The Passive Voice

The Passive Voice is formed using the verb to be + the past participle of the main verb.

The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.

Tom cleaned the entire room.

The entire room was cleaned by Tom.

The passive is used Examples

 When the person who performs the
action (agent) is unknown,
unimportant or obvios from the
context.
 To emphasise the agent.
 To make statements more formal or
polite.
 The thief was arrested. (by the police
– obvious agent)
 The decision was taken by the school
principal.
 My phone's screen has been crashed.
(more polite than saying “You have
crushed my phone’s screen”)

 When we are more interested in the  The protest will be held next week.
action than the agent, such as in news
reports, formal notices, instructions,
processes, headlines, advertisments,
etc.

Tense Active Voice Passive Voice

Present Simple He helps me. I am helped.
Present Continuous He is helping me. I am being helped.
Past Simple He helped me. I was helped.
Past Continuous He was helping me. I was being helped.
Present Perfect Simple He has helped me. I have been helped.
Past Perfect Simple He had helped me. I had been helped.
Future Simple He will help me. I will be helped.
Going to He is going to help me. I am going to be helped.
Future Perfect Simple He will have helped me. I will have been helped.
-ing form She remembers him helping She remembers me being
me. helped.

Note: Present Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect Continuous, Future Continuous or the Future
Perfect Continuous are not normally used in the passive.
1. Change the sentences from the active into the passive. Omit the agent where it can
be omitted.

1) Yesterday I sent a letter to a friend in Bucharest.

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2) Mihai Eminescu wrote “Luceafarul” in 1883.

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3) David has just installed a new computer software.

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4) I usually wash the dishes after I finish dinner.

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5) He likes people telling him stories of the past.

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6) The company is building new houses in this neighbourhood.

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7) I have offered the little girls some candies for their birthday.

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8) The teachers informed the students that the school was going to close for the bank
holidays.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

9) They will renovate their house when they get the money from the bank.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

10) People drink champagne on New Year’s Eve.

…………………………………………………………………………………………
 11) They will tell you the good news when you get home.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

12) She is going to buy a new car next week.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

13) I had prepared the dinner before you came home.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

14) The doctor was checking the patient when the bomb exploded.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

15) The dog hadn’t chased the cat before that moment.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

2. Change the sentences from the passive into the active.

1) The lesson has been learned by heart by everyone.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

2) The documents had been stolen from the desk before she arrived.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

3) The pyramids were built by the ancient Egyptians nearly 5,000 years ago.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

4) The man was elected head of the department at the beginning of the year.

……………………………………………………………………………………

5) Ten children have been injured when part of the school roof collapsed this morning.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

6) The new gadget is being presented during the show today.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

7) A new Italian restaurant will be built nearby.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

8) Smoking isn’t allowed in schools.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

9) The criminal hasn’t been arrested by the police yet.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

10) My brother is going to be promoted next week.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

11) George’s wallet was stolen during the show.

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12) The letter to Santa Clause hasn’t been posted yet.

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13) Mary’s Swiss watch hasn’t been repaired yet.

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14) A lot of traditional food is bought when the holidays come.

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15) Jim has never been accused of lying before.

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3. Make correct passive sentences adding any other words that make sense.

a) candy/to receive/ yesterday evening

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

b) books/to read/ so far

…………………………………………………………………………………………

c) bikes/to ride /tomorrow

………………………………………………………………………………………….
d) scary stories/ to tell/ Halloween
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
e) dishes / wash/ at the moment

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

4. Are the sentences written in Active or Passive voice?

a) The teacher was handed in the assignments during the class. ……………………
b) He was afraid to bring his phone to school. ……………………
c) Lots of houses were destroyed by the storm last week. ………………………
d) My friend has just bought an electric car. ……………………………..
e) Sport is practised all over the world by many people. ………………………

5. Form passive voice sentences using the words given.

6. 1.(light bulb / invent / Thomas Edison)

The light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison.

2. (house / build / by next year)

……………………………………………………………………………………………

3. (eggs / use / to make this cake)

………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. (pineapple / eat/ people/ all over the world)

………………………………………………………………………………………………

5. (book /just / give / Sonia)

………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. (farm / destroy / fire/ two years ago)

………………………………………………………………………………………………

7. (the fugitive / catch / the police / earlier today)

………………………………………………………………………………………………

8. (injured officer / take / hospital / ambulance/ arrive)

………………………………………………………………………………………………

9. (the car / sell / by 1990)

………………………………………………………………………………………………

1. Rewrite the sentences.

1. The police are investigating the case at the moment.
The case…………………………. at the moment. IS

2. John hasn’t painted his room yet.

 John’s room……………………… painted. still

3. Our teacher has never shouted at us during classes.

Nobody…………………………….. by our teacher. HAS

4. They grow wheat in Romania.

Wheat ……………………………….. in Romania. GROWN

5. He gave her a bouquet of flowers for her birthday.

She………………………………………… for her birthday. WAS

6. The storm spoilt our picnic yesterday.

Our picnic………………………………….. yesterday. BY

7. Three men robbed a bank last week in the nearby city.

The bank in the nearby city …………………………… three men last week. BY

Modal Verbs in the Passive Voice

Passive Voice for Present and Future Modals
Active Voice Passive Voice
CAN CAN BE
He can drive a truck. The truck can be driven by him.
MUST MUST BE
You must read this book. This book must be read by you.
MAY MAY BE
She may write the homework. The homework may be written by her.
MIGHT MIGHT BE
The bull might kill her. She might be killed by the bull.
SHOULD SHOULD BE
He should play this game. This game should be played by him.
OUGHT TO OUGHT TO BE
You ought to finish the task. The task ought to be finished by me.

Passive Voice for Past Modals

Active Voice Passive Voice
SHOULD HAVE SHOULD HAVE BEEN
I should have started a driver course. A driver course should have been started by me.
MUST HAVE MUST HAVE BEEN
You must have passed the exam. The exam must have been passed by you.
MAY HAVE MAY HAVE BEEN
He may have eaten an apple. An apple may have been eaten by him.
 MIGHT HAVE MIGHT HAVE BEEN
She might have killed the beetle. The beetle might have been killed by her.
OUGHT TO HAVE OUGHT TO HAVE BEEN
You ought to have helped her. She ought to have been helped by you.

1. Turn the following sentences into the passive voice.

1. Andrei may skip his duties if his parents do not remind him.
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2. Gwen should study the rules to understand the tenses.
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3. Benjamin must redecorate his room as soon as possible.
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4. They should start the game because it’s late.
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5. People can’t bring pets to this hotel.
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6. They need to repair my car immediately.
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7. They should pay the price for the construction.
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8. I can give you the books back only when we get home.
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9. He should carry the box because he's stronger.
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10. You should open the window, there is no fresh air in the room.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
11. We might play a game of cards when they get bored.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
12. They need not have bought bread because Granma had made some.
………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. Change the following sentences into the passive using modal verbs.
1. You should dry your hair before you go out.
………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. You mustn’t tell him the truth because he might suffer badly.
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3. They should have given us mot time to finish the project.
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4. You can leave your bags at the reception desk.
 …………………………………………………………………………………………
5. The terrorists may have captured the journalist during the raid.
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6. He should have invited Thomas to the party last week.
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7. We must broadcast the news as soon as possible.
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8. The girl should take extra singing lessons to participate in this contest.
………………………………………………………………………………………...
9. They shouldn’t ask the public to vote for the finalists.
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10. They should have sent the email before the deadline.
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Practice test
Change the following sentences into passive voice (1-5) and rewrite the sentences (6-
10).

1. He didn’t invite Samantha to the party.

………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Will the teacher check our homework before class begins?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. His father lent him some money to buy the car.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. You ought to wash the car; it is so dirty.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
5. He must fill in the form to be accepted at the course.
.……………………………………………………………………………………………

6. My brother has cancelled our trip to Vienna three times already.

Our trip to Vienna ………………………………. three times. CALLED
7. We won’t tolerate this smell any longer.
This smell won’t ……………………………. any longer. PUT
8. The firefighters extinguished the fire with great effort.
The fire…………………………………. with great effort. OUT
9. The teacher will send you out if you keep on talking.
You …………………………………… if you keep on talking. BE
10. Mother told her son off for shouting at her.
He ………………………………. his mother for shouting at her. WAS