Forming Passive Voice
Active vs. Passive
Active Voice
The subject performs the action.
- The chef cooks the meal.
- Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.
- Someone stole my bike.
Passive Voice
The subject receives the action.
- The meal is cooked by the chef.
- Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.
- My bike was stolen.
Basic Structure
Subject + be + past participle (+ by agent)
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | She writes emails. | Emails are written. |
| Past Simple | He fixed the car. | The car was fixed. |
| Present Perfect | They have finished the work. | The work has been finished. |
| Future (will) | We will announce the results. | The results will be announced. |
Forming the Passive
Step 1: Identify the object
- Active: The dog bit the man. → Object: the man
Step 2: Make the object the new subject
- The man …
Step 3: Add appropriate form of “be”
- The man was …
Step 4: Add the past participle
- The man was bitten …
Step 5: Add “by” + agent (optional)
- The man was bitten by the dog.
Common “Be” Forms
| Tense | Be form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | am/is/are | It is made in China. |
| Past Simple | was/were | They were invited. |
| Present Continuous | am/is/are being | It is being repaired. |
| Past Continuous | was/were being | We were being watched. |
| Present Perfect | has/have been | It has been sold. |
| Past Perfect | had been | It had been stolen. |
| Future (will) | will be | It will be delivered. |
| Future (going to) | am/is/are going to be | It is going to be built. |
When to Include “By”
Include when the agent is:
- Important: This book was written by J.K. Rowling.
- Surprising: The window was broken by a bird.
- New information: The cake was eaten by the dog.
Omit when the agent is:
- Unknown: My wallet was stolen. (by someone)
- Obvious: The criminal was arrested. (by police)
- Unimportant: English is spoken worldwide. (by people)
The passive voice is formed with be + past participle. The agent (“by whom”) is included only when it adds relevant information — otherwise, leave it out to keep sentences concise.