Passive Voice
The passive voice shifts the focus from who does an action to what receives it. It is widely used in formal, academic, and scientific writing.
Active vs. passive
In the active voice, the subject performs the action. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action.
| Example | Focus | |
|---|---|---|
| Active | The chef cooked the meal. | The chef (doer) |
| Passive | The meal was cooked by the chef. | The meal (receiver) |
Forming the passive
Structure: be (in correct tense) + past participle
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Present simple | They make cars here. | Cars are made here. |
| Past simple | Someone broke the window. | The window was broken. |
| Present perfect | They have cancelled the flight. | The flight has been cancelled. |
| Future simple | They will announce the results. | The results will be announced. |
| Modal | You must sign the form. | The form must be signed. |
When to use the passive
- The doer is unknown: My bike was stolen.
- The doer is unimportant or obvious: The suspect was arrested.
- Formal/academic style (impersonal): The data were analysed.
- To emphasise the receiver: The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.
The letter was written. (agent unknown/unimportant)
The letter was written by the CEO. (agent important — add 'by')
Overuse: The passive can make writing feel impersonal and hard to read. In everyday writing, prefer the active voice unless you have a good reason to use the passive.
Tip: To convert active to passive: the object becomes the subject, add the correct form of be, and use the past participle. If you want to keep the agent, add by + agent at the end.