Introduction:
The passive voice is one of the most important—and often misunderstood—aspects of English grammar. Whether you’re writing an essay, reading a news article, or speaking in a formal setting, understanding the passive voice is essential. In this blog post, we’ll break down what the passive voice is, why it’s used, and how to use it correctly, with plenty of real-life examples.
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What is the Passive Voice?
The passive voice is a sentence structure where the object of the action becomes the subject of the sentence. It’s formed using the verb to be + the past participle of the main verb. For example:
Active: The chef cooked the meal.
Passive: The meal was cooked by the chef.
Why Use the Passive Voice?
1 Focus on the Action or Result:
The new bridge was completed last week.
2 Unknown or Unimportant Doer:
My phone was stolen yesterday.
3 Formal or Academic Writing:
The experiment was conducted in a controlled environment.
4 Politeness or Diplomacy:
Mistakes were made.
5 Real-Life Examples
News: The decision was announced by the government.
Business: Your application has been reviewed.
Everyday Conversation: The package was delivered this morning.
Science: The theory was proposed in the 19th century.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
*Overusing the passive voice.
*Forgetting the verb to be.
*Using the passive voice when the active voice is clearer.
| Tense | Active Sentence | Passive Sentence | Changes Made |
|---|
| Present Simple | They build houses. | Houses are built. | “build” → “are built” (use am/is/are + past participle) |
| Present Continuous | They are building a house. | A house is being built. | “are building” → “is being built” (am/is/are + being + past participle) |
| Present Perfect | They have built a house. | A house has been built. | “have built” → “has been built” (has/have been + past participle) |
| Past Simple | They built a house. | A house was built. | “built” → “was built” (was/were + past participle) |
| Past Continuous | They were building a house. | A house was being built. | “were building” → “was being built” (was/were + being + past participle) |
| Past Perfect | They had built a house. | A house had been built. | “had built” → “had been built” (had been + past participle) |
| Future Simple | They will build a house. | A house will be built. | “will build” → “will be built” (will be + past participle) |
| Future Continuous | They will be building a house. | A house will be being built. | “will be building” → “will be being built” (will be being + past participle) (rarely used) |
| Future Perfect | They will have built a house. | A house will have been built. | “will have built” → “will have been built” (will have been + past participle) |
| Going to Future | They are going to build a house. | A house is going to be built. | “are going to build” → “is going to be built” (am/is/are going to be + past participle) |
| Modals (can, must, etc.) | They can build a house. | A house can be built. | “can build” → “can be built” (modal + be + past participle) |
Conclusion
The passive voice is a valuable tool for English learners, but it’s important to use it wisely. Practice with real-life examples, and don’t forget to check out Episode 14 of Learn English for more tips and examples.
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