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Passive Voice 1 (Basic Uses, Agents & Double Objects)

Henry Fadl
The Case of the Missing Agent: Master the Passive Voice (Part 1)

Use this for the text that appears under the thumbnail on your main blog page or when shared on Facebook/LinkedIn. Step into the interrogation room with Dr. Henry. Today, we are cracking the code on one of English grammar’s biggest mysteries: The Passive Voice. In this investigation, you will learn why we shift the focus from the criminal to the crime, the difference between an Agent ("by") and an Instrument ("with"), and which verbs have an airtight alibi. Watch the full 9-minute video and test your skills with the practice case file inside.

Level: Intermediate / Upper-Intermediate

By: Dr. Henry

1. The Case of the “Focus Shift”

In English, the normal way to speak is the Active Voice. We focus on the person doing the action (The Doer).

But sometimes, the “Doer” isn’t the most important part of the story. Maybe the result is more important. To shift the spotlight, we use the Passive Voice.

The Golden Rule:

To make a passive sentence, you need the verb TO BE + PAST PARTICIPLE (V3).

2. The Suspects: Agent vs. Instrument

When we use the passive, we often remove the doer completely. But if we want to mention them, we must use the correct preposition.

A) The Agent (Use “BY”)

The “Agent” is the person or living thing that started the action.

B) The Instrument (Use “WITH”)

The “Instrument” is the object or tool used to do the action. The tool didn’t decide to do it; it was used.

⚡ Detective Tip: If you can ask “Who did it?”, use BY. If you can ask “What did they use?”, use WITH.

3. The “Double Agents” (Verbs with Two Objects)

Some verbs are generous. They give things to people. These verbs (like give, send, lend, offer, promise, sell, tell) have two passive forms.

Active Sentence: “Someone gave me a note.”

We can start the passive sentence with the person (Me) or the thing (A note).

Method 1 (Person Focus – More Common):

Method 2 (Thing Focus):

4. The Alibi: Verbs That Can NEVER Be Passive

Be careful! You cannot arrest every verb. Some verbs are “Intransitive”—they have no object to move to the front.

Also, State Verbs (verbs that describe a situation, not an action) resist the passive voice.

5. The Motive: Why Hide the Agent?

Why do we delete the “Doer”? Usually for one of these four reasons:

  1. Unknown Agent: We don’t know who did it.
    • My wallet has been stolen. (By who? I don’t know!)
  2. Obvious Agent: It is clear who did it, so we don’t need to say it.
    • The thief was arrested. (By the police—obviously!)
  3. Unimportant Agent: We care about the process, not the worker.
    • The bridge is being repaired. (It doesn’t matter which worker is holding the shovel).
  4. Generalised Agent: It refers to “people in general.”
    • English is spoken here. (By people).

🕵️‍♂️ Detective Training: Practice Exercise

Task: Rewrite the following active sentences into the Passive Voice. Decide if you need to keep the agent.

  1. Someone has taken my phone!
  2. People speak Spanish in Mexico.
  3. The police caught the bank robbers yesterday.
  4. Someone used a brick to smash the window.
  5. They sent me a strange email this morning. (Start with “I”)
  6. They sent me a strange email this morning. (Start with “A strange email”)
  7. People consider him a genius.
  8. The cleaner cleans the office every night.

🔑 Answer Key (Confidential)

  1. My phone has been taken! (Agent omitted – Unknown)
  2. Spanish is spoken in Mexico. (Agent omitted – Generalised)
  3. The bank robbers were caught yesterday. (Agent omitted – Obvious)
  4. The window was smashed with a brick. (Use “with” for instrument)
  5. I was sent a strange email this morning. (Person focus)
  6. A strange email was sent to me this morning. (Thing focus + “to”)
  7. He is considered a genius. (Complement structure)
  8. The office is cleaned every night. (Agent omitted – Unimportant/Job role)

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