Passive voice

Say what happens to something when who does it is unknown or not important: it is made, it was built.

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In an active sentence the subject does the action: Someone stole my bike. In a passive sentence the subject is the person or thing the action happens to: My bike was stolen. We use the passive when the action matters more than who did it.

Form: be + past participle

The tense is in be. The main verb is always the past participle (made, built, written, stolen).

Tense	Active	Passive
Present simple	They make cars here.	Cars are made here.
Present continuous	They're painting the room.	The room is being painted.
Past simple	Someone stole my bike.	My bike was stolen.
Past continuous	They were repairing the road.	The road was being repaired.
Present perfect	They've sold the house.	The house has been sold.
Future with will	They'll finish it tomorrow.	It will be finished tomorrow.
After a modal verb	You must sign the form.	The form must be signed.

This cheese is made from goat's milk.
Our street is being repaired, so the bus doesn't stop here.
Incorrect: The house built in 1990.
Correct: The house was built in 1990.
Without be, this is not a full sentence.
Incorrect: My bike was stole.
Correct: My bike was stolen.
Use the past participle (stolen), not the past simple (stole).

Negatives, questions and short answers

Make negatives and questions with be, as usual.

	Present simple	Past simple
−	It isn't made in Italy.	It wasn't made in Italy.
?	Is it made in Italy?	Was it made in Italy?
Short answers	Yes, it is. No, it isn't.	Yes, it was. No, it wasn't.

Were you invited to the wedding? Yes, I was.
The letters weren't sent on time.

When we don't know who did it, or it isn't important

Often we don't know who did the action, or it is obvious, or it doesn't matter.

My bike was stolen last night.
The rubbish is collected on Mondays.
The meeting has been cancelled.
English is spoken in many countries.
Incorrect: Here speak English.
Correct: English is spoken here.
An English sentence needs a subject. When there is no clear person, use the passive.

News, processes and rules

The passive is common in news, in descriptions of how things are made and in rules and notices, where the thing is the topic.

The bridge was built in the nineteenth century.
The vegetables are cut into small pieces and fried.
Mobile phones must be switched off during the exam.
The report must be finished by Friday.

By + the person who does it

Add by only when this information is new or important.

The photo was taken by my daughter.
This song was written by a local band.
Incorrect: The letter was written from my sister.
Correct: The letter was written by my sister.
The person who does the action comes after by.

Verbs with two objects

With verbs like give, send, tell, show, offer, the subject of a passive sentence is often a person.

I was given a lovely present for my birthday.
You'll be told the results next week.
Incorrect: I was said that the office was closed.
Correct: I was told that the office was closed.
A person can't be the subject of a passive with say. Use tell.

Verbs with no passive

Verbs with no object, like happen, arrive, die, come, have no passive form.

The accident happened at night.
The train arrived late.
Incorrect: It was happened last year.
Correct: It happened last year.

Have something done

Use have + thing + past participle when someone does a job for us.

We had our kitchen painted last month.
(A painter did it, not us.)
I need to have my hair cut.

In everyday speech, get + thing + past participle means the same.

I got my phone repaired last week.

Practise this rule

Where this rule sits

All B1 rules Passive and causative: all rules

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Past Simple: irregular verbsA2Elementary