βοΈ Already know the theory? Go straight to the quiz!
π Just arriving? Start with Part 1: What Is Passive Voice & Why Use It
The Basic Formula
Good news: there's one core formula behind every passive sentence in English. Once you've got this, everything else is just swapping in the right tense.
π Subject + BE (correct tense) + Past Participle (+ by + doer)
The be verb does all the heavy lifting β it's what tells you when the action happens. The past participle stays the same regardless of tense. Let's go through each one.
Quick Reminder: Past Participles
Before we dive into tenses, a quick refresher β because the past participle is the engine of every passive sentence.
Regular verbs: just add -ed (same as past simple) β clean β cleaned, paint β painted
Irregular verbs: you need to learn the third form. The most common ones for passive:
- write β written
- take β taken
- make β made
- break β broken
- steal β stolen
- build β built
- speak β spoken
OK β tenses! Let's go one by one. π
Passive in Every Tense
Present Simple Passive
π am / is / are + past participle
Use this for regular actions, habits, and general facts β the stuff that's always true.
- Someone cleans the office every day. β The office is cleaned every day.
- People speak English here. β English is spoken here.
- They make these cars in Germany. β These cars are made in Germany.
Past Simple Passive
π was / were + past participle
For completed actions in the past β something happened, it's done, it's over.
- Someone built this house in 1920. β This house was built in 1920.
- Someone stole my bike. β My bike was stolen.
- They arrested the thief. β The thief was arrested.
Present Perfect Passive
π have / has been + past participle
Something happened in the past β but it still matters right now. Think of it as: "the result is still relevant."
- Someone has sent the email. β The email has been sent. β
- They have completed the project. β The project has been completed.
- Someone has stolen my wallet! β My wallet has been stolen! π±
Future Simple Passive
π will be + past participle
Something hasn't happened yet β but it will. Very common in announcements and official communication.
- They will announce the results on Friday. β The results will be announced on Friday.
- Someone will deliver your package tomorrow. β Your package will be delivered tomorrow.
- Someone will clean the room. β The room will be cleaned.
Present Continuous Passive
π am / is / are being + past participle
It's happening right now β or at least around now. You'll see this a lot when describing ongoing projects or work in progress.
- Someone is repairing the road. β The road is being repaired.
- They are building a new school. β A new school is being built.
Past Continuous Passive
π was / were being + past participle
This one's less common, but useful when something was in progress at a specific moment in the past.
- Someone was cleaning the room when I arrived. β The room was being cleaned when I arrived.
Modal Passive
π modal + be + past participle
Modals like can, must, should, might, could, would, may all work the same way in the passive β just add be before the past participle.
- You must do the homework. β The homework must be done.
- Someone can fix the computer. β The computer can be fixed.
- You should wash these clothes. β These clothes should be washed.
Other modal passives you'll hear: may be done, might be cancelled, could be improved, would be appreciated.
Quick Reference Table
Here's the full picture at a glance β bookmark this! π
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | clean(s) | is/are cleaned |
| Past Simple | cleaned | was/were cleaned |
| Present Perfect | has/have cleaned | has/have been cleaned |
| Future Simple | will clean | will be cleaned |
| Present Continuous | is/are cleaning | is/are being cleaned |
| Past Continuous | was/were cleaning | was/were being cleaned |
| Modals | can/must clean | can/must be cleaned |
Passive Questions
Forming a passive question is straightforward β just flip the be verb to the front, exactly like you would in any English question.
- The room is cleaned every day. β Is the room cleaned every day?
- The report was written by Sarah. β Was the report written by Sarah?
- The house has been sold. β Has the house been sold?
- The email will be sent tomorrow. β Will the email be sent tomorrow?
You can also use question words at the start:
- What was stolen?
- Who was arrested?
- When was the house built?
- Where was the car made?
- How was it done?
Passive Negatives
Also simple β just add not after the be verb (or use the contraction):
- Present Simple: The room isn't cleaned every day.
- Past Simple: The report wasn't written on time.
- Present Perfect: The email hasn't been sent yet.
- Future: The meeting won't be held tomorrow.
- Modal: The problem can't be solved easily.
Verbs with Two Objects
Some verbs β like give, send, offer, teach, tell, show β can take two objects. That gives you two possible passive sentences, depending on which object you want to focus on.
Active: They gave me a present.
- I was given a present. (focus on the person)
- A present was given to me. (focus on the thing)
Both are correct β you just choose based on what you want to emphasise. A couple more examples:
- Someone sent me an email. β I was sent an email. / An email was sent to me.
- They taught us English. β We were taught English. / English was taught to us.
- Someone told me the news. β I was told the news. / The news was told to me.
That's the full toolkit for forming the passive! In Part 3 we'll look at the most common mistakes students make β and give you plenty of practice exercises to lock it all in. πͺ
π― Ready to test yourself? Take the interactive quiz!
Part of the LearnFast.life Grammar Series
