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
Hi EnglishZABJAA,
This sentence can't be changed into the passive. Only sentences with a transitive verb can be changed into the passive. (Transitive means the verb has an object, e.g. We bought the car - "the car" is the object of the verb "bought". It can be changed into the passive: The car was bought by us.)
In this sentence, the verb is "am", which is a linking verb, not a transitive verb.
I hope that helps.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Best Kirk,
How do you say: "I love big cake" in the passive?
Hello EnglishZabjaa,
The object of the active sentence 'big cake' becomes the subject of the passive sentence. Then you use the verb 'be' plus the past participle of the verb 'love'. Following that, you can say 'by' plus the subject of the active sentence.
The result ('Big cake is loved by me') sounds a bit ridiculous, which goes to show that we don't use the passive in all situations!
All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team
Hello Team,
I'm struggling with the word "target". Which of these sentences is the correct passive form?
The programme targets junior students
1. The programme is targeted at junior students
2. Junior students are targeted by the programme.
Sentence 1 does not change the subject, but also seems to be correct. Am I missing something here?
Hello Bryan______,
All of these sentences are correct. Target (like similar verbs such as aim and focus (on), and also verbs such as comprise, form and make up) can be used with the same meaning in both active and passive voice with essentially the same meaning.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Junior students are being targeted by the program. I think is the passive of the sentence as passive requires a "be" form..
Hi,
I think there is a mistake in the first exercise in the following sentence;
The fire service still ___ the fire.
The options given are:
wasn't put out.
is put out.
haven't put out.
The third answer is supposed to be the correct one! But it should be "has not put out" since the agent is an "it."
Hi bkbilal97,
Actually, in British English it is common to use a third person plural verb form even for singular nouns, if the noun represents a group of people. Such nouns include government, team, band, company, gang and many more. For example, it's common to say The band are really good (as well as The band is really good), or The government have made an announcement (as well as The government has made ...).
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello team
Kindly help me change this sentence to passive.
People thought that the cover was made of iron.
I am confused when the first and second verb are in past form. Will we use to infinitve or to have V3/ed form for the second verb?
Kind regards!
Hi tunalee,
I would say --> The cover was thought to be made of iron.
After "was thought" it's also common to use an adjective (e.g. It was thought necessary / It was thought impossible). However, it's not common to put an -ed verb form there (e.g. The cover was thought made of iron), so I think the full form thought to be made ... is preferred.
I hope that helps.
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team