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
Hello, Sir!
1. We seem to miss one book. (Active Infinitive)
2. One book seems to be missed. (Passive infinitive)
3. We seem to be one missed. (one = one book)
Is the sentence 3 passive? Are the sentences 1 and 3 the same?
Thank you in advance for your time.
Hello Sokhomkim,
I'm afraid that none of these sentences are correct. Could you explain in other words what you mean to say with them? For example, if we normally have 10 books but now there are only 9, we could say 'One book is missing' or 'One book seems to be missing' (similar to sentence 2). It's also possible to say 'We seem to be missing one book' (sentence 1). But I don't understand sentence 3.
In the sentences I wrote, 'missing' is an adjective.
Best wishes,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team
Thank you very much, Sir.
Your example is what I mean.
- We seem to be missing one book. ( "to be missing" is continuous infinitive with the object "one book, isn't it?)
I wanted to know if I can use "the simple infinitive (to miss one book) or it has to be "continuous infinitive (to be missing one book). And can I change your sentence using the passive infinitive?)
- One book seem to be being missed (by us).
Thank you so much for your time.
Hello Sokhomkim,
I think the root of the confusion here is two different meanings of the word 'missing'.
1) The first meaning refers to something that we can't find; in this case, 'missing' is an adjective. So if this sentence means that we can't find one book, then 'to be missing' is not a continuous infinitive. Instead, it is the simple infinitive 'to be' and the adjective 'missing'.
2) The second meaning refers to a person or thing that is not with us and whose absence makes us sad; in this case, it is a form of the verb 'to miss'. Note that normally we use the verb 'miss' in this way to speak of people or situations or animals -- things we have an emotional connection to. It is possible to have this feeling about a book, but more unusual.
So if 'missing' refers to an emotional state in which we find our life incomplete because the book is gone (as if the book were a person you are close to), then 'to be missing' could indeed be a continuous infinitive. That is not how I understood the sentence, but it is a possible meaning.
Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team
Hello,
I would like to ask the position of by agent in the passive voice of the present perfect when the sentence has adverbs such as recently, yet,..etc.
1. Jack has typed the article recently.
>>The article has been typed by Jack recently or The article has been typed recently by Jack.
I searched on the Internet and someone said it could be "The article has recently been typed by Jack." It's a good idea, however, I would like to know where the position of "by agent" is really.
2. The police haven’t found the murderer yet.
In this sentence, anything should be noted if the sentence has the adverb "yet" which is usually at the end of the sentence.
Hello tunalee,
1. As far as I know, the best option is the one you found on the internet (with 'recently' in mid position). I'm not sure I'd call the other two forms incorrect, but both of them do sound awkward to me, probably because of all the different pieces. If I needed to communicate this idea, I'd re-phrase this and possibly the other sentences before and after it.
2. Here 'yet' should go in end position, i.e. last. Similar to 1, I wouldn't use this sentence unless I couldn't avoid it. The context would probably make clear who the agent is and so it wouldn't be necessary. If the context didn't make it clear, I'd re-phrase the sentences so that it would be.
I hope this helps.
All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team
It's so useful for me. Big thanks to you and your dedicated support.
Hello!
Could you please explain what type of passive is it:
"We were afraid of being seen together"
Thank you!
Hi Iryna_hn,
This is a passive -ing form (or passive gerund). The structure is being + past participle. It is needed here because it follows the preposition of. Here are a couple more examples.
Hope that helps.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Hello support team
Can anyone explain a question on second grammer test:
Someone ___ my talk at the conference and recommended me as a speaker.
The answer was"saw" but i think it should be "had seen". Because verb of "see" happened before verb "recommend" and they both hapenned in past.
And secondly i want to ask why are we saying "I went home then I changed my clothes, then I leaved." Instead of using past perfect.
Thank you.