Passive Voice Common Mistakes and Practice

⏭️ Already know the theory? Go straight to the quiz!

👈 Just arriving? Start at the beginning: Part 1: What Is Passive Voice & Why Use It | Part 2: How to Form the Passive Voice

You've learned what passive voice is and how to form it. Now let's make sure it actually sticks. In this final part we'll look at the most common mistakes students make — and then put you to the test with a full set of practice exercises. Let's go! 🚀

How to Convert Active to Passive

Before the mistakes and exercises, here's a reliable step-by-step method for converting any active sentence to passive. Follow these five steps and you won't go wrong.

Let's use this sentence: The chef cooks the meal.

Step 1: Find the object

Subject: The chef | Verb: cooks | Object: the meal ← this becomes your new subject

Step 2: Make the object the subject

The meal...

Step 3: Add the correct form of "be"

The meal is... (present simple, so we use is)

Step 4: Add the past participle

The meal is cooked...

Step 5: Add "by" + original subject (optional)

The meal is cooked by the chef.

✅ Active: The chef cooks the meal.
✅ Passive: The meal is cooked (by the chef).

A few more quick examples across different tenses:

• Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. → Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.
• Someone has repaired my car. → My car has been repaired.
• They will build a new bridge. → A new bridge will be built.
• People speak Spanish in Mexico. → Spanish is spoken in Mexico.

When to Include "by + doer" — and When to Leave It Out

This is one area where students often overthink it. Here's the simple rule: only include by + doer if it adds something useful or interesting. If it's obvious, vague, or irrelevant — leave it out.

✅ Include "by" when the doer is important or surprising

• Hamlet was written by Shakespeare. (Shakespeare is the whole point!)
• This painting was created by Picasso.
• The window was broken by a bird. (Surprising — worth mentioning!)
• The theory was developed by a 15-year-old student. (Impressive detail.)

❌ Leave out "by" when the doer is unknown, obvious, or vague

• My car was stolen. (We don't know who — no point saying "by someone")
• The thief was arrested. (Obviously by the police — no need to say it)
• The office is cleaned every day. (Doesn't matter who)
• This house was built in 1920. ("By someone" adds nothing)

Common Mistakes — and How to Fix Them

These are the errors that come up again and again. Sound familiar? 😅

❌ Mistake 1: Forgetting "be"

The passive needs the verb be — you can't leave it out.

• ❌ The car stolen.
• ✅ The car was stolen.
• ❌ The work done yesterday.
• ✅ The work was done yesterday.

❌ Mistake 2: Using the wrong verb form

After be, you always need the past participle — not the past simple, and not the base form.

• ❌ The car is stole. → ✅ The car was stolen.
• ❌ The work is did. → ✅ The work is done.

❌ Mistake 3: Using passive when active is more natural

Passive isn't always better — sometimes active is simply clearer and more natural.

• ❌ The book is liked by me. → ✅ I like the book.
• ❌ The cake was made by my mother. → ✅ My mother made the cake. (when the doer is the point)

❌ Mistake 4: Adding "by" when it's not needed

• ❌ English is spoken by people here.
• ✅ English is spoken here. ("by people" is completely obvious)

❌ Mistake 5: Wrong word order in questions

In questions, be goes first — just like in any English question.

• ❌ The room is cleaned every day?
• ✅ Is the room cleaned every day?

Practice Exercises

Time to put it all together! Work through these exercises, then check your answers at the bottom. No peeking! 👀

Exercise 1: Convert to passive

1. Someone cleans the office every day. → The office _______.
2. Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. → Hamlet _______.
3. Someone has stolen my bike. → My bike _______.
4. They will announce the results tomorrow. → The results _______.
5. People speak English in many countries. → English _______.

Exercise 2: Active or passive?

6. The house _______ in 1920. (built / was built)
7. My father _______ this house. (built / was built)
8. Someone _______ my car last night. (stole / was stolen)
9. My car _______ last night. (stole / was stolen)

Exercise 3: Complete with the correct passive form

10. The window _______ (break) by a ball yesterday.
11. The office _______ (clean) every morning.
12. The report _______ (not / finish) yet.
13. _______ the email _______ (send) yesterday?

Exercise 4: Change to passive (leave out "by" if not needed)

14. Someone will deliver the package tomorrow. → _______
15. People grow rice in Asia. → _______
16. Picasso painted this picture. → _______

Exercise 5: Spot and correct the mistake

17. The book written by Tolkien.
18. The car is stole.
19. English is spoke here.
20. The room cleaned every day?

Exercise 6: Choose the correct form

21. I _______ a present for my birthday. (was given / gave)
22. The project _______ by Friday. (will complete / will be completed)
23. The building _______ right now. (is repairing / is being repaired)
24. This pizza _______ delicious! (tastes / is tasted)
25. The problem can _______ easily. (solve / be solved)

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Answers

Exercise 1

1. The office is cleaned every day.
2. Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.
3. My bike has been stolen.
4. The results will be announced tomorrow.
5. English is spoken in many countries.

Exercise 2

6. was built (doer unknown/unimportant)
7. built (active — my father is the important part)
8. stole (active — "someone" is the subject)
9. was stolen (passive — "my car" is the subject)

Exercise 3

10. was broken
11. is cleaned
12. hasn't been finished
13. Was the email sent yesterday?

Exercise 4

14. The package will be delivered tomorrow.
15. Rice is grown in Asia.
16. This picture was painted by Picasso. ("by Picasso" stays — it's important!)

Exercise 5

17. The book was written by Tolkien. (missing "was")
18. The car was stolen. ("stole" is past simple, not past participle)
19. English is spoken here. ("spoke" is past simple, not past participle)
20. Is the room cleaned every day? ("be" must come first in questions)

Exercise 6

21. was given
22. will be completed
23. is being repaired
24. tastes (state verb — no passive needed)
25. be solved

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How did you do? If you're feeling confident, the quiz below is the perfect final test. If a few answers surprised you, go back and re-read the relevant section in Part 2 before you try it — you'll do much better! 💪

🎯 Take the interactive Passive Voice quiz!

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Part of the LearnFast.life Grammar Series

Practice Quiz

Click here to take the interactive quiz