Passive Voice

USE
Use passive voice when..

Passive VS Active

RULES

The performer of the action is obvious

Example: Toby was promoted last week

The performer of the action is unknown or unimportant

Example: The bridge was built in the 1700s

The result of the action is more important than who or what caused the action

The subject (The bridge) is receiving the action, the sentence has no object

The subject (Toby) is receiving the action

Who performed the action (Promoting him) is not stated because it´s obvious it was his boss

Who built the bridge is not important in this sentence or perhaps who built the bridge is not known

Example: Hundreds of people have had their homes destroyed by the storm

Passive voice focuses on the result of the action (Homes destroyed)

When we want to be more polite

Example: We haven´t been served (Passive) is more polite than

You haven´t served us (Active)

Subject and Agent

Subject: Always comes before the verb

Agent: Person or thing who performs the action

Example: Shona cleans the house


  • Shona: Subject
  • Cleans: Verb
  • the house: Object

Who or what is performing the action in this sentence? Answer: Shona

In this sentence the SUBJECT (Shona) and the AGENT (Shona) are the SAME

ACTIVE voice is being used

The subject always comes before the verb

The house is cleaned by Shona


  • The house: Subject
  • Cleaned: Verb
  • Shona: Agent
  1. Shona cleans the house
  2. The house is cleaned by shona

In ACTIVE voice the subject and the agent are the same (Firts sentence),


in PASSIVE voice the subject and the agent are different (Second sentence)

Active voice

Passive Voice

Subject performs the action

Subject receives the action

Shona cleans the house

The house is cleaned by Shona

The object (the house) becomes the subject, and the subject (Shona) becomes the object

Shona: subject
The house: object

In other words: The object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb

Present Indefinite:


  • Active voice: Does/Do


  • Passive voice: Is/Are/Am

Future Continuous


  • Active voice: Will be
  • Passive voice: Will be + Being

Past Continuous


  • Active voice: was/were
  • Passive voice: was/ were + being

Present Perfect Continuous


  • Active voice: Has / Have been
  • Passive voice: Has / Have been + Being

Past Perfect


  • Active voice: had
  • Passive voice: had been

Future Perfect Continuous


  • Active voice: Will have been
  • Passive voice: Will have been + being

Present Continuous


  • Active voice: Is/Am/Are
  • Passive voice: Is/Am/Are + Being

Present Perfect


  • Active voice: Has / Have
  • Passive voice: Has been / Have been

Past Perfect Continuous


  • Active voice: had been
  • Passive voice: had been + being

Future Perfect


  • Active voice: Will have
  • Passive voice: Will have been

Past Indefinite


  • Active voice: Did
  • Passive voice: Was / Were

Future Indefinite


  • Active voice: Will
  • Passive voice: Will be