The passive voice is a sentence structure formed with a form of be + past participle (e.g. "is made", "was written", "has been built"). In a passive sentence the subject receives the action, rather than performing it as in the active voice.
What Is the Passive Voice?
In the active voice, the subject performs the action: "The chef cooked the meal." In the passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject, and it receives the action instead of doing it: "The meal was cooked (by the chef)." The passive is formed with the correct tense of be plus the past participle of the main verb.
Speakers choose the passive voice for several reasons: when the person doing the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from context ("My car was stolen last night"); in formal or scientific writing, to focus on the process or result rather than the actor ("The experiment was conducted over six weeks"); and when the action itself is more important than who performed it, such as in news headlines ("Two suspects were arrested").
The passive can be formed in almost any tense: present simple ("The report is written"), past simple ("The report was written"), present perfect ("The report has been written"), and modal forms ("The report must be written"). Only transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) can normally be made passive. Reference grammars such as the Cambridge Grammar guide document passive voice usage in detail.
Examples
| Example | Notes |
|---|---|
| The letter was written by Anna. | Past simple passive |
| This bridge was built in 1932. | Agent omitted — historical fact |
| English is spoken in many countries. | Present simple passive — general truth |
| The report has been reviewed by the manager. | Present perfect passive |
| The problem must be solved before Friday. | Modal passive |
Related Grammar Terms
Practise Passive Voice
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the passive voice?
The passive voice is a sentence structure, formed with be + past participle, in which the subject receives the action rather than performing it: "The cake was baked by Tom."
How do you form the passive voice?
Use the correct tense of the verb "be" plus the past participle of the main verb: "is made", "was written", "will be finished", "has been sent".
What is the difference between active and passive voice?
In the active voice, the subject performs the action ("The dog chased the ball"). In the passive voice, the subject receives the action ("The ball was chased by the dog").
When should I use the passive voice?
Use the passive when the person doing the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious ("My phone was stolen"), or in formal/scientific writing to focus on the process or result rather than the actor.
Do I always need to mention who performed the action?
No. The "by + agent" phrase is optional and often omitted when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or already understood: "The bridge was built in 1932" (we don't need to say by whom).
Can all verbs be made passive?
No. Only transitive verbs — verbs that take a direct object — can normally be made passive. Intransitive verbs like "arrive" or "happen" have no passive form.
How do you make a passive sentence with a modal verb?
Use modal + be + past participle: "The work must be finished today", "The results can be checked online."
Is the passive voice considered bad writing style?
Not inherently, but overusing it can make writing feel vague or indirect. Many style guides recommend the active voice for clarity, while reserving the passive for cases where it genuinely fits the context.
What is the passive form of a present perfect verb?
Use has/have + been + past participle: "The email has been sent", "The documents have been signed."
How can I practise the passive voice?
Try LexFizz's passive voice exercises, which include unjumble, complete the sentence, quiz, and cloze dropdown activities for converting active sentences to passive.