | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown agent | We don't know who did the action | My car was stolen |
| Irrelevant agent | Who did it doesn't matter | English is spoken here |
| Focus on the action | The action is more important | The building was destroyed |
| Avoid responsibility | We don't want to mention who | Mistakes were made |
| Academic texts | Formal, impersonal style | The data was analyzed |
| General processes | Describing processes | Coffee is grown in Brazil |
Mi coche fue robado (no sabemos quién)
My car was stolen
My car was stolen (we don't know who)
Se habla inglés aquí (no importa quién)
English is spoken here
English is spoken here (who doesn't matter)
El edificio fue destruido (enfoque en la acción)
The building was destroyed
The building was destroyed (focus on the action)
Advantages of the Passive Voice
The passive voice is useful for:
- Creating a more formal tone
- Focusing on the result
- Avoiding mentioning the agent
- Writing academic texts
Passive Voice with Two Objects
Some verbs can have two objects (direct and indirect). In the passive voice, either can be the subject.
| Verb | Active Sentence | Passive 1 | Passive 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| give | He gave me a book | I was given a book | A book was given to me |
| send | She sent him an email | He was sent an email | An email was sent to him |
| show | They showed us the photos | We were shown the photos | The photos were shown to us |
| tell | She told me the truth | I was told the truth | The truth was told to me |
Me dieron un libro
I was given a book
I was given a book
Un libro me fue dado
A book was given to me
A book was given to me
Nos mostraron las fotos
We were shown the photos
We were shown the photos
Choosing the Subject
To choose which object to use as the subject:
- Indirect object: more natural in conversation
- Direct object: more formal
- Consider the context
- Keep consistency throughout the text
Passive Voice with Modals
Modal verbs can also be used in the passive voice.
| Modal | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| can | can be + participle | This can be done |
| could | could be + participle | This could be done |
| must | must be + participle | This must be done |
| should | should be + participle | This should be done |
| may | may be + participle | This may be done |
| might | might be + participle | This might be done |
| have to | have to be + participle | This has to be done |
| be going to | be going to be + participle | This is going to be done |
Esto puede ser hecho
This can be done
This can be done
Esto debe ser terminado
This must be finished
This must be finished
Esto debería ser considerado
This should be considered
This should be considered
Structure with Modals
To form the passive voice with modals:
- Modal + be + past participle
- Does not change according to person
- Keeps the meaning of the modal
- Optional agent with 'by'
Common Mistakes
Correct: Include 'be' in the appropriate tense ✅
The house built yesterday. → The house was built yesterday.
Correct: Use the correct past participle ✅
The letter was write. → The letter was written.
Correct: 'Be' must agree with the subject ✅
The letters was sent. → The letters were sent.
Correct: Use active voice when it is clearer ✅
The teacher was hit by the student. → The student hit the teacher.
Correct: 'By' for agent, 'with' for instrument ✅
The door was opened with a key by John. → The door was opened by John with a key.
Important Rules
1. Basic structure
The passive voice always includes:
- Subject (object of the active action)
- Verb 'be' in the appropriate tense
- Past participle of the main verb
- Optional agent with 'by'
2. Agreement
The verb 'be' must agree:
- With the subject (singular/plural)
- With the verb tense
- With the person
- With the aspect (simple, continuous, perfect)
3. When to use it
Use the passive voice when:
- The agent is unknown
- The agent is irrelevant
- You want to focus on the action
- You are writing academic texts