Course on Passive Voice - TOEIC® Preparation
The passive voice is a fundamental structure of English grammar. It allows you to emphasize the action rather than the doer — that is, what is done rather than the person or thing performing the action. For example:
- Active voice: The chef cooks the meal.
→ The subject "the chef", also called the agent, is the one performing the action of cooking. - Passive voice: The meal is cooked (by the chef).
→ The emphasis is on "the meal" which undergoes the action: the chef becomes secondary.
How to form the passive voice?
Here is the basic structure of the passive voice:
To better understand, here is how to transform a sentence from active to passive form with an example:
- Active sentence: The chef cooks the meal.
Step 1: Identify the key elements of the active sentence
- The subject: The chef
→ The one performing the action. - The verb: cooks
→ Action performed, here in the simple present. - The object: the meal
→ What undergoes the action.
Step 2: Swap the subject and the object
In a passive sentence, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.
- Active object → Passive subject: The meal
The active subject (the chef) becomes optional and can be mentioned with "by" if necessary.
- Active subject → complement with "by": by the chef
Step 3: Conjugate the auxiliary "be"
The auxiliary "be" must be conjugated in the same tense as the main verb in the active sentence.
In our example, the active verb cooks is in the simple present, so we conjugate "be" in the simple present for the new subject (The meal):
- The meal is
Step 4: Add the past participle of the main verb
The main verb of the active sentence ("cooks") must be put in the past participle form (cooked).
- is cooked
Step 5: Final passive sentence
By combining all the elements:
- Passive sentence: The meal is cooked by the chef.
2. When to use the passive voice?
To emphasize the object or person undergoing the action
The passive voice is used when the emphasis should be on what is done or on who undergoes the action, rather than on who performs it. This structure allows you to direct attention to the object of the action.
- The new law was approved yesterday (by …)
- The injured man was taken to the hospital (by …)
The agent (by someone) is generally omitted because the emphasis is on the passive subject.
When the agent is not important or unknown
The passive voice is used when it is not known, or it is not necessary to specify, who or what performs the action. This form is particularly useful for simplifying the sentence when the agent is unknown or superfluous in the context.
- My wallet was stolen (by …)
- The book was published in 2001.
To describe a process or system
In technical, scientific, educational descriptions, and recipes, the passive voice allows you to explain processes or systems without mentioning a specific agent.
- The data is analyzed using advanced algorithms.
- Water is heated until it reaches boiling point.
The present perfect passive is particularly useful for describing recent changes. It allows you to emphasize the transformations themselves, without necessarily specifying who is responsible for them.
- The city has changed dramatically over the years. Many historic buildings have been restored, new parks have been created, and several old neighborhoods have been transformed into modern residential areas.
To be more formal
The passive voice is frequently used in formal contexts such as reports, academic articles, and official documents. This form gives the text a more objective and professional tone.
- A new policy has been implemented to address the issue.
- The results will be announced next week.
To avoid repetitions
The passive voice is often used in sentences with multiple actions to avoid repeating the agent. This structure makes the text more fluid and natural, especially in long passages.
Often, in articles, headlines, and newspapers, a shortened form of the passive voice is used. To save words, especially in headlines where the number of characters is limited, the auxiliary "be" is removed from the sentence.
- House damaged by fire. VS The house was damaged by fire.
- Police officer shot in robbery attempt. VS The police officer was shot in robbery attempt.
3. The different tenses of the passive voice
The formation of the passive voice changes according to the tense used in the active sentence. The following table shows the transformation of an active sentence into passive for each tense, with the example:
- The chef cooks the meal
| Tense | Active voice | Passive voice |
|---|---|---|
| Present simple | The chef cooks the meal. | The meal is cooked. |
| Present continuous | The chef is cooking the meal. | The meal is being cooked. |
| Past simple | The chef cooked the meal. | The meal was cooked. |
| Past continuous | The chef was cooking the meal. | The meal was being cooked. |
| Present perfect | The chef has cooked the meal. | The meal has been cooked. |
| Past perfect | The chef had cooked the meal. | The meal had been cooked. |
| Future with will | The chef will cook the meal. | The meal will be cooked. |
| Future with going to | The chef is going to cook the meal. | The meal is going to be cooked. |
| Future perfect | The chef will have cooked the meal. | The meal will have been cooked. |
Forming the passive voice of a sentence with a modal
To form the passive voice of a sentence containing a modal, use the following structure:
- Active form: They must finish the report.
- Passive form: The report must be finished.
Special case of the auxiliary "get"
The auxiliary "get" can be used instead of "be" to form the passive voice, but only in informal or familiar contexts. This structure is often used to talk about unexpected events or changes of state.
- He got promoted last week.
- The window got broken during the storm.
However, it is important to note a few points about this form:
- The use of "get" is discouraged in formal or academic writing. It is preferable to use "be" in these contexts.
- With "get", the action takes on a more personal or unexpected dimension.
- He got fired → suggests an emotion or surprise
- He was fired → remains more neutral.
- "Get" is not compatible with all verb tenses and is rarely used in the past perfect or future.
4. Prepositions that can replace "by"
In the passive voice, the agent performing the action is generally introduced by the preposition "by".
- The book was written by the author.
However, depending on the meaning or context of the sentence, other prepositions can be used. These prepositions specify the relationship between the subject and the action.
Here is a table of the most common prepositions that can replace "by":
| Preposition | Usage | Example (passive) |
|---|---|---|
| By | Indicates the agent or person performing the action. | The book was written by the author. |
| With | Indicates the instrument, means, or material used to perform the action. | The room was filled with smoke. |
| About | Indicates the subject or theme of a discussion or action. | Much has been said about this topic. |
| To | Indicates the recipient or person benefiting from the action. | The letter was addressed to her. |
| For | Indicates an intention, reason, or purpose. | The cake was made for the children. |
| Of | Indicates a composition or belonging. | The team is composed of experts. |
| In | Indicates a state or place where something occurs. | The room was left in complete silence. |
| At | Indicates the target or place of an action. | The meeting was held at the |
| Over | Indicates a coverage or area affected by the action. | The area was covered over with snow. |
| From | Indicates an origin or separation. | The funds were stolen from the account. |
| On | Indicates a surface or point of reference. | The message was written on the wall. |
| Into | Indicates a movement into a space. | The money was put into the bank account. |
| Out of | Indicates a movement out of a space. | The documents were taken out of the box. |
Conclusion
The passive voice in English allows you to modify the structure of a sentence to highlight the action or the object undergoing it. This grammatical construction, with its precise rules, is particularly useful for describing actions, explaining processes, and presenting information clearly.