Beginner Grammar Masterclass

Active and Passive Voice

Learn how voice changes the focus of a sentence, how to convert active sentences into passive sentences, and how to keep the tense correct without guessing.

6

lesson parts

60+

worked examples

8

practice questions

Voice switcher

Same action, different focus.

Active

Doer first

The poet wrote the song.

DoerActionReceiver

Passive

Receiver first

The song was written by the poet.

The song moves to the front because it receives the action.

Active voice

The teacher explains the lesson.

The subject does the action.

Passive voice

The lesson is explained by the teacher.

The subject receives the action.

Start here

What does voice mean in grammar?

Voice tells us whether the subject of a sentence is doing the action or receiving the action. In active voice, the subject does the action. In passive voice, the subject receives the action.

The most important question is: Who or what should get the focus? If the doer matters, active voice is usually best. If the receiver, result, or action matters more, passive voice can be useful.

Active voice

The teacher explains the lesson.

The subject does the action.

Passive voice

The lesson is explained by the teacher.

The subject receives the action.

Full lesson

Active and passive voice rules

Read each part in order. Every section gives you the rule, clear beginner examples, and a 10-example practice bank.

1

Part 1

Active Voice and Passive Voice Basics

Learn the difference before changing anything.

Active voice shows who does the action

In active voice, the subject of the sentence is the doer. The sentence feels direct because it begins with the person or thing performing the action.

Rina writes a letter.

Rina is the doer.

The dog chased the ball.

The dog does the action.

The sun warms the earth.

The sun performs the action.

Passive voice shows what receives the action

In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action. The doer may appear later in a by-phrase, or it may be left out when it is not important.

A letter is written by Rina.

The letter receives the action.

The ball was chased by the dog.

The ball receives the action.

The earth is warmed by the sun.

The earth receives the action.

The meaning is similar, but the focus changes

Active voice focuses on the doer. Passive voice focuses on the receiver, result, or action itself.

The chef cooked the meal.

Focus: the chef.

The meal was cooked by the chef.

Focus: the meal.

Someone broke the window. / The window was broken.

Passive can hide an unknown doer.

10 example practice bank

More examples for Active Voice and Passive Voice Basics

Read the sentence, identify the focus, then check how the voice works.

1

The boy kicked the ball.

Active: the boy does the action.

2

The ball was kicked by the boy.

Passive: the ball receives the action.

3

Maya paints the wall.

Active: Maya is the doer.

4

The wall is painted by Maya.

Passive: the wall receives the action.

5

The wind shook the trees.

Active: the wind does the action.

6

The trees were shaken by the wind.

Passive: the trees receive the action.

7

The police caught the thief.

Active: the police did the catching.

8

The thief was caught by the police.

Passive: the thief received the action.

9

The children cleaned the room.

Active: children is the doer.

10

The room was cleaned by the children.

Passive: room is the receiver.

2

Part 2

How to Change Active Voice into Passive Voice

Object first, then be, then past participle.

Step 1: Find the object

The object is the person or thing that receives the action in the active sentence. Only sentences with an object can usually be changed into passive voice.

The girl reads a book.

Object: a book.

The worker repairs the road.

Object: the road.

The mother feeds the baby.

Object: the baby.

Step 2: Put the object at the beginning

In passive voice, the active object becomes the new subject. This is why the receiver becomes the focus.

A book is read by the girl.

A book moves to the front.

The road is repaired by the worker.

The road moves to the front.

The baby is fed by the mother.

The baby moves to the front.

Step 3: Use be + past participle

Passive voice is built with a form of be plus the past participle of the main verb. The form of be changes with tense.

write -> is written

written is the past participle.

repair -> was repaired

repaired is the past participle.

take -> will be taken

taken is the past participle.

10 example practice bank

More examples for How to Change Active Voice into Passive Voice

Read the sentence, identify the focus, then check how the voice works.

1

Active: The artist draws a picture. Passive: A picture is drawn by the artist.

Object picture becomes subject.

2

Active: The farmer grows rice. Passive: Rice is grown by the farmer.

Use is grown.

3

Active: The boys broke the chair. Passive: The chair was broken by the boys.

Past tense becomes was broken.

4

Active: Sara invited Meena. Passive: Meena was invited by Sara.

Meena receives the action.

5

Active: The guard opened the gate. Passive: The gate was opened by the guard.

Gate moves to the front.

6

Active: The team won the match. Passive: The match was won by the team.

Match becomes the subject.

7

Active: The teacher praised the student. Passive: The student was praised by the teacher.

Use was praised.

8

Active: They will announce the result. Passive: The result will be announced by them.

Future passive uses will be.

9

Active: Someone has stolen my bag. Passive: My bag has been stolen.

Unknown doer can be left out.

10

Active: People speak English here. Passive: English is spoken here.

People is general, so it can disappear.

3

Part 3

Passive Voice in Different Tenses

Keep the tense, change the verb pattern.

Simple present uses am / is / are + past participle

Use this pattern for regular actions, facts, habits, and general truths in passive voice.

They clean the room. -> The room is cleaned.

Singular receiver: is cleaned.

People sell books here. -> Books are sold here.

Plural receiver: are sold.

She writes the notes. -> The notes are written by her.

Notes is plural.

Past tense uses was / were + past participle

Use this pattern when the action happened in the past.

They cleaned the room. -> The room was cleaned.

Singular receiver: was cleaned.

They sold books here. -> Books were sold here.

Plural receiver: were sold.

He wrote the notes. -> The notes were written by him.

Notes is plural.

Perfect tenses use has / have / had been + past participle

The word been is important in perfect passive forms. Without been, the passive structure is incomplete.

They have finished the work. -> The work has been finished.

Present perfect passive.

She has sent the message. -> The message has been sent.

Has been sent.

They had locked the door. -> The door had been locked.

Past perfect passive.

10 example practice bank

More examples for Passive Voice in Different Tenses

Read the sentence, identify the focus, then check how the voice works.

1

Simple present: The letters are delivered every morning.

Pattern: are + delivered.

2

Present continuous: The letters are being delivered now.

Pattern: are being + delivered.

3

Present perfect: The letters have been delivered.

Pattern: have been + delivered.

4

Simple past: The letter was delivered yesterday.

Pattern: was + delivered.

5

Past continuous: The letter was being delivered at noon.

Pattern: was being + delivered.

6

Past perfect: The letter had been delivered before lunch.

Pattern: had been + delivered.

7

Simple future: The letter will be delivered tomorrow.

Pattern: will be + delivered.

8

Future perfect: The letter will have been delivered by Monday.

Pattern: will have been + delivered.

9

Going to future: The letter is going to be delivered soon.

Pattern: going to be + delivered.

10

Modal: The letter must be delivered today.

Pattern: modal + be + delivered.

4

Part 4

Passive Voice with Modals

Can, should, must, may, might all use be.

Modal + be + past participle

When a sentence has a modal verb like can, should, must, may, or might, passive voice uses be after the modal.

They can solve the problem. -> The problem can be solved.

Can be solved.

You should finish the work. -> The work should be finished.

Should be finished.

We must obey the rules. -> The rules must be obeyed.

Must be obeyed.

Do not add is after a modal

A common mistake is writing can is done or should is finished. After a modal, use be, not is or are.

Correct: It can be done.

Not: It can is done.

Correct: The task should be completed.

Not: should is completed.

Correct: The door must be closed.

Not: must is closed.

The meaning of the modal stays the same

Changing to passive voice should not change the modal meaning. Can still means ability, should still means advice, and must still means necessity.

The box can be moved.

Ability.

The form should be signed.

Advice or duty.

The medicine must be taken on time.

Necessity.

10 example practice bank

More examples for Passive Voice with Modals

Read the sentence, identify the focus, then check how the voice works.

1

Active: They can repair the phone. Passive: The phone can be repaired.

Use can be repaired.

2

Active: We should respect elders. Passive: Elders should be respected.

Use should be respected.

3

Active: You must submit the form. Passive: The form must be submitted.

Use must be submitted.

4

Active: The manager may approve the plan. Passive: The plan may be approved by the manager.

Use may be approved.

5

Active: They might cancel the trip. Passive: The trip might be cancelled.

Use might be cancelled.

6

Active: Students ought to follow the rules. Passive: The rules ought to be followed by students.

Use ought to be followed.

7

Active: We have to complete the project. Passive: The project has to be completed.

Use has to be completed.

8

Active: They are going to publish the book. Passive: The book is going to be published.

Use going to be published.

9

Active: You need to clean the desk. Passive: The desk needs to be cleaned.

Use needs to be cleaned.

10

Active: People must not waste water. Passive: Water must not be wasted.

Not comes after the modal.

5

Part 5

Passive Voice in Negatives and Questions

Move the helping verb carefully.

Negative passive uses not after the helping verb

In passive negatives, not usually comes after am, is, are, was, were, has, have, had, will, or a modal verb.

The door is not locked.

Not after is.

The files were not saved.

Not after were.

The work has not been finished.

Not after has.

Yes-no questions put the helping verb first

In passive questions, begin with the helping verb, then the passive subject, then the rest of the verb.

Is the room cleaned?

Is comes before the subject.

Was the letter sent?

Was comes before the subject.

Will the result be announced?

Will comes before the subject.

Wh-questions keep the question word first

Start with the question word, then use the passive helping verb pattern.

When was the poem written?

When + was + subject + written.

Why was the match cancelled?

Why + was + subject + cancelled.

How is tea made?

How + is + subject + made.

10 example practice bank

More examples for Passive Voice in Negatives and Questions

Read the sentence, identify the focus, then check how the voice works.

1

Active: They do not allow phones. Passive: Phones are not allowed.

Not comes after are.

2

Active: She did not complete the work. Passive: The work was not completed.

Past negative passive.

3

Active: They have not repaired the road. Passive: The road has not been repaired.

Use has not been.

4

Active: Did he write the letter? Passive: Was the letter written by him?

Question begins with was.

5

Active: Do they sell tickets here? Passive: Are tickets sold here?

Question begins with are.

6

Active: Will they open the library? Passive: Will the library be opened?

Will stays first.

7

Active: Who broke the glass? Passive: By whom was the glass broken?

Formal passive question.

8

Active: When did they build the bridge? Passive: When was the bridge built?

When stays first.

9

Active: Why did they cancel the meeting? Passive: Why was the meeting cancelled?

Why stays first.

10

Active: Can they solve this problem? Passive: Can this problem be solved?

Can stays first.

6

Part 6

When to Use Passive Voice

Use it for focus, unknown doers, and formal style.

Use passive when the receiver is more important

If the result, object, or affected person matters more than the doer, passive voice is useful.

The bridge was completed in 2022.

Focus on the bridge.

The patient was taken to hospital.

Focus on the patient.

The prize was awarded yesterday.

Focus on the prize.

Use passive when the doer is unknown or obvious

If you do not know who did the action, or everyone already knows the doer, the by-phrase can be left out.

My wallet was stolen.

Unknown doer.

The road was repaired last night.

Doer is not important.

The thief was arrested.

Police is obvious.

Avoid passive when it makes the sentence weak or unclear

Active voice is often stronger for simple writing. Use passive voice with a reason, not just to make a sentence sound formal.

Weak: Mistakes were made.

The doer is hidden.

Clear: The team made mistakes.

Active is more honest and direct.

Clear passive: The documents were damaged in the flood.

Passive works because the documents matter most.

10 example practice bank

More examples for When to Use Passive Voice

Read the sentence, identify the focus, then check how the voice works.

1

The road was closed because of heavy rain.

Use passive because the road matters.

2

The results will be declared tomorrow.

The result is more important than the announcer.

3

The old building was destroyed in the fire.

The building is the focus.

4

The medicine should be taken after meals.

Instruction style often uses passive.

5

The song was composed in 1818.

The work is the focus.

6

The mistake was noticed too late.

The person who noticed it is not important.

7

The room has been decorated beautifully.

Focus on the finished room.

8

The match was postponed.

The reason or doer may be more important later.

9

The documents were signed by the principal.

Use by when the doer matters.

10

The window was broken during the storm.

The storm gives the cause, not a human doer.

Tense-wise passive voice

Rules by tense, including interrogatives

Each tense shows the active rule, passive rule, normal sentence, and question form.

Present Tense

tense group

Tense

Present Indefinite / Simple Present

Active rule

Subject + V1 / V5 + object

Passive rule

Object + am / is / are + V3 + by + subject

Affirmative active

The teacher explains the rule.

Affirmative passive

The rule is explained by the teacher.

Interrogative active

Does the teacher explain the rule?

Interrogative passive

Is the rule explained by the teacher?

Active

They sell books here.

Passive

Books are sold here.

Active

She writes letters.

Passive

Letters are written by her.

Tense

Present Continuous

Active rule

Subject + am / is / are + V-ing + object

Passive rule

Object + am / is / are + being + V3 + by + subject

Affirmative active

The workers are repairing the road.

Affirmative passive

The road is being repaired by the workers.

Interrogative active

Are the workers repairing the road?

Interrogative passive

Is the road being repaired by the workers?

Active

She is cooking dinner.

Passive

Dinner is being cooked by her.

Active

They are painting the wall.

Passive

The wall is being painted by them.

Tense

Present Perfect

Active rule

Subject + has / have + V3 + object

Passive rule

Object + has / have + been + V3 + by + subject

Affirmative active

The team has completed the project.

Affirmative passive

The project has been completed by the team.

Interrogative active

Has the team completed the project?

Interrogative passive

Has the project been completed by the team?

Active

They have cleaned the room.

Passive

The room has been cleaned by them.

Active

She has sent the email.

Passive

The email has been sent by her.

Tense

Present Perfect Continuous

Perfect continuous tenses focus on the ongoing duration of an action. Passive voice sounds very awkward here, so English usually rephrases the sentence instead.

Active rule

Subject + has / have + been + V-ing + object

Passive rule

No common passive form. Avoid has / have been being + V3 in normal writing.

Affirmative active

They have been building the bridge for two years.

Affirmative passive

Better: The bridge has been under construction for two years.

Interrogative active

Have they been building the bridge for two years?

Interrogative passive

Better: Has the bridge been under construction for two years?

Active

She has been teaching this class since June.

Passive

Better: This class has been taught by her since June.

Active

They have been discussing the plan all morning.

Passive

Better: The plan has been under discussion all morning.

Past Tense

tense group

Tense

Past Indefinite / Simple Past

Active rule

Subject + V2 + object

Passive rule

Object + was / were + V3 + by + subject

Affirmative active

The guard opened the gate.

Affirmative passive

The gate was opened by the guard.

Interrogative active

Did the guard open the gate?

Interrogative passive

Was the gate opened by the guard?

Active

They invited Rina.

Passive

Rina was invited by them.

Active

The boys broke the chair.

Passive

The chair was broken by the boys.

Tense

Past Continuous

Active rule

Subject + was / were + V-ing + object

Passive rule

Object + was / were + being + V3 + by + subject

Affirmative active

The mechanic was repairing the car.

Affirmative passive

The car was being repaired by the mechanic.

Interrogative active

Was the mechanic repairing the car?

Interrogative passive

Was the car being repaired by the mechanic?

Active

They were cleaning the hall.

Passive

The hall was being cleaned by them.

Active

She was writing a report.

Passive

A report was being written by her.

Tense

Past Perfect

Active rule

Subject + had + V3 + object

Passive rule

Object + had been + V3 + by + subject

Affirmative active

They had finished the work.

Affirmative passive

The work had been finished by them.

Interrogative active

Had they finished the work?

Interrogative passive

Had the work been finished by them?

Active

She had locked the door.

Passive

The door had been locked by her.

Active

The team had won the match.

Passive

The match had been won by the team.

Tense

Past Perfect Continuous

This tense is almost always kept active or rewritten because had been being repaired sounds heavy and unnatural.

Active rule

Subject + had been + V-ing + object

Passive rule

No common passive form. Rephrase the sentence instead.

Affirmative active

They had been repairing the road for weeks.

Affirmative passive

Better: The road had been under repair for weeks.

Interrogative active

Had they been repairing the road for weeks?

Interrogative passive

Better: Had the road been under repair for weeks?

Active

She had been teaching the lesson for an hour.

Passive

Better: The lesson had been in progress for an hour.

Active

They had been investigating the case for months.

Passive

Better: The case had been under investigation for months.

Future Tense

tense group

Tense

Future Indefinite / Simple Future

Active rule

Subject + will + V1 + object

Passive rule

Object + will be + V3 + by + subject

Affirmative active

They will announce the result.

Affirmative passive

The result will be announced by them.

Interrogative active

Will they announce the result?

Interrogative passive

Will the result be announced by them?

Active

She will write the notice.

Passive

The notice will be written by her.

Active

They will open the library.

Passive

The library will be opened by them.

Tense

Future Continuous

Will be being checked is grammatically possible but very awkward. In normal English, use simple future passive or rewrite the sentence.

Active rule

Subject + will be + V-ing + object

Passive rule

No common passive form. Rephrase when possible.

Affirmative active

They will be checking the papers tomorrow.

Affirmative passive

Better: The papers will be checked tomorrow.

Interrogative active

Will they be checking the papers tomorrow?

Interrogative passive

Better: Will the papers be checked tomorrow?

Active

She will be preparing the report.

Passive

Better: The report will be prepared by her.

Active

They will be repairing the bridge.

Passive

Better: The bridge will be under repair.

Tense

Future Perfect

Active rule

Subject + will have + V3 + object

Passive rule

Object + will have been + V3 + by + subject

Affirmative active

They will have completed the work by Monday.

Affirmative passive

The work will have been completed by Monday.

Interrogative active

Will they have completed the work by Monday?

Interrogative passive

Will the work have been completed by Monday?

Active

She will have sent the letter by noon.

Passive

The letter will have been sent by noon.

Active

They will have built the house by December.

Passive

The house will have been built by December.

Tense

Future Perfect Continuous

Future perfect continuous passive is not normally used. Choose a clearer passive or keep the sentence active.

Active rule

Subject + will have been + V-ing + object

Passive rule

No common passive form. Rephrase the sentence.

Affirmative active

They will have been studying the problem for a year.

Affirmative passive

Better: The problem will have been under study for a year.

Interrogative active

Will they have been studying the problem for a year?

Interrogative passive

Better: Will the problem have been under study for a year?

Active

Researchers will have been testing the medicine for months.

Passive

Better: The medicine will have been under testing for months.

Active

They will have been discussing the matter for days.

Passive

Better: The matter will have been under discussion for days.

Modal and Semi-Modal Forms

tense group

Tense

Modal Passive

Active rule

Subject + modal + V1 + object

Passive rule

Object + modal + be + V3 + by + subject

Affirmative active

You must finish the work.

Affirmative passive

The work must be finished by you.

Interrogative active

Must you finish the work?

Interrogative passive

Must the work be finished by you?

Active

They can solve the problem.

Passive

The problem can be solved by them.

Active

We should respect elders.

Passive

Elders should be respected by us.

Tense

Going To Future Passive

Active rule

Subject + am / is / are going to + V1 + object

Passive rule

Object + am / is / are going to be + V3 + by + subject

Affirmative active

They are going to publish the book.

Affirmative passive

The book is going to be published by them.

Interrogative active

Are they going to publish the book?

Interrogative passive

Is the book going to be published by them?

Active

She is going to prepare dinner.

Passive

Dinner is going to be prepared by her.

Active

They are going to launch the app.

Passive

The app is going to be launched by them.

Interactive practice

Choose the correct answer

Score: 0/8 answered

Change to passive: The librarian arranged the books.

Choose the correct passive form: They are painting the wall.

Change to active: The cake was baked by my sister.

Choose the correct modal passive.

Change to passive: Someone has stolen my bicycle.

Choose the correct passive question: Did they cancel the trip?

Which sentence is active voice?

Which passive sentence is best when the doer is unknown?

Final beginner checklist

1. Find the doer, action, and receiver.

2. Move the receiver to the front for passive voice.

3. Use the correct form of be.

4. Use the past participle of the main verb.

5. Add by only when the doer is important.

6. Keep the tense and meaning the same.

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