Sentence structure · Intermediate (B1)
The passive voice
Focus on the action or the thing affected, not the doer: The bridge was built in 1890.
The rules
Form: be (in any tense) + past participle: English is spoken* here. The car was stolen. The results will be announced tomorrow. It has been fixed. It’s being repaired.*
Use the passive when the doer is unknown, obvious or unimportant, or when the action/result is the focus: My bike was stolen. Rice is grown in Asia. It is common in news, science and formal writing.
Add the doer with by only if it’s important: Guernica was painted by* Picasso.* Modal passive: must be done, can be seen, should be checked.
Have something done (causative) = someone does it for you: I had my hair cut. We’re having the house painted.
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| present simple | They make cars here. | Cars are made here. |
| past simple | Someone stole my wallet. | My wallet was stolen. |
| present perfect | They have cancelled the flight. | The flight has been cancelled. |
| will | They will announce it. | It will be announced. |
Examples
- The Olympic Games are held every four years.
- Penicillin was discovered in 1928.
- The road is being repaired.
- All applications must be submitted by Friday.
Common mistakes
✗ The letter was wrote yesterday.
✓ The letter was written yesterday.
Passive needs the past participle.
✗ The house built in 1900.
✓ The house was built in 1900.
The passive needs be.
✗ It was happened last year.
✓ It happened last year.
Intransitive verbs (happen, arrive) have no passive.
Practice
This song ___ by millions of people every day.
Quiz
1.The new hospital ___ next year.
2.Complete the sentence.
3.“The accident was happened” is correct.
4.Put the words in the right order.