Understanding Passive Constructions in English Sentences
Mastering passive voice can make your English sound more polished and formal. In passive constructions, the focus is on the action or its recipient rather than the person performing the action.
What is Passive Voice?
Passive voice rearranges the structure of a sentence so that the subject receives the action instead of performing it. In a passive sentence, the person or thing doing the action (the agent) may be mentioned later or omitted entirely.
For example:
- Active: The chef prepared the meal.
- Passive: The meal was prepared (by the chef).
In the passive version, the focus shifts to "the meal," making it the main topic.
Forming Passive Sentences
The basic structure of a passive sentence is:
- Subject + Auxiliary Verb (to be) + Past Participle + (by Agent)
Examples
1. Present Simple Passive:
- Active: They paint the house every year.
- Passive: The house is painted every year.
2. Past Simple Passive:
- Active: The company launched a new product.
- Passive: A new product was launched by the company.
3. Present Continuous Passive:
- Active: She is baking the cake.
- Passive: The cake is being baked (by her).
4. Past Continuous Passive:
- Active: The students were discussing the project.
- Passive: The project was being discussed by the students.
5. Present Perfect Passive:
- Active: They have completed the project.
- Passive: The project has been completed (by them).
6. Future Simple Passive:
- Active: The team will deliver the report.
- Passive: The report will be delivered by the team.
When Should You Use Passive Voice?
Passive voice is useful when:
1. The action or recipient is more important than the doer:
- The results were announced.
2. The agent is unknown or unimportant:
- Mistakes were made.
3. Formal or scientific contexts require objectivity:
- The study was conducted over five years.
More Examples of Passive Constructions
- The novel was written by George Orwell.
- New policies are being implemented this year.
- The car has been repaired.
- The tickets will be mailed to you.
FAQ's
Identify the object of the active sentence, make it the subject, add the correct form of "to be," and use the past participle of the main verb.
Only transitive verbs (verbs that take an object) can be used in passive sentences.
It emphasises results and findings rather than the researcher.
Passive voice is more formal and objective; active voice feels direct and personal.
No, if the agent isn’t important, "by" is omitted. The task was completed.
Look for a “to be” verb followed by a past participle, often with “by".
Yes, especially when emphasising the result or when the agent is unknown.
Yes, but it’s useful for changing emphasis and adding variety.
Overuse may make writing seem wordy, but balanced use is effective.
Yes, passive voice works across most tenses with the right form of “to be”.
Understanding the Passive Voice and When to Use It