i do my homework every day passive voice

Active-Passive Voice Converter

Boost your SEO and communicate more clearly by switching between active and passive voices seamlessly. Enhances readability and improve quality in a matter of seconds.

Instructions

1. Enter the existing text in the designated area.

2. Choose the desired output: active or passive voice.

3. [Optional] Select output length from the drop-down menu.

4. Click "Change Voice"

5. Paste the generated copy into a document or rewrite your copy using our paraphrasing tool.

💡Pro Tip: Break down complex sentences into simpler ones before converting voice.

What is Active and Passive Voice?

Active and passive voice are two different ways of constructing a sentence. The active voice focuses on the subject of the sentence, who is taking direct action. It provides clear, straightforward sentences where the agent of action is easily identifiable, making it a favored choice in most writing styles.

The passive voice shifts the focal point to the recipient of the action. The subject becomes secondary to the action itself, thus presenting a more impartial narrative. It is extensively used in scientific and formal writing where the primary focus is the action, not the doer.

How to Identify Active and Passive Voice?

Active Voice: In active voice, the subject performs the action. It's direct and concise.

Example: "The chef (subject) prepared (action) a delicious meal."

Passive Voice: In passive voice, the subject receives the action. It's indirect and often used when the doer of the action is less important.

Example: "A delicious meal (subject) was prepared (action) by the chef."

Advanced Tip: To identify passive voice, look for forms of "to be" (e.g., was, were) followed by the past participle (e.g., prepared). In active voice, the subject acts on the object, making it easier to spot.

How to Convert Sentences From Active Voice to Passive Voice

Step 1: Identification of Subject, Object, and Verb

A sentence usually comprises the doer (subject), the action (verb), and the receiver (object). In "John reads a book," 'John' is the subject, 'reads' is the verb, and 'a book' is the object. Recognizing these essential components of a sentence is the first step to getting your transformations right.

Step 2: Reposition the Subject-Object Placement

You need to reverse the subject's and object's roles to convert an active voice sentence to passive voice. That means the object becomes the sentence's new subject, and the subject becomes a part of the sentence after the verb.

Taking the same example, the sentence changes to "The book is read by John."

Step 3: Alter Verb Form

The verb in a passive voice sentence typically involves a form of 'be' (is, am, are, was, were) followed by a past participle. So, 'reads' in active voice changes to 'is read' in passive voice.

Step 4: Include Preposition

When the original subject is included in the passive sentence, it is usually introduced by a preposition like 'by'. For example, 'by John' in our previous illustration. However, if the focus of your sentence is the action rather than the doer, you can omit this prepositional phrase.

To recap, the original sentence "John reads a book." is coverted to "The book is read by John" in passive voice.

When to Use A Sentence Voice Changer?

Use passive to active voice sentence converter when:.

1. You want to emphasize the action itself rather than the doer.

2. The doer of the action is unknown or unimportant.

3. Keeping the focus consistent throughout a series of sentences.

4. Avoid putting responsibility on a specific person or group.

5. To sound objective, scientific, technical, or logical.

Passive to Active Voice Example

Passive Voice: "The cake was baked by John."

Active Voice: "John baked the cake."

In the passive voice sentence, the subject (the cake) is acted upon by the verb. The primary attention is on the action done to the subject. In the active voice sentence, the subject (John) is performing the action of the verb. The primary attention shifts to who is doing the action.

Use Active to Passive Voice Sentence Converter When:

1. You want to emphasize the doer of the action.

2. Writing clear and concise instructions.

3. Avoiding ambiguity.

4. Writing non-scientific content.

Active to Passive Voice Example

Active Voice: "John ate the apple."

Passive Voice: "The apple was eaten by John."

In the active voice sentence, the subject (John) is the one doing the action (eating). In the passive voice sentence, the subject (The apple) is the one being acted upon, and the actor (John) is mentioned at the end of the sentence.

Who Benefits From Converting Sentence Voice?

Converting sentences between active and passive voice benefits a wide array of individuals.

1. Writers, editors, linguists, and students studying language or literature can enhance their craft and comprehension.

2. Professionals in marketing or PR sectors can critically analyze text, heightening their ability to produce persuasive content.

3. SEO specialists can optimize content, making it more engaging and search-engine friendly.

How to Make the Most of Active Passive Sentence Voice Changer?

Start by understanding the power of structure in your sentence. Don't merely convert your text; use this tool as an opportunity to refine your content, enriching your writing with diversity in sentence formation.

Apply variety by alternating between active and passive voices, enhancing your writing style and engaging your readers more effectively. Modify the sentence length according to your document needs, whether brief sentences for a swift read or lengthy, descriptive ones for detailed insights.

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Our powerful tool is designed to help you generate and optimize quality copy that ranks high on SERP. Perform keyword research, gain competitor insights, and the projected scoring to streamline your content production process.

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Sentence Voice Changer FAQs

Is an ai sentence voice converter reliable.

Our AI sentence voice converter is highly reliable, guaranteeing consistent and accurate results for your writing needs. The tool is trained on massive datasets of text and code, which allows them to accurately identify and convert sentences between active and passive voice.

Is the copy generated plagiarism-free?

The content produced by our sentence voice converter tool is entirely plagiarism-free, ensuring your originality and peace of mind. It uses a variety of techniques to ensure that the output is unique.

Should you use active voice or passive voice in SEO & content marketing?

You should predominantly use active voice in SEO and content marketing as it makes your writing clearer, more direct, and easier to understand. However, passive voice can be used sparingly for variation or when the focus is on the action rather than the actor.

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Passive Voice: Important Rules and Useful Examples

Posted on Last updated: December 21, 2023

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Understanding how to construct sentences in the passive voice is an essential skill that can enhance the variety and sophistication of your communication. Throughout this lesson, we will delve into the key rules that govern the formation of passive constructions and explore their appropriate usage in various contexts.

Table of Contents

Understanding Passive Voice

Definition of Passive Voice

Passive voice  occurs when the subject of the sentence is acted upon by the verb. The focus is not on who is performing the action, but rather on the action itself or the recipient of that action. Sentences in passive voice typically follow this structure: the object + be + past participle + by + the subject. For example, “ The cake was eaten by us ,” puts emphasis on the cake and the action of it being eaten.

Active vs. Passive Voice

Active Voice

The active voice illustrates a sentence where the subject performs the action that stated by the verb.

Form: SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT.

• I do my home work.
• My mom cooks the dinner.
• Our teacher gives us a lot of homework.
• She receives a letter from her father.

Passive Voice

In contrast, passive voice is describe a sentence in which the subject receives an action.

Form: SUBJECT + VERB + “TO BE” + PAST PARTICIPLE.

• My homework is done (by me).
• The dinner is cooked (by my mom).
• We are given a lot of homework (by our teacher).
• A letter from her father is received (by her).

Note: “By+…” can be taken out in passive voice.

When to Use Passive Voice?

 1. In formal texts

• Active: They invite him to the party.
• Passive: He is invited to the party. (sounds more formal)

2. To show interest in the person or object that receive an action rather than the person or object that performs the action.

• The party was held in a luxury hotel. (we’re interest in the party rather than who held it.)
• All tickets were sold out! (we’re interest in the ticket rather than who sold it.)

3. When we don’t know (or do not want to express) who performed the action.

• My purse was stolen!
• A whole pot of jam was eaten!

Passive Voice For All Tenses

Passive voice for all tenses in English.

• V1 : Base Form of Verb
• V2 : Past Simple
• V3 : Past Participle

Present Simple Tense

Learn passive voice for present simple tense in English.

• Active : S + V1 + O.
• Passive : S + is/am/are +V3.
• Active : He receives a letter.
• Passive : A letter is received by him.

Present Continuous Tense

• Active : S + am/are/is +V-ing + O.
• Passive : S + am/are/is +being + V3.
• Active : She is cooking the dinner.
• Passive : The dinner is being cooked by her.

Past Simple Tense

• Active : S + V2+O.
• Passive : S+was/were+V3.
• Active : I did my homework last night.
• Passive : Homework was done by me last night.

Past Continuous Tense

• Active : S + was/were + V-ing + O.
• Passive : S+was/were + being +V3.
• Active : He was playing the volleyball yesterday afternoon.
• Passive : The volleyball was being played by him yesterday afternoon.

Present Perfect Tense

• Active : S + have/has + V3 + O.
• Passive : S+have/has been +V3.
• Active : I have studied English for 10 years.
• Passive : English has been studied for 10 year.

Past Perfect Tense

• Active : S + had + V3 + O.
• Passive : S + had been +V3.
• Active : I had bought a new car.
• Passive : A new car had been bought by me.

Future Simple Tense

• Active : S + will + V1 + O.
• Passive : S + will be +V3.
• Active : I will make a cake on my Mom’s birthday.
• Passive : A cake will be made on my Mom’s birthday.

Future Tense with Going to

• Active : S + am/are/is going to + V1 + O.
• Passive : S + am/are/is going to be +V3.
• Active : She is going to do housework.
• Passive : Housework is going to be done by her.

Modals Verb

• Active : S + can/could/may/might… + V1 + O.
• Passive : S + can/could/may/might…be +V3.
• Active : She could lift this box.
• Passive : This box could be lifted by her.

Modal Perfect

• Active : S + should/could/may/might…have + V3+ O.
• Passive : S + should/could/may/might…have been + V3.
• Active : You should have finished the task on time.
• Passive : The task should have been finished on time.

Interactive Exercises

Exercise 1: change from active to passive voice.

Rewrite the following active sentences in the passive voice. Be sure to keep the same tense.

• The team is preparing the report.
• The chef cooked a delicious meal.
• The students will present the project next week.
• The company has shipped your order.
• The mechanic fixed the car.
• The teacher is grading the exams.
• The artist painted a beautiful portrait.
• The gardener has planted new flowers.
• The committee will announce the results tomorrow.
• The kids are making a mess in the living room.
• The report is being prepared by the team.
• A delicious meal was cooked by the chef.
• The project will be presented by the students next week.
• Your order has been shipped by the company.
• The car was fixed by the mechanic.
• The exams are being graded by the teacher.
• A beautiful portrait was painted by the artist.
• New flowers have been planted by the gardener.
• The results will be announced by the committee tomorrow.
• A mess is being made in the living room by the kids.

Exercise 2: Identify the Correct Passive Voice Sentence

Choose the correct passive voice sentence from the options provided.

• The novel (was written/was wrote) by the author last year.
• The windows (are cleaned/were cleaned) every Saturday.
• The song (has been sung/was been sung) by the choir beautifully.
• The homework (must be finished/must finished) before the deadline.
• The instructions (will be given/are given) by the instructor shortly.
• The trophy (is being awarded/was being awarded) to the winner as we speak.
• The agreement (has been signed/had been signed) by both parties.
• The message (was being delivered/is being delivered) when the system crashed.
• The new policy (is being implemented/was being implemented) starting next month.
• The cake (was being baked/is being baked) when the power went out.
• was written 
• are cleaned 
• has been sung
• must be finished 
• will be given 
• is being awarded 
• has been signed 
• was being delivered 
• is being implemented 
• was being baked 

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I convert a sentence from active to passive voice?

To convert from active to passive, you first identify the object of the active sentence. Make this object the subject of the passive sentence. Then, add the appropriate form of the verb “to be” followed by the past participle of the main verb. If necessary, you may include “by” followed by the original subject to indicate who performed the action.

Can you provide some examples of passive voice in different tenses?

Sure, here are some examples:

• Present simple: “The mail is delivered daily.”
• Past simple: “The window was broken by the storm.”
• Future simple: “The project will be completed by next week.”
• Present perfect: “The agreement has been signed.”

What are some common mistakes to avoid when using passive voice?

Common mistakes include overusing passive voice, which can make writing seem dull or evasive. Make sure the subject of your sentence is clear, as sentences with obscured subjects can be confusing. Also, watch out for the correct form of ‘to be’ to match the tense of your sentence.

In what situations is using passive voice considered inappropriate?

Passive voice is typically avoided in writing that requires action and clarity, such as in most forms of academic writing, journalism, and calls to action. It’s also less appropriate when it’s important to know who performed the action.

How does passive voice affect the clarity of writing?

While passive voice can reduce the clarity of writing by shifting the focus away from the subject performing the action, it can also be used intentionally to emphasize the action itself or when the performer is unknown or irrelevant.

What tools can help me check if I’ve used passive voice correctly?

Grammar checking tools like Grammarly can help identify passive constructions. Additionally, word processing software often has built-in grammar checks that can highlight passive voice, allowing you to reconsider its usage.

Mustapha mohammed lawan

Tuesday 24th of October 2023

It's educating and so Interesting!

Tuesday 6th of December 2022

i am not going to school is it passive?

Friday 8th of July 2022

So confused with this.. difficult to get!

Friday 16th of July 2021

I AM SOOO CONFUSED

hehheheheeheh

Kiran Kumar

Monday 15th of March 2021

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, active vs passive voice: understanding the difference.

General Education

Though fun, writing can also get pretty darn confusing, especially when you’re trying to figure out whether to use the active or passive voice. What is the difference between active and passive voice? When and how should you use them?

In this complete active voice vs passive voice guide, we'll go over how each voice works in English grammar, when to use the two voices, and how to change a sentence from passive to active (and vice versa). We’ll also give you an active vs passive voice quiz to test your skills. Let's get started!

What Is Active Voice?

The active voice is when the subject of a sentence performs an action on an object. In other words, the subject does the action, and the object receives the action .

The active voice is easy to identify in writing because it follows a simple form, which is the basis of English grammar:

Subject ( doer ) → Verb → Object ( recipient )

Here’s an example of a sentence using the active voice:

The dog ate my homework.

In this example, "the dog" is the subject, "ate" is the verb, and "my homework" is the object. Here’s a diagram to better show this connection:

Here, "the dog" is doing (or, in this case, has already done) the action: it is the one that "ate." Meanwhile, "homework" is the object that is receiving this action of eating.

Here’s another example of the active voice at play:

She is writing an essay.

In this example, "she" is the subject, "is writing" is the verb (in the present progressive tense), and "an essay" is the object.

Once again, the subject ("she") is the one performing the action: "she" is "writing." And what is she writing? An "essay," i.e., the noun that’s receiving the action.

Finally, here's an example of the active voice being used without an object:

In this sentence, we have a subject ("he") and a verb ("sings") but no object. Regardless, because the subject is performing the act of singing, we can identify this as the active voice .

What Is Passive Voice?

The passive voice is basically the opposite of the active voice: it’s when the subject is acted upon by the object. In other words, the subject receives the action, and the object does the action .

The passive voice is a little trickier to identify, as it uses more words than the active voice. The basic structure is as follows:

Subject ( recipient ) → Verb ( past participle of "to be" form ) → Object ( doer )

Note that the object here is always preceded by the word "by."

Additionally, the verb takes its "to be" form (meaning it’s preceded by "is/are" for the present tense and "was/were" for the past tense) and is put in the past participle (e.g., "eaten" for the verb "eat" or "given" for the verb "give").

Here’s an example of a sentence using the passive voice:

The ice cream was bought by the little girl.

In this example, "the ice cream" is the subject, "bought" is the verb, and "the little girl" is the object. Here’s a diagram to help you understand this grammar pattern better:

As you can see, "the ice cream" (as the subject) is the one receiving the action, while "the little girl" (as the object) is the one performing the action.

Here's another passive voice example:

Our tests were graded by the teacher.

Here, the subject is "our tests," the verb is "were graded," and the object is "the teacher." Again, the subject ("our tests") is receiving the action from the object ("the teacher") , which is, in turn, performing it (i.e., the one who is grading).

Sometimes you’ll see the passive voice being used without an object (i.e., without identifying the doer of the action—only the recipient). Here’s an example:

The tea was poured.

In this sentence, "the tea" is the subject and "was poured" is the verb; however, there’s no object performing the action of pouring . Simply put, we don’t know who poured the tea! Nevertheless, we can identify this sentence as passive based on its setup: a subject followed by a verb in its past participle "to be" form.

If we wanted to insert an object here, we'd simply add the word "by" followed by a noun:

The tea was poured by my grandmother.

Now, we have an object, or doer, of this act of pouring tea: "my grandmother."

Active vs Passive Voice: When Do You Use Them?

The active and passive voice express the same ideas, just in different ways. In terms of when we actually use them, though, what is the difference between active and passive voice?

In general, you should always aim to use the active voice whenever you write. This is because the active voice is clearer and more direct, while the passive voice is wordier and more confusing.

That being said, this doesn’t mean that the passive voice is inherently wrong. There are many cases in which you might opt for the passive voice over the active voice.

Here are some scenarios in which you might want (or need) to use the passive voice:

• When you want to emphasize the recipient of the action
• When you want to emphasize the action itself
• When you don’t know who or what is performing the action
• When the doer of the action is irrelevant or unimportant

For example, say you’re writing an essay about the Declaration of Independence and you come up with the following sentence:

Most people believe that the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, but this is not actually the case.

Let’s parse this out a bit. 

While part of the sentence is clearly in the active voice (the "most people believe" section), the crux of it ("the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4") is in the passive voice. Doing this lets you keep the emphasis on the document, i.e., the topic of your essay .

In addition, there were many people who signed the Declaration of Independence, but listing them all here would only make the sentence longer and more convoluted; this is why the passive voice is a better fit.

Changing From Passive to Active Voice (and Vice Versa)

There are many times you might want to change a sentence from passive to active, or even from active to passive. To do this, you’ll need to understand exactly how the two types of voices work.

First, recall that the primary difference between active and passive voice lies in the roles of the subject and object : whereas in active voice the subject is the doer and the object is the recipient of the action, in passive voice the subject is the recipient of the action and the object is the doer.

Here’s an example of a sentence in the active voice vs passive voice:

Active: She created a travel blog. Passive: A travel blog was created by her.

Below is another way of looking at the difference between active and passive voice:

As you can see here, in the active voice, "she" is the subject and doer, whereas "a travel blog" is the object and recipient of the verb "created."

But in the passive voice, these designations swap : as the original subject, "she" becomes the object (but is still the doer of the action), whereas "a travel blog," which was originally the object, becomes the subject (but is still the recipient of the action).

In addition, the verb, which began in the simple past, has been converted into its past participle "to be" form .

To sum up, to convert from active to passive voice, here’s what you must do:

• Switch the positions of the subject and object so the original object is now the subject and the original subject is now the object
• Add the word "by" before the new object
• Convert the verb into its "to be" past participle form  based on the original tense used
• Switch the positions of the subject and object so the original subject is now the object and the original object is now the subject
• Delete the word "by" used before the original object (now subject)
• Convert the "to be" past participle form of the verb into the appropriate tense as indicated by the verb and overall sentence

The verb is arguably the trickiest part of converting from passive to active. You want to make sure you’re keeping the same tense as indicated by the original verb and sentence.

As an example, here's how you'd change various tenses of the word "do" from passive to active:

• is done → do/does
• is/are being done → is/are doing
• was/were done → did
• was/were being done → was/were doing
• will be done → will do

Finally, know that you cannot convert from active to passive or passive to active if you do not have an object . You can see why this doesn’t work in these active vs passive voice examples:

Active (Without Object): I drank. Passive: ??? was drunk by me.

Without an object, we have no idea what "I" actually "drank."

Passive (Without Object): The project will be completed by tomorrow. Active: ??? will complete the project by tomorrow.

Without an object, we cannot explain who "will complete the project."

Active vs Passive Voice Quiz

It’s time to test out what you learned in an active vs passive voice quiz. 

Before you start, make sure you know what the three types of questions expect you to do:

• Questions 1-3: Identify whether the sentence is active or passive
• Questions 4-5: Fill in the blanks to create a grammatically correct sentence
• Questions 6-8: Convert the sentence from active to passive, or vice versa

Answers and explanations will be provided at the end of the quiz. Good luck!

#1: Active or Passive?

This novel was not written by Charlotte Brontë but rather her sister Emily.

#2: Active or Passive?

The mail arrived on time yesterday.

#3: Active or Passive?

A study on the gender wage gap was conducted in 2018.

#4: Fill in the Blank

This gift was given to me _____ my sister.

#5: Fill in the Blank

The toy will soon be _____ by him. (past participle of "fix")

#6: Convert to Passive

Jessica is teaching me how to speak Italian.

#7: Convert to Active

He was advised by his dentist to floss more.

#8: Convert to Active

The valuable painting is finally going to be sold this year.

Active vs Passive Voice Quiz: Answers + Explanations

In this sample sentence, the subject is "the novel," the action is "was not written," and the object is "Charlotte Brontë" — we can leave out that last part since it’s not really important to understanding the voice here.

Because the object ("Charlotte Brontë") is the doer of the action — that is, she’s the one who did not write "the novel" —you should be able to tell right away that  this sentence is in the passive voice . (You might also be able to tell it’s passive due to the use of the word "by" before the object.)

Here, "the mail" is the subject and "arrived" is the verb — there is no object. Because "the mail" is the one doing the action of "arriving," this sentence uses the active voice .

In this example, "a study" is the subject and "was conducted" is the verb; there’s no object. Since "a study" is receiving the action instead of performing it, this sentence is in the passive voice .

(Just in case you’re wondering, the reason we don’t see "by" is that the object, or doer, of the action is either unknown or irrelevant.)

Right away you should recognize this as the passive voice. "This gift" is the subject, "was given" is the verb, and "my sister" is the object who is performing the action of giving.

As you know, the word "by" must come before the object in a passive sentence , so this is the missing word. The sentence should therefore read, "This gift was given to me by my sister."

Again, you should recognize this example as a passive sentence since it calls for the past participle of the verb and has the word "by" before the object. The past participle of the verb "fix" is the same as its simple past: "fixed" ; t herefore, the sentence should read, "The toy will soon be fixed by him."

To convert this sentence from active to passive, you must switch the positions of the subject and object and then convert the verb (in present progressive) to its past participle "to be" form. Don't forget that "me" must transform into its subject form ("I") when going from an object to a subject. ("Jessica" is a name and proper noun and therefore does not change form.)

Finally, place the word "by" before the new object ("Jessica"). This should give you the following passive sentence: "I am being taught how to speak Italian by Jessica."

To convert this example from passive to active, you’ll need to switch the subject and object, change the verb form from "to be" past participle to simple past, and eliminate the "by." Note that "he" will turn into "him" when converted from a subject into an object.

Doing all this correctly should give you this: "His dentist advised him to floss more."

If you didn’t know it already, this question is actually a trick! But how? Because there is no object in this passive sentence, there’s no way to convert it into the active voice. In other words, we have no idea who is going to sell the painting.

If we tried to convert it, we’d get this nonsensical statement: "??? is finally going to sell the valuable painting this year." As such, we cannot create a sentence in the active voice without a subject .

What’s Next?

Now that you understand active voice vs passive voice examples, want to brush up on your English grammar? Then check out our detailed guides on semicolons , verbs , prepositions , proper nouns , and parts of speech .

To ace the SAT/ACT, you'll need to have an excellent grasp of the English language.  Learn the most important SAT grammar rules and ACT grammar rules so you can earn an amazing score.

Need help with using and identifying literary devices? Our expert guide explains more than 30 key literary devices and how they work to help you become a pro at reading and writing.

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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Active and Passive Voice Simple Present Tense Rules & Examples

Back to: Active-Passive Voices

The structural pattern for changing voice in simple present tense is – 

Passive Voice: When to Avoid It and When to Use It

The passive voice is often maligned by teachers and professors as a bad writing habit. Or, to put that in the active voice: Teachers and professors across the English-speaking world malign the passive voice as a bad writing habit.

What is the passive voice?

In general, the active voice makes your writing stronger, more direct, and, you guessed it, more active. The subject is something, or it does the action of the verb in the sentence. With the passive voice , the subject is acted upon by some other performer of the verb. (In case you weren’t paying attention, the previous two sentences use the type of voice they describe.)

But the passive voice is not incorrect. In fact, there are times when it can come in handy. Read on to learn how to form the active and passive voices , when using the passive voice is a good idea, and how to avoid confusing it with similar forms.

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The difference between active and passive voice

While tense is all about time references, voice describes whether the grammatical subject of a clause performs or receives the action of the verb .

Here’s the formula for the active voice:

[subject]+[verb (performed by the subject)]+[optional object]

Chester kicked the ball.

In a passive voice construction, the grammatical subject of the clause receives the action of the verb. So the ball from the above sentence, which is receiving the action, becomes the subject. The formula:

[subject]+[some form of the verb to be ]+[past participle of a transitive verb]+[optional prepositional phrase]

The ball was kicked by Chester.

That last little bit—“by Chester”—is a prepositional phrase that tells you who the performer of the action is. But even though Chester is the one doing the kicking, he’s no longer the grammatical subject. A passive voice construction can even drop him from the sentence entirely:

The ball was kicked.

How’s that for anticlimactic?

When (and when not) to use the passive voice

If you’re writing anything with a definitive subject that is performing an action, you’ll be better off using the active voice. And if you search your document for occurrences of was , is , or were and your page lights up with instances of passive voice, it may be a good idea to switch to active voice.

That said, there are times when the passive voice does a better job of presenting an idea, especially when the performer of the action of a sentence’s verb is very general or diffuse, is unknown, or should get less emphasis than the recipient of that action, including in certain formal, professional, and legal contexts. Here are five common uses of the passive voice:

1 In broad statements about widely held opinions or social norms

Tipping less than 20 percent is now considered rude.

The writer of this sentence is communicating that they believe enough people share the opinion that tipping less than 20 percent is rude to qualify as a consensus. In other words, the performer of the action—the people doing the considering—is so general that it can be left out of the sentence entirely.

2 In reports of crimes with unknown perpetrators or other actions with unknown doers

My car was stolen yesterday.

If you knew who stole the car, you might be closer to getting it back. The passive voice here emphasizes the stolen item and the action of theft.

The grass was cut yesterday.

The emphasis here is on the grass, which presumably is observably shorter. Someone must have cut it, but whoever it was is not the concern of this sentence.

3 In scientific contexts

The rat was placed in a T-shaped maze.

Who placed the rat in the maze? Scientists, duh. But that’s less important than the experiment they’re conducting. Therefore , passive voice.

4 When the writer or speaker wants to avoid blame

Sometimes, someone wants to acknowledge that something unpleasant happened without making it crystal -clear who’s at fault. The classic example:

“ Mistakes were made .”

Who made them? Is anyone taking responsibility? What’s the solution here? One political scientist dubbed this kind of construction the “past exonerative” because it’s meant to exonerate the speaker/writer from whatever foul may have been committed. In other words, drop the subject, get off the hook.

5 In any other situation where you want to keep the focus on an action and/or the recipient of the action

The president was sworn in on a cold January morning.

How many people can remember off the top of their heads who swears in presidents? Clearly, the occasion of swearing in the commander in chief is the thing to emphasize here.

Cleo was transformed by the experience of traveling alone in Latin America.

In this case, we know what brought about the action: It was the experience of traveling alone in South America. But the thing the sentence most urgently wants us to know is that a person, Cleo, had an important thing happen to them. So making the recipient of the action ( Cleo ) the subject of the sentence, using the passive voice, and tucking the performer of the action ( the experience ) after the action as the object of the preposition by makes sense.

In each of the above contexts, the action itself—or the person or thing receiving the action—is the part that matters. That means the performer of the action can be absent from the sentence altogether or appear in a prepositional phrase with by . Although some of these examples are formal, others show that the passive voice is often useful and necessary in daily life. In each of the sentences below, the passive voice is natural and clear for one of the reasons in the list above. Rewriting these sentences in the active voice renders them sterile, awkward, or syntactically contorted.

Passive: Bob Dylan was injured in a motorcycle accident.

Active: A motorcycle accident injured Bob Dylan.

Passive: Elvis is rumored to be alive .

Active: People rumor Elvis to be alive.

Passive: Don’t be fooled!

Active: Don’t allow anything to fool you!

Creative ways to use the passive voice in writing

The above examples show some common uses of the passive voice, but some writers and speakers take advantage of the shift in emphasis it provides for other reasons. Here are some uses for the passive voice as a stylistic decision that suits the author’s writing goals.

Beating around the bush

Jane Austen is a master of poking fun at her characters so euphemistically that it seems almost polite, and the passive voice is one of her favorite methods for doing that.

“He . . . pressed them so cordially to dine at Barton Park every day till they were better settled at home that, though his entreaties were carried to a point of perseverance beyond civility, they could not give offense.” — Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility

Austen could have rephrased this sentence like so:

Though Mr. Middleton carried his entreaties to a point of perseverance beyond civility, they could not give offense.

Though maybe she means something closer to:

Mr. Middleton repeated his invitations beyond the point of politeness and into pushiness, but he meant well and they didn’t feel they could say “no.”

In cases like this, the passive voice allows for more polite phrasing, even if it’s also a little less clear. In this specific case, Austen’s use of the passive also abets her gentle humor and vivid characterization.

Directing the reader’s attention

This is like the grass getting cut or the president being sworn in: The recipient of the action of the verb is more important than the performer of the action.

“ That treasure lying in its bed of coral, and the corpse of the commander floating sideways on the bridge, were evoked by historians as an emblem of the city drowned in memories.” — Gabriel García Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera

Here, you could invert the sentence to say “Historians evoked that treasure” and so on. But that would take the focus away from that oh-so-intriguing treasure and corpse. And since the historians are less important here, the author makes the choice to stress the key idea of the sentence through the passive voice.

Here’s another famous example that puts the emphasis on what happens to the recipient instead of on what the performer is doing:

“ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” — The Declaration of Independence

“All men” (these days, we take this to mean all people) gets boosted to the front of the phrase because the people and their equality and rights are the focus. It makes sense that a statement declaring independence would focus on the citizens who get that independence, after all.

Passive voice misuse

Sometimes what looks like passive voice isn’t passive voice at all. Even the most careful eye can mistake the following sentences for being in passive voice.

Chester’s favorite activity is kicking.

The bank robbery took place just before closing time.

There is nothing we can do about it.

There were a great number of dead leaves covering the ground.

Despite what any well-meaning English teachers may have told you, none of the sentences above are written in the passive voice. The sentence about the leaves, in fact, was (wrongly) presented as an example of the passive voice by none other than Strunk and White in The Elements of Style .

Using the verb to be doesn’t automatically put a verb phrase into the passive voice. You also need a past participle. That’s how to keep passive voice masqueraders from fooling you.

Passive voice summed up

• The passive voice isn’t a grammatical error; it’s a matter of style.
• Use the active voice if it makes your sentence sound clearer and more natural.
• Forming passive voice requires the verb to be and a past participle .
• The passive voice is your friend when the thing receiving an action or the action itself is the important part of the sentence—especially in scientific and legal contexts, times when the performer of an action is unknown, or cases where the subject is distracting or irrelevant.
• When it comes to good writing, don’t be passive—even if your sentences sometimes need to be.

Passive Voice (with Examples)

What is the difference between the active voice and the passive voice in English?

Compare these two sentences:

Active = “The doctor gave me a prescription” Passive = “I was given a prescription”

The first sentence is in the “active voice”. The subject is the doctor, and the verb is “gave”. In active sentences, the focus of the sentence is on the subject.

The second sentence is in the “passive voice”. The object of the sentence (“I”) becomes the focus of the sentence.

How to form a passive sentence

1. Firstly, you need to make the object (from the active sentence) into the new subject.

For example, in “John helped me”, “me” is the object. The subject form of “me” is “I”.

Here is a list of objects and subjects:

me – I you – You him / her – He / She us – We them – They

2. Then you make the verb passive.

Put the verb “to be” into the same tense as the verb in the active sentence. For example, in the sentence “John helped me”, “helped” is the past tense. Therefore, you need the past simple tense of the verb “to be”, which is “was” or “were”.

“I was…”

Here’s a list of tenses for the verb “to be”:

Present simple – am / are / is Present continuous – is being / are being Present perfect – has been / have been Simple past – was / were Past continuous – was being / were being Modals will, can etc – will be, can be etc.

3. Then add the past participle of the verb. For example “gave” – “given”, “help” – “helped”

“I was helped by John.” “I was given a prescription by the doctor.”

4. If necessary, you can say who did the action. To do this, add “by” at the end of your sentence. “She was awarded a degree by the University of London .”

When to use the passive voice

As a general rule, speak and write in the active voice. But passive forms can be useful in formal writing (such as scientific reports) when the emphasis is on process and results, rather than on who did the action.

1. To change the focus of a sentence. Sometimes, the object of the sentence is more important than the subject. We can change the focus of the sentence by changing an active sentence into a passive sentence. For example, in the following sentence, the focus is on beautiful designs and colours – not on who creates or chooses them.

“Our beautiful designs are created by a team of experts. The colours are carefully chosen to blend in with the surroundings…”

2. If we don’t know who does an action. “My bicycle has been stolen” – I don’t know who has stolen it.

3. If we don’t want to say who did something. “The lights were left on all night.” (I don’t want to say that you left the lights on.)

4. If it is obvious who does something. “I was given a prescription” – I know that only doctors give prescriptions, so I don’t need to add “by the doctor”. “He was arrested” I know that the police arrest people, so I don’t need to add “by the police”.

Passive or Active?

Decide if the sentence is passive or active.

Your answer:

Correct answer:

Your Answers

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#240: How & Why to Use the Passive Voice | English Grammar Practice

May 18, 2022 | Grammar

How, when, and why should you use the passive voice in English?

You may recall studying the passive voice in English grammar lessons but still feel unsure about how to use it. 

Today we’re going to solve that frustration.

In this Confident English lesson today, you’re going to learn 6 specific uses of the passive voice in English.

Along the way, you’ll get English grammar practice with the examples I share and the practice questions I have for you. 

To get ready, I recommend grabbing a pen and paper so you’re ready to practice with me.

6 Uses of the Passive Voice in English

Use #1: when the actor is unknown or insignificant.

English speakers use the passive voice when the actor (person/thing performing the action) is unknown or insignificant. 

This is especially true when reporting crimes or incidents when the perpetrator is unknown.

• The store was robbed in broad daylight.
• My wallet was stolen last year.

Practice : Think for a moment about your experiences. Have you ever had something stolen? Or maybe a car window was broken? 

But you don’t know who did it?

Using the passive voice, write down a sentence you might use if you were reporting the crime or telling a friend about it. You can follow my examples.

Before we move on, a second way to think about an unknown actor — or when the person who completed the action is unimportant — is when talking about architecture. Such as design, construction, or renovation. 

Recently members of my Confident Women Community practiced using the passive voice to describe specific places or buildings in their city. I’d love to challenge you in the same way.

For example:

• Our home was renovated in 2019 . → We do not know or don’t care who did it.
• This building was completed in 1813 and was designed in the Federal style .

Practice : What about where you live? Is there a famous building you could describe without stating who did it?

Use #2: The Actor Is Obvious

We use the passive voice when there’s an obvious and common understanding of who or what performed an action. So we don’t need to waste time stating the obvious

For instance, it’s common knowledge that your salary is paid by your employer. 

When describing your payment cycle, you could simply say, “ I’m paid biweekly.”

Pop Quiz: How would you rephrase this sentence to use the passive voice? The police arrested the robber last night. Answer: The robber was arrested last night. Since it’s obvious that the police are making the arrest, we can easily use the passive voice. 

*Tip: When you use the passive voice and want to specify who did the action, end the sentence with by and the actor. 

I’m paid biweekly by my employer .

Use #3: To Emphasize the Recipient

Remember that the object receives the action, in the passive voice. For this reason, English speakers use the passive voice to draw attention to the recipient.

For instance, rather than say: “The local government spent millions of dollars to restore the building.” The passive voice could be used to say: “Millions of dollars were spent to restore the building.” Moving the recipient to the front of the sentence and eliminating the actor, puts emphasis on the large sum of money that was spent instead of who spent the money. 

Practice : Can you think of a time when too much money was spent on something? An item? A project budget?

Rather than focus on WHO spent the money, think about how to focus on what was spent. 

Here’s a recommended way to start, “Too much money was spent on ______.”

Use #4: To Emphasize A Result

While the passive voice allows us to highlight that something or someone receives an action, it can also be used to shift the focus on the result of an action. 

English speakers achieve this by using the passive voice in addition to the stress on the verb.

• For example, to place emphasis on the result of a budget cut, I could say, “Students were demotivated when they heard there would be no art program next year.”  

Now, you might be wondering: couldn’t use the active voice and say “The news of no art program demotivated the students” — still emphasizing the verb demotivated?

And the answer is yes, we certainly could. But doing so shifts the focus in the sentence. Now it’s the news of no art program that we pay attention to most.

Using the passive voice allows the speaker or writer to decide what is most important in the sentence — the fact that there is no art program? Or the fact that students were demotivated.

Use #5: To Protect and Avoid Blame

The passive voice is useful when the actor needs or wants to be protected. 

Imagine you’re the host of a party and someone accidentally broke a valuable object. To shield the person from further embarrassment, you might say “ It was accidentally knocked off the table .” In this case, the passive voice enables you to avoid naming the person.

In contrast, the actor can protect themself by using the passive voice to avoid responsibility. We often hear this in statements made by people of power.

For example, if a politician is making a speech to acknowledge a mistake and soften their role in the mistake, they might say “ Mistakes were made and we’re working towards a solution .”

Practice : Can you remember a situation when someone you care about at work accidentally broke something? Or missed an important deadline? Or forgot to complete an important task? 

In talking about it, you want to protect the person who did it. How would you describe what happened?

Use #6: To Describe Actions in Scientific and Academic Contexts

The passive voice is traditionally used in scientific literature or contexts. This is especially true in lab reports and research papers. 

• “ The subject’s cognitive state was assessed at the end of each trial .”
• “ Over 100 responses were collected in the survey. ”

Now you have 6 clear uses for the passive voice and your own examples to help you determine how you might use the passive voice in your own Egnlish communication. 

Feel free to share your examples with me below.

Or tell me how today’s lesson helped you. Share a quick comment in the comment section below to let me know.

~ Annemarie

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Hey there. Thanks for sharing this wonderful blog. The passive voice can be used to create a sense of detachment or remove the speaker from the action, which is sometimes desired. For example, if you are writing about a crime that was committed, you may want to use the passive voice to maintain impartiality. Additionally, the passive voice can make your writing sound more academic or formal.

Hi Annie! I was always trying to figure out the uses of Passive Voice, as I was only a fluent English speaker, learnt by listening and reading. Grammar was Greek to me! I have begun teaching English. Thanks a lot for this lesson for the students to know the objectives of the topic.

I’m so glad it was helpful to you, Imtiaz!

Ok, Let me read. I’ll let you know

Thanks Annemarie! well actually I’m preparing a scientific paper, so this lesson is definitely helpful for me.

Oh, this will be perfect for you!

Hi Anne Marie! This lesson was very interesting for me, thank you.

Let me share with you my homework:

Use #1 My PC was stolen last year from my car last night. The last house of the ghetto, was demolished in 1947

Use # 3 Too much money was spent to built the new soccer stadium in Cagliari.

Use #5 An important file was inadvertently moved to a wrong folder. The good news is that we find it.

To the next lesson!

Great job, Cinzia!

I have one question about the first example: “My PC was stolen last year from my car last night. ”

I see ‘last year’ which means 2021 and I see ‘last night’ which means yesterday. Which one of these did you want to use in the sentence?

And in example 3, we can simplify this sentence by removing “to build” and instead use a preposition: “Too much money was spent _______ the new soccer stadium in Cagliari.” — Do you know which preposition we might use?

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• B1-B2 grammar

Do you know how to use the passive voice to change the focus of a sentence? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

Look at these examples to see how the passive voice is used.

A lot of olive oil is produced in Italy. This book was written by Angela Davis. The suspect will be released tomorrow. This product has not been tested on animals.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar B1-B2: Passives: 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

We use the passive voice to change the focus of the sentence.

My bike was stolen. (passive – focus on my bike ) Someone stole my bike. (active – focus on someone )

We often use the passive:

• when we prefer not to mention who or what does the action (for example, it's not known, it's obvious or we don't want to say)
• so that we can start a sentence with the most important or most logical information
• in more formal or scientific writing.

How we make the passive

We make the passive using the verb be + past participle. We start the sentence with the object.

It is not always necessary to add who or what did the action.

Only the form of be changes to make the tense. The past participle stays the same. Here are examples of the passive in its most common tenses.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar B1-B2: Passives: 2

Language level

Firstly, it is my understanding that when we use the past participle in this way, it is no longer the past participle but the 'passive verb'. The past participle always follows a form of the verb 'to have', but the passive verb always follows a form of the verb 'to be'.

Secondly, question 7 (on the second grammar test) is not an example of the passive voice.

"Someone saw my talk at the conference and recommended me as a speaker."

This sentence uses the the verb 'to do' in it's past form (did). It's hidden in the conjugation. If we un-conjugate the verbs in the sentence, it reads:

"Someone did see my talk at the conference and did recommend me as a speaker."

Therefore, this sentence is in past simple tense. In order for it to be in the passive voice, it needs to use a form of the verb 'to be' and a 'passive verb'.

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Hello Kieronimo,

That's an interesting point about the term 'past participle'. Since the resources on our website are for learners, we've used the most common terminology.

Thanks also for your observation about question 7. We included a non-passive form as a kind of challenge, but can see how this could be confusing. We'll consider changing this.

Best wishes, Kirk LearnEnglish team

Hi, i have a question about a sentence that i came across. "8 year old me was convinced that she was Indian". is the word "convinced"here used in the passive form or is it an adjective. how can i distinguish this easily. with sentences like the door was painted or the cookies were made by him, the passives here looks very obvious to me but in the sentence above i had a little confusion. i hope you can help me out

Hi nino23,

The passive will normally have an agent phrase (e.g. I wasn't sure whether to apply for the promotion but I was convinced by my colleagues to go for it ). Since there is no strong idea of any agent causing the convincing in your example, it's probably an adjective. 

LearnEnglish team

A quick question, there was an example given at my daughter's English lesson : This seems to be a successful makeover. Susan/remodel/her cheekbones. With the correct sentence given as: Susan has had her cheekbones remodeled. Why "has had" is to be used? Is that because of the Present Simple used in the first sentence.. "seems"?

Hi PiotrM,

This structure is called the causative "have". To "have (something) (done)" means to receive that action from somebody else, normally as a professional service. For example:

• Yesterday I had my hair cut .
• The trousers were too long so I took them to the tailor and had the legs shortened .
• The car was making a strange noise so I took it to the garage and had it checked .

As you can see, the structure shows an action. Turning to your example sentence, the action of remodelling must logically have happened before the present moment, so the present perfect "has had ..." is used. A past simple form ( Susan had her cheekbones remodelled ) is also possible, but the present perfect is preferable because the remodelling is clearly relevant to the present topic of conversation.

Incorrect answers would include  Susan (has) remodelled her cheekbones , since Susan received rather than performed this action. Instead, the causative "have" is needed.

I hope that helps to understand it.

Hello, Sir! 1. We seem to miss one book. (Active Infinitive) 2. One book seems to be missed. (Passive infinitive) 3. We seem to be one missed. (one = one book) Is the sentence 3 passive? Are the sentences 1 and 3 the same? Thank you in advance for your time.

Hello Sokhomkim,

I'm afraid that none of these sentences are correct. Could you explain in other words what you mean to say with them? For example, if we normally have 10 books but now there are only 9, we could say 'One book is missing' or 'One book seems to be missing' (similar to sentence 2). It's also possible to say 'We seem to be missing one book' (sentence 1). But I don't understand sentence 3.

In the sentences I wrote, ' missing ' is an adjective.

Thank you very much, Sir. Your example is what I mean. - We seem to be missing one book. ( "to be missing" is continuous infinitive with the object "one book, isn't it?) I wanted to know if I can use "the simple infinitive (to miss one book) or it has to be "continuous infinitive (to be missing one book). And can I change your sentence using the passive infinitive?) - One book seem to be being missed (by us). Thank you so much for your time.

I think the root of the confusion here is two different meanings of the word 'missing'.

1) The first meaning refers to something that we can't find; in this case, 'missing' is an adjective. So if this sentence means that we can't find one book, then 'to be missing' is not a continuous infinitive. Instead, it is the simple infinitive 'to be' and the adjective 'missing'.

2) The second meaning refers to a person or thing that is not with us and whose absence makes us sad; in this case, it is a form of the verb 'to miss'. Note that normally we use the verb 'miss' in this way to speak of people or situations or animals -- things we have an emotional connection to. It is possible to have this feeling about a book, but more unusual.

So if 'missing' refers to an emotional state in which we find our life incomplete because the book is gone (as if the book were a person you are close to), then 'to be missing' could indeed be a continuous infinitive. That is not how I understood the sentence, but it is a possible meaning.

Hope this helps.

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Homework: Passive Voice

So, did you steal your bike, or was your bike stolen? Will you take out your tonsils, or will your tonsils be taken out? Mastering the Passive Voice is a crucial rite of passage for any English learner, as it can change the meaning of a sentence entirely. However, as this versatile voice can be used with any grammar tense, this is often much more easily said than done, as no sooner have students established just when to use it than along comes the more daunting challenge of actually using it correctly. This homework sheet enables students to practise using the Passive Voice through a range of progressively challenging exercises.

After downloading your PDF: print it immediately or save and print later. Answers are provided for teachers on the second page.

Make your own worksheets with the free EnglishClub Worksheet Maker !

Passive Voice – Free Exercise

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the passive.

• I don’t have to buy the paper because it (deliver)     to our house every day. simple present (signal: every day )|3 rd person singular: is + past participle
• When Kylie went to school, she (pick up)     by her parents every day. simple past (signal: went )|3 rd person singular: was + past participle
• You don’t have to clean the bathroom. It (clean/already)     by someone else. present perfect (signal: already, first clause in simple present)|3 rd person singular: has + adverb + been + past participle
• Relax! From now on, I promise that everything (do)     for you. will future (signal: from now on, I promise )| will be + past participle|irregular verb: do-did-done
• When I came home, dinner (cook/not)     yet. past perfect (signal: yet, first clause in simple past)| had been + past participle

Rewrite the sentences in the passive voice. Use the same tense as in the active sentence. Only use by if necessary.

• They offer free trials twice a year. simple present|3 rd person plural: are + past participle|Do not include the agent when it is unknown/unimportant/obvious.   twice a year.
• Someone is cutting the grass next door. present progressive|3 rd person singular: is being + past participle|irregular verb: cut-cut-cut |Do not include the agent when it is unknown/unimportant/obvious.   next door.
• All parties have signed the contract. present perfect|3 rd person singular: has been + past participle|Use by to introduce the agent.   .
• A car hit the traffic light. simple past|3 rd person singular: was + past participle|irregular verb: hit-hit-hit |Use by to introduce the agent.   .

Rewrite the sentences in two ways: once in the impersonal passive and once in the personal passive.

• Visitors say that these museums have wonderful exhibits. It   these museums have wonderful exhibits. it is + participle of reporting verb + that |irregular verb: say-said-said These museums   wonderful exhibits. reporting verb: say (simple present) →|subject (3 rd person plural) + are + participle of reporting verb + main verb infinitive: to have |irregular verb: say-said-said
• Everybody agrees that this sculpture is the artist’s greatest work. It   this sculpture is the artist’s greatest work. it is + participle of reporting verb + that This sculpture   the artist’s greatest work. reporting verb: agrees (simple present)|subject (3 rd person singular) + is + participle of reporting verb + main verb infinitive: to be
• Experts assume that the diamond is priceless. It   the diamond is priceless. it is + participle of reporting verb + that The diamond   priceless. reporting verb: assume →|subject (3 rd person singular) + is + participle of reporting verb + main verb infinitive: to be
• Experts believe that this jewellery belonged to Cleopatra. It   this jewellery belonged to Cleopatra. it is + participle of reporting verb + that This jewellery   to Cleopatra. reporting verb: believe (simple present) →|subject (3 rd person singular) + is + participle of reporting verb + main verb perfect infinitive: to have belonged |Use the perfect infinitive when the active main verb is in the past.

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PASSIVE VOICE (with video!) – English Grammar step-by-step

Using the PASSIVE VOICE

The ‘ passive voice ‘ is opposite of the ‘ active voice ‘.

If you are a more visual learner, watch the video!

PASSIVE FORMATION : BE + past participle

infinitive: dance past simple: danced ⇒past participle: danced

infinitive: eat past simple: ate ⇒past participle: eaten

Why do we need the passive?

1)  the action is more important/interesting than the person who does the action…

PASSIVE: £10,000 were donated to the children’s hospital.

This is a lot of money! This action is more interesting than who donated the money. So who donated the money? It’s not important. Use the passive.

ACTIVE : The Queen donated £10,000 to the children’s hospital.

Wow, it’s the Queen! In this sentence, the person who does the action is more important/interesting than the action itself. Use the active.

2)the person who does the action is not important or not known…

PASSIVE : This beautiful bridge was built in 1732.

Maybe we don’t know who built the bridge. Maybe we are more interested in the age of the bridge and not the person who built it. Use the passive.

ACTIVE : John Taylor Darren built this beautiful bridge in 1732.

Imagine John Taylor Darren is a famous architect. This information is more important and interesting than the date it was built. Use the active.

3) the person doing the action is obvious…

PASSIVE : Bill was arrested last night!

Who arrested Bill? It’s obvious. The police arrested Bill. Only the police can arrest someone. 

ACTIVE : The police arrested Bill last night.

This sentence is correct, but not very common. Of course the police did the action. It isn’t necessary to use the police as the subject. 

4)because an object cannot do the action itself …

PASSIVE : Over 10 chocolate cakes were sold on Sunday.

Can a cake sell itself? No, that’s impossible. Use the passive.

If you want to say WHO does the action, you can use an agent. We form the agent using by + person . The agent is optional .

£10,000 were donated to the children’s hospital by the Queen .

This beautiful bridge was built in 1732 by John Taylor Darren .

Over 10 chocolate cakes were sold on Sunday by Jones’ Bakery .

All tense changes:

present simple – AM/ARE/IS + past participle

Active: Apple sells thousands of iPhones every day. Passive: Thousands of iPhones are sold every day (by Apple).

present continuous – AM/ARE/IS BEING + past participle

Active: The police are watching the criminal from their car. Passive: The criminal is being watched (by the police from their car).

present perfect – HAVE/HAS BEEN + past participle

Active: Someone has taken my wallet! Passive: My wallet has been taken (by someone)!

present perfect continuous = uncommon passive structure

past simple – WAS/WERE + past participle

Active: My mum sent over 50 Christmas cards. Passive: Over 50 Christmas cards were sent (by my mum).

past continuous – WAS/WERE BEING + past participle

Active: Many uni students were using the library PCs. Passive: The library PCs were being used (by many uni students).

past perfect = HAD BEEN + past participle

Active: Mr. Karl had rented a boat for his summer holiday. Passive: A boat had been rented (by Mr. Karl).

past perfect continuous = uncommon passive structure  

future simple: WILL + BE + past participle

Active: NASA will launch a new satellite into space. Passive: A new satellite will be launched into space (by NASA).

be going to (future form): BE + GOING TO BE + past participle

Active: We are going to create a new app. Passive: A new app is going to be created (by us).

future continuous: = uncommon passive structure

future perfect: WILL HAVE BEEN + past participle

Active: I will have finished these reports by noon. Passive: These reports will have been finished by noon (by me).

future perfect continuous = uncommon passive structure

Present perfect cont., past perfect cont., future cont., future perfect cont., are very uncommon and sound unnatural:

future continuous: WILL BE + BEING + past participle

Active: Santa will be handing out gifts at the shopping centre. Passive: Gifts will be being handed out at the shopping centre by Santa.

In this case, it’s better to use the Active voice.

More examples:

• I really want to be recognised for my work. I don’t want to recognise my own work. I want other people to recognise my work. They do the action, not me. Use the passive.
• Ritchie might be given  a promotion. Can Ritchie promote himself at work? No, that’s not possible. It’s obvious his boss is going to give him the promotion. 
• I’m so happy about being chosen as class president! The other students chose you. You didn’t choose yourself. Use the passive.

Take a look at these 3 active sentences. How would you change each one into the passive voice?

He smiled at me.

I slept until 1 PM.

I’m moving to France next month.

It’s not possible. 

Only sentences with a transitive verb can be changed into the passive. A transitive verb must have an object . For example:

I like coffee. ‘like’ is a transitive verb. It must have an object. It’s impossible to only say: I like.

I bought a new phone. ‘buy’ is a transitive verb. It must have an object. It’s impossible to only say: I bought.

I danced salsa last night. ‘dance’ is an intransitive verb . It doesn’t need an object.

Jenny: What did you do at the club last night? Sara: I danced.

This is correct. The verb ‘dance’ makes sense without an object.

Thank you very much for reading this blog on the passive voice!

Don’t forget to check out my  youtube channel ,  instagram ,   facebook and blog , see you next time arnel 🙂.

You have forgotten to add future perfect continuous = uncommon passive structure to ‘All tense changes list.’ The rest of them is looking good. (I don’t know that is your intention to it or not).

You are correct! I completely missed that from the info-graphic! I’ll have to update that. Thank you 🙂

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Passive Voice and how to use it

Verbs can also be in the active voice or passive voice. In the active voice, the subject and verb relationship is direct.

In other words, the subject is performing the verb’s action, by either “doing” or “being” the object of the sentence. This is the “regular” voice that we typically use.

For example:

“ The man ate a hamburger. ” (the man [subject] did the eating of the hamburger [object])

“ Bob sent the letter. ” (Bob [subject] did the sending of the letter [object])

“ My dad loves my mom .” (Dad [subject] is doing the loving of Mom [object])

In the passive voice , the subject of the sentence is neither “doing” nor “being” the object. The subject and object switch positions; the subject becomes the object and vice versa.

These active-voice sentences: “The man ate a hamburger,” “Bob sent the letter,” and “My dad loves my mom,”

→ “The hamburger was eaten by the man.”

→ “The letter was sent by Bob.”

→ “My mom is loved by my dad.”

The passive voice is often used when we want to put emphasis on the object rather than the subject. For example, in the sentence “ My wallet was stolen last night ,” although we might imagine the thief who stole the wallet, the passive construction emphasizes the wallet and the action itself.

The passive is also used when we don’t know the subject, or if the subject is not important and/or doesn’t need to be mentioned.

Construction of the Passive Voice

subject + am/is/are + past participle

The main verb is always in its past participle form. Take a look at the following table:

* NOTE : The word “ by ” is always used to introduce the passive object in the passive voice .

Conjugation of the Passive Voice

The passive can be used in any tense. The conversion from active to passive is an easy process, because the main verb is always in its past participle form and the auxiliary verb is always “to be.” The only verb that need be conjugated is the auxiliary verb.

Present simple :   “ Pizza is eaten every day. ”

Present continuous :  “ Pizza is being eaten right now. ”

Present perfect :  “ Pizza has been eaten by people all over the world. ”

Teaching Verb Tenses

It is most effective to teach each tense in small, easily digestible amounts. This means that teachers should avoid teaching multiple aspects/tenses in a short period of time. Focus on one, comparing and contrasting it with tenses students already know. Trying to have students memorize and use multiple tenses at once is a recipe for disaster and will result in disengagement.

Introducing grammar points within authentic contexts is the most effective way to get students to understand meaning, use, and form.

To teach the present simple tense, students are given a scripted dialogue which the teacher reads aloud. The teacher tells students that the dialogue is between two friends who are discussing what they do on weekends. After reading, the teacher lists the action verbs used in the dialogue on the board:

go for a walk

do homework

go to the mall

Students then read/listen to the text again to find out who is doing the above actions. After asking students for the answers, the teacher writes them on the board.

I go for a walk.

We eat lunch.

My brother and I go out on Saturdays.

I always do my homework.

The teacher uses a timeline, simple explanations, and comparisons to demonstrate the present simple tense in the positive form. Drills are then followed by students using the sentence structure to create examples which are written on the board. Drills are repeated and the teacher asks a series of concept check questions to ensure students understand the rules.

Students need to learn both affirmative and negative sentences using a variety of verbs in the new tense. Write model sentences on the board for them to visualize the sentence structure and use as references during class, such as:

“I wash the dishes every night.”

“I do not wash dishes every night.”

Introduce “yes/no” questions and “wh-” questions using various verbs in the new tense as well. Write model questions on the board for students to visualize, such as:

“Do you wash the dishes every night?”

“Can you make coffee?”

“What do you eat for breakfast?”

“When is the next class?”

Direct the questions to the students in the classroom. As they respond, encourage them to speak in complete sentences, and write their answers on the board, correcting their grammar if needed:

“No, I do not wash the dishes every night.”

“Yes, I make coffee for my dad.”

“I eat cereal for breakfast.”

“The next class is tomorrow.”

Compare two different verbs in the present simple tense on the board, in both the affirmative and negative sentences and yes/no/wh- questions, to give students a visual of how different types of verbs can be conjugated in that tense.

After drilling, provide a variety of controlled practice activities for students to practice using the form with guidance.

Once students have completed controlled exercises and have gained confidence and accuracy, less controlled exercises can be assigned to add a personal and meaningful dimension to the grammar tense.

Learning grammar, verb tenses, and parts of speech is a developmental process that requires continual practice and exposure before the concepts are understood and retained. It takes even longer for students to use them naturally and fluently.

It is essential for teachers not only to have students repeatedly practice using the structures when they are introduced, but to also recycle and integrate them into future lessons.

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Passive Voice - Exercises on Form

>mixed exercise on passive voice.

Rewrite the sentences in passive voice.

• John collects money. -
• Anna opened the window. -
• We have done our homework. -
• I will ask a question. -
• He can cut out the picture. -
• The sheep ate a lot. -
• We do not clean our rooms. -
• William will not repair the car. -
• Did Sue draw this circle? -
• Could you feed the dog? -

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English Grammar

The passive voice is used when we want to focus attention on the person or thing affected by the action. Example - My room is cleaned by me everyday. - "my room" here is the subject of the sentence.

• How to form the Passive
• A complete list of all the verb forms that are usually used in the passive voice.

1. How to form the Passive

Passive forms are made up of an appropriate form of the verb TO BE followed by the past participle (pp) form of the verb. To DO => to be DONE (do – did – done)

The Active voice is used when we want to focus attention on the person or thing affected by the action.

• The queen invited me for tea.
• I clean my room everyday.

If you want to focus on the person or thing affected by the action, you make the person or thing the subject of the sentence and use the Passive voice:

• I was invited for tea by the queen.
• My room is cleaned by me everyday.

Compare the Activective and Passive.

• I clean my room everyday. - "my room" here the object of the sentence.
• My room is cleaned by me everyday. - "my room" here is the subject of the sentence.

2. A complete list of all the verb forms that are usually used in the passive voice.

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How to Use the Passive Voice in English Grammar Exercises

What is the passive voice?

In English, sometimes we want to say the same thing in different ways. You may have heard that using the passive voice is not a good idea. However, the passive voice lets us change our meaning in subtle ways. Using it correctly and appropriately can help your English communication.

Usually, the most direct way to communicate is using what we call the “active voice”. This way the focus of the sentence is on the doer of the action.

On the other hand, using “the passive voice” lets us change the focus of the sentence to the receiver of the action.

For example: The neighbors painted the building walls yesterday.

(Active voice)

Also, you can change the focus (or emphasis) of the sentence to the walls themselves, and not the neighbors.

For example: The building walls were painted yesterday.

(Passive voice)

In this case, notice how the neighbors weren’t mentioned in the sentence, but the walls have all the focus. They are more important.

When do we use the passive voice?

The passive voice can be used in many situations, but the most common ones are the following:

– The doer of the action is unknown.

For example: The glass was broken.

– We don’t want to say who did the action.

For example: The decision will be taken tomorrow.

– The receiver of the action is more important.

For example: The pyramids were built a few thousand years ago.

If the doer is known and we want to mention it, we can use the preposition “by”.

For example: The Harry Potter books were written by J. K. Rowling.

How can we transform the sentence into passive voice?

First, we have to identify the three main parts of the sentence in an active voice. Let’s take for example the following sentence:

My mother punished my brother for yelling at me.

“My mother” is the subject, or doer of the action.

“Punished” is the verb, or the action.

“My brother” is the object, or receiver of the action.

Second, we identify the tense of the main verb. In this case, the verb “punished” is the past simple tense of the regular verb “punish”.

Now, we make the changes to the sentence in three simple steps:

• Take the object to the beginning of the sentence.
• Conjugate the verb “to be” with the tense of the verb in active voice.
• Use the past participle form of the main verb.

Our sentence will be like this:

My brother was punished for yelling at me.

As you can see, the focus now is on “my brother” and not on “my mother”. Also, if you have any extra information in the sentence (for yelling at me), you can keep it without changes.

Note: Be aware if the main verb is irregular. The past participle could have a different form.

How can we use the passive voice in different tenses?

We can use the passive voice with different tenses. Each tense is formed differently, but all following the same structure of:

[object] + [to be: conjugated] + [main verb in past participle] + [extra info.]

Final Notes on the Passive Voice:

First, to make the negative of the passive voice, simply change the verb “to be” to its respective negative form. 

For example: 

The students painted the walls. (Affirmative active voice)

The walls were painted. (Affirmative passive voice)

The walls weren’t painted. (Negative passive voice)

Second, always respect the subject-verb agreement, even if it’s different from the active voice.

For example:

The doctor receives patients all morning.

Patients are received all morning.

Finally, notice how we used “are” instead of “is”, because the object “patients” is in plural and is now playing the role of the subject in the passive sentence.

If you would like to continue improving your English grammar, check out this lesson on Using Could, Should and Would Have Been – Past Conditional English Grammar Lesson.

Gabby Wallace, M.Ed TESOL

About the Author Gabby Wallace is the Founder of Go Natural English, where you can quickly improve your confidence speaking English through advanced fluency practice. Even if you don't have much time, this is the best place for improving your English skills. Millions of global intermediate - advanced English students are learning with Gabby's inspiring, clear, and energetic English lessons. Gabby has a Masters Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Boston University and 20+ years experience helping students become fluent through her online courses and membership program.

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50 Sentences of Active and Passive Voice in English

Understanding sentences of active and passive voice is akin to having a key that opens the door to clearer communication. In our daily lives, we encounter these sentence structures regularly, often without even realizing it. Imagine you’re at a bustling café, and someone hands you a steaming cup of coffee. The sentence “The barista served me a cup of coffee” showcases the active voice , emphasizing the action and the doer—the barista . Now, if you say, “A cup of coffee was served to me by the barista,” you’ve switched to the passive voice , putting the focus on the receiver rather than the doer . This shift in construction alters the tone and perspective of the sentence, offering a different flavor to your expression . Going further in this blog post, we will look into 50 sentences of Active and Passive Voice .

These sentences of active and passive voice form the backbone of English communication, providing a dynamic range of expression that adapts to various situations. Whether you’re recounting a story, giving instructions , or sharing information, understanding how to manipulate active and passive constructions enriches your language toolkit.

Let’s understand the concept of Active and Passive Voice with the help of a few sentences before we delve into all 50 sentences.

Now, let’s dive into 50 unique sentences that illustrate the versatility of active and passive voice in everyday scenarios. 50 Sentences of Active and Passive Voice:

• Active: I clean my room every Sunday. Passive: Every Sunday, my room is cleaned by me.
• Active: The students are solving a challenging math problem. Passive: A challenging math problem is being solved by the students.
• Active: The teacher explained the lesson. Passive: The lesson was explained by the teacher.
• Active: We will celebrate your birthday tomorrow. Passive: Your birthday will be celebrated by us tomorrow.
• Active: The chef prepared a delicious meal. Passive: A delicious meal was prepared by the chef.
• Active: She wore a beautiful dress to the party. Passive: A beautiful dress was worn by her to the party.
• Active: He found an interesting book at the library. Passive: An interesting book was found by him at the library.
• Active: The team played an exciting match. Passive: An exciting match was played by the team.
• Active: I received a thoughtful gift from my friend. Passive: A thoughtful gift was received by me from my friend.
• Active: The artist painted a stunning landscape. Passive: A stunning landscape was painted by the artist.
• Active: They built a new house in the neighborhood. Passive: A new house was built by them in the neighborhood.
• Active: The chef is cooking a special dish for the guests. Passive: A special dish is being cooked by the chef for the guests.
• Active: My sister baked a delicious cake for the party. Passive: A delicious cake was baked by my sister for the party.
• Active: The mechanic fixed my car yesterday. Passive: My car was fixed by the mechanic yesterday.
• Active: The storm damaged the roof of the house. Passive: The roof of the house was damaged by the storm.
• Active: The waiter served hot coffee to the customers. Passive: Hot coffee was served to the customers by the waiter.
• Active: I will write an interesting story for the magazine. Passive: An interesting story will be written by me for the magazine.
• Active: The police caught the thief red-handed. Passive: The thief was caught red-handed by the police.
• Active: The sunflowers brightened up the entire field. Passive: The entire field was brightened up by the sunflowers.
• Active: The company has developed a new software application. Passive: A new software application has been developed by the company.
• Active: The gardener is planting roses in the backyard. Passive: Roses are being planted by the gardener in the backyard.
• Active: The kids built a sandcastle on the beach. Passive: A sandcastle was built by the kids on the beach.
• Active: The chef cooked a delicious meal for the guests. Passive: A delicious meal was cooked by the chef for the guests.
• Active: The children are drawing colorful pictures in the art class. Passive: Colorful pictures are being drawn by the children in the art class.
• Active: The artist drew a beautiful portrait of her friend. Passive: A beautiful portrait of her friend was drawn by the artist.
• Active: The scientist conducted a groundbreaking experiment. Passive: A groundbreaking experiment was conducted by the scientist.
• Active: The students will perform a play on the stage. Passive: A play will be performed by the students on the stage.
• Active: The construction workers are building a skyscraper downtown. Passive: A skyscraper is being built downtown by the construction workers.
• Active: The committee will announce the results tomorrow. Passive: The results will be announced by the committee tomorrow.
• Active: The gardener waters the plants every morning. Passive: The plants are watered by the gardener every morning.
• Active: The company designed a user-friendly app for smartphones. Passive: A user-friendly app for smartphones was designed by the company.
• Active: The teacher assigns homework to the students every day. Passive: Homework is assigned to the students by the teacher every day.
• Active: The tailor stitched a beautiful dress for the bride. Passive: A beautiful dress for the bride was stitched by the tailor.
• Active: The stormy weather delayed our flight. Passive: Our flight was delayed by the stormy weather.
• Active: The students are writing an essay for the competition. Passive: An essay for the competition is being written by the students.
• Active: The artist will create a mural on the city wall. Passive: A mural will be created on the city wall by the artist.
• Active: The doctor prescribed medicine for my illness. Passive: Medicine for my illness was prescribed by the doctor.
• Active: The mechanic will fix your car this afternoon. Passive: Your car will be fixed by the mechanic this afternoon.
• Active: The chef is preparing a special dish for the celebration. Passive: A special dish for the celebration is being prepared by the chef.
• Active: The teacher asked a challenging question to the students. Passive: A challenging question was asked to the students by the teacher.
• Active: The children are watching a fascinating movie. Passive: A fascinating movie is being watched by the children.
• Active: The team coach will train the players for the upcoming match. Passive: The players will be trained for the upcoming match by the team coach.
• Active: The committee rejected his proposal. Passive: His proposal was rejected by the committee.
• Active: The sunsets painted the sky with vibrant colors. Passive: The sky was painted with vibrant colors by the sunsets.
• Active: The director will shoot the final scene of the movie tomorrow. Passive: The final scene of the movie will be shot by the director tomorrow.
• Active: The students are reading an interesting novel in the library. Passive: An interesting novel is being read by the students in the library.
• Active: The mechanic repaired the broken car engine. Passive: The broken car engine was repaired by the mechanic.
• Active: The company presented a new product at the conference. Passive: A new product was presented at the conference by the company.
• Active: The musician composed a beautiful melody for the song. Passive: A beautiful melody for the song was composed by the musician.
• Active: I will send the invitation to all the guests. Passive: The invitation will be sent to all the guests by me.

Why Do We Need Sentences of Active and Passive Voice?

Understanding when and how to use sentences of active and passive voice is crucial for effective communication. T he choice between active and passive constructions can influence the tone, emphasis, and overall clarity of your message .

Active voice sentences are direct and straightforward, making them ideal for situations where the doer of the action is significant or when you want to convey a sense of immediacy. For instance, “I fixed the issue” clearly identifies the person responsible for the action.

On the other hand, passive voice sentences are useful when the emphasis is on the receiver of the action rather than the doer. This construction is often employed in formal writing, scientific reports, or situations where the speaker’s identity is less relevant or known. For example, “The experiment was conducted” shifts the focus to the experiment rather than the person conducting it.

Meaning, Concept, and Structure:

The structure of sentences of active and passive voice revolves around the subject, verb, and object . In an active sentence, the subject performs the action on the object, while in a passive sentence, the object receives the action, and the subject may not be explicitly mentioned or may appear later in the sentence.

Let’s break it down with examples:

Active : The dog (subject) chased (verb) the ball (object). Passive : The ball (object) was chased (verb) by the dog (subject).

In active voice, the subject takes the lead, creating a straightforward and engaging expression. In passive voice, the object moves into the spotlight, altering the tone and focus.

Who Needs to Learn Such Sentences and Why?

The knowledge of sentences of active and passive voice is beneficial for anyone aiming to enhance their communication skills. Students can improve their writing by mastering these constructions, as they add variety and depth to compositions . Professionals, especially those in fields like journalism or technical writing, can use active voice for clarity in reports and articles. Passive voice, meanwhile, is often employed in scientific writing to maintain objectivity.

Learning these sentence structures also aids in reading comprehension . Recognizing active and passive constructions allows readers to grasp the intended emphasis and follow the narrative more effectively .

In conclusion, mastering sentences of active and passive voice is like acquiring a versatile tool for effective communication. Whether you’re crafting a compelling story, providing clear instructions , or sharing information, understanding when to use each construction adds nuance and clarity to your expression . So, embrace the diversity of these sentence structures, and let your words resonate with impact.

In a world where effective communication is key, understanding the art of constructing sentences of active and passive voice becomes a valuable skill. From everyday conversations to formal writing, the ability to navigate between these structures enhances your expressive range. So, whether you’re narrating an exciting adventure or reporting scientific findings, the choice between active and passive voice shapes the narrative. Embrace this linguistic tool, and watch your words come alive with purpose and clarity. So, next time you encounter a sentence, consider the power of active and passive voice—your gateway to a more nuanced and impactful expression.

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What is the passive voice for each sentence? I do my homework on weekends.

A. My homework done by me on weekends.

B. My homework are done by me on weekends.

C. My homework is done by me on weekends.

Select your answer:          

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Sanith ________ for his procrastinating ways at 4am as he submitted his Flipgrid video 6 weeks late.

The staff nurses but not the chief nurse ___ decided not to work on Ninoy Aquino’s Day.

A. Has B. Had C. Have D. Are

How to use : Read the question carefully, then select one of the answers button.

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