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Grammar, compared

Active vs passive voice

In the active, the subject does the action. In the passive, the focus is on what happens to something.

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The short answer

Active / Passive
ActivePassive
Someone stole my bike.My bike was stolen.
They build the cars in Cordoba.The cars are built in Cordoba.
The manager will send the report.The report will be sent by the manager.

How to form it

Active and passive by tense
TenseActivePassive
Present simpleThey make it.It is made.
Past simpleThey made it.It was made.
Present perfectThey have made it.It has been made.
Future with willThey will make it.It will be made.
ModalThey must make it.It must be made.

The rule is the same each time: the verb be in the right tense, plus the past participle. Add by and the doer only if it matters.

Watch out if you speak Spanish

  • Spanish uses se: se habla inglés. English uses the passive: English is spoken.
  • The passive needs a verb with an object. Do not use it with happen, arrive or die: It happened, not It was happened.
  • Use the past participle, not the past simple: was stolen, not was stole.
  • Use the passive when the doer is unknown, obvious or not important: The report was sent.

Practice

Grammar practice

Choose or type the answer for each sentence, then check.

  1. 1. English all over the world.
  2. 2. My car yesterday.
  3. 3. The report by Friday.
  4. 4. The windows cleaned every week.
  5. 5. This house in 1990.
  6. 6. The problem has solved.

  7. 7. The email

    yesterday.send

  8. 8. Dinner

    at 8 every night.serve

0 of 8 checked

Questions

When do I use by in the passive?
Only when the doer matters: The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo. Leave it out if it is obvious or unknown.
Can every verb be passive?
No. Only verbs that take an object. Verbs like arrive, happen and die have no passive.

Keep going

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Book a trial class. She writes back with times in Buenos Aires time.

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