Passive Voice in English
Master the passive voice with clear explanations, examples, and practice exercises
Understanding the Passive Voice
Active vs Passive Voice
In active voice, the subject performs the action:
- The teacher explains the lesson.
- They built the house in 1990.
In passive voice, the subject receives the action:
- The lesson is explained by the teacher.
- The house was built in 1990.
Formation Rules
Passive Voice = Subject + be (conjugated) + past participle + (by + agent)
Tense Examples:
- Present Simple: The book is written by the author.
- Past Simple: The letter was sent yesterday.
- Present Perfect: The work has been completed.
- Future: The project will be finished soon.
- Modal: The problem can be solved.
When to Use Passive Voice
- Unknown agent: My car was stolen. (We don't know who stole it)
- Unimportant agent: The window was broken. (It doesn't matter who broke it)
- Obvious agent: The suspect was arrested. (Obviously by the police)
- Formal/Scientific writing: The experiment was conducted in controlled conditions.