Back to Upper Intermediate
Passive Voice
Learn how and when to use the passive voice for a more formal and objective tone.
Using the Passive Voice
Understand the structure and use cases of the passive voice.
Using the Passive Voice
We use the passive voice when the focus is on the action, not the person or thing doing the action (the agent). It is often used in formal, scientific, or news writing.
Structure: Subject + form of 'to be' + past participle (+ by + agent)
Active: Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.
Passive: Hamlet was written by Shakespeare.
When to use the passive:
- When the agent is unknown or unimportant: My car was stolen last night.
- To be formal and impersonal: The samples will be tested tomorrow.
- To emphasize the action or the object receiving the action: The new bridge was completed last month.
Translate
Passive Voice Quiz
Change the active sentences to passive.
1
Someone has cleaned the windows.
2
They will build a new hospital next year. (Passive)
3
The company employs 200 people.