Look at these examples to see how the passive voice is used.
A lot of olive oil is produced in Italy.
This book was written by Angela Davis.
The suspect will be released tomorrow.
This product has not been tested on animals.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
We use the passive voice to change the focus of the sentence.
My bike was stolen. (passive – focus on my bike)
Someone stole my bike. (active – focus on someone)
We often use the passive:
- when we prefer not to mention who or what does the action (for example, it's not known, it's obvious or we don't want to say)
- so that we can start a sentence with the most important or most logical information
- in more formal or scientific writing.
How we make the passive
We make the passive using the verb be + past participle. We start the sentence with the object.
| Avatar | was | directed by James Cameron. |
| ↓ | ↓ | ↓ |
| Object | + be + | past participle |
It is not always necessary to add who or what did the action.
| My flight | is | cancelled. |
| ↓ | ↓ | ↓ |
| Object | + be + | past participle |
Only the form of be changes to make the tense. The past participle stays the same. Here are examples of the passive in its most common tenses.
| Tense | Example | Structure |
| Present simple | Alioli is made from oil, garlic and salt. | is/are + past participle |
| Present continuous | The hall is being painted this week. | is/are being + past participle |
| Past simple | John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. | was/were + past participle |
| Past continuous | The signs were being put up last week. | was/were being + past participle |
| Present perfect | Oranges have been grown here for centuries. | has/have been + past participle |
| Past perfect | When he got home, he found that his flat had been burgled. | had been + past participle |
| Future simple | The work will be finished next week. | will be + past participle |
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Teacher, do we have “will be being+v3/ed?”? Thanks
Hello KatherineThu,
Yes, that form exists. It's a modal verb followed by a passive continuous infinitive. For exmaple:
It's an unusual form and quite a long construction so we often avoid it by, for example, turning the verb into active voice. But it is a correct form.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Dear teachers, what are active and passive infinitives?
And how can we categorized infinitives in different categories?
Many thanks 👍
Hello jassa,
I want to see it. [active infinitive with 'to']
I want to be seen. [passive infinitive with 'to']
Infinitives can have aspect (perfect and continuous) and voice (active or passive).
You can read more about some of these forms here:
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/uk/grammar/british-grammar/infinitive-active-or-passive
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/perfect-infinitive-with-to-to-have-worked
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Thank you very much dear teacher 🙏
One another question-
Non finite verbs don't show tense, person and number and verbals(infinitives, gerund and participles) are non finite verbs so verbals(infinitives,gerunds and participles)also don't show tense, person and number?
Thanks.
Hello again jassa,
Yes, that's correct. Infinitives, participles and the -ing form are not marked for tense, number or person.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Ok, many thanks my teacher 🙏👍
It will be more helpful if you describe what is aspect and what is voice (active and passive) and why we use passive or active voice?
And only 'to-infinitives' have all four aspects, right?
Infinitives(without 'to')don't have four aspects?
Please make this clear dear teacher?
Hello again jassa,
You can easily look up definitions of aspect and voice online - wikipedia is a good starting point:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_(grammar)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_aspect
Infinitives with or without 'to' can be marked for aspect and voice:
You should do it / It should be done
You should be doing it / It should be being done [continuous]
You should have done it / It should have been done [perfect]
You should have been doing it / It should have been being done [perfect continuous]
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello!
What about the passive of a sentence like the following?
The committee will have decided to close the restaurant by the end of next week.
Is it
The restaurant will have been decided to close by the end of next week
or
The committee will have decided the restaurant to be closed by the end o next week
or
To close the restaurant will have been decided by the committee by the end of next week?
What is the rule for such cases?
Thanks in advance!
Hello raniaaaadaz,
You can only make a passive sentence with a transitive verb which has a direct object. Here, the verb 'decide' does not have an object but is instead part of a pattern with the infinitive 'to close'.
You could use a construction such as 'It has been decided (by the committee) to close...', which has a similar sense to a traditional passive form.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team