Lessons
Grammar
🔄
Passive Voice
Grammar
Upper Intermediate
~1 min
Learn when and how to use the passive voice in formal and academic English.
📖 Lesson
What is the Passive Voice?
In the active voice, the subject does the action.
In the passive voice, the subject receives the action.
- Active: The chef cooked the meal.
- Passive: The meal was cooked (by the chef).
How to Form the Passive
Be + past participle
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | He writes the report. | The report is written. |
| Past Simple | She fixed the car. | The car was fixed. |
| Present Perfect | They have built a bridge. | A bridge has been built. |
| Future | We will deliver the package. | The package will be delivered. |
When to Use the Passive
- When the agent is unknown: My wallet was stolen.
- When the agent is obvious: The criminal was arrested.
- In formal/scientific writing: The sample was heated to 80°C.
- To focus on the action, not who does it.
By + Agent
You can add the agent with "by":
- The book was written by Hemingway.
- The window was broken by a football.
Follow Along reads paragraph by paragraph with highlighting.
Hover underlined words for quick definitions.
🃏 Key Vocabulary — tap to flip
4 wordsto construct
/kənˈstrʌkt/
Upper Intermediate
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Definition
To build or create something using words or materials
"You construct passive sentences by moving the object to the beginning of the sentence."
Tap to flip back
to convert
/kənˈvɜːrt/
Upper Intermediate
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Definition
To change something from one form to another
"Let me show you how to convert an active sentence into the passive voice."
Tap to flip back
objective
/əbˈdʒektɪv/
Upper Intermediate
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Definition
The noun that receives the action of a verb in active voice
"In active voice, the objective becomes the subject when converted to passive."
Tap to flip back
to omit
/əˈmɪt/
Upper Intermediate
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Definition
To leave something out or not include it
"In passive sentences, we can omit the agent when it's obvious or unimportant."
Tap to flip back
✏️ Fill in the Blank
Type the missing word to complete each sentence.
Let me show you how ___ an active sentence into the passive voice.
In active voice, the ___ becomes the subject when converted to passive.
✅ Check Your Understanding
🧠 Practice Quizzes
Passive Voice Practice
5 questions · 12 min
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