What is the Passive Voice?
In English, most sentences use the active voice. This means the subject of the sentence performs the action. For example, in The chef cooked dinner, ‘the chef’ is the subject and ‘cooked’ is the action.
The passive voice changes this focus. The subject of the sentence becomes the receiver of the action. The ‘doer’ of the action might be mentioned at the end or not at all.
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We choose the passive voice for several reasons, especially in B2 English when you want to sound more formal or objective.
- When the ‘doer’ (agent) is unknown: We don’t know who performed the action. For example: My car was stolen last night. (We don’t know who stole it.)
- When the ‘doer’ is unimportant: It doesn’t matter who performed the action. For example: The new road will be opened next month. (Who opens it is not important.)
- When the ‘doer’ is obvious: Everyone knows who performed the action. For example: The criminal was arrested. (Clearly, the police arrested him.)
- To focus on the action or the object: We want to emphasize what happened or what received the action, not who did it. For example: Thousands of trees were planted in the park. (The focus is on the trees and the planting.)
- In formal or scientific writing: The passive voice often sounds more objective and impersonal. For example: Experiments are conducted to test the hypothesis.
How Do We Form the Passive Voice?
The basic structure for the passive voice is always the verb ‘to be’ + the past participle of the main verb.
The verb ‘to be’ changes its tense to match the original active sentence. The past participle always stays the same.
You can see how this works in different tenses in the table below.
Using ‘by’ and Other Prepositions in the Passive Voice
Sometimes, we want to mention the ‘doer’ of the action in a passive sentence. We use by for this.
- Utilizziamo by + agent to say who or what performed the action. For example: The book was written by a famous author.
Other prepositions are used to describe how or with what something was done:
- Made by + method: These cakes are made by hand.
- Made with + tool/ingredient: The marks were made with a small knife. / This soup is made with fresh vegetables.
- Made of + material (when the material is still visible): The sculpture is made of marble.
- Made from + material (when the original material changes): Paper is made from wood.
| Tense | Active Voice Example | Passive Voice Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | They use it. | It is used. |
| Past Simple | They used it. | It was used. |
| Present Continuous | They are using it. | It is being used. |
| Past Continuous | They were using it. | It was being used. |
| Present Perfect | They have used it. | It has been used. |
| Past Perfect | They had used it. | It had been used. |
| Future Simple | They will use it. They are going to use it. |
It will be used. It is going to be used. |
| Infinitive (e.g., after modal verbs) | They can use it. They might use it. |
It can be used. It might be used. |
Esempi
- The new bridge will be completed next year.
- Many important decisions are made in this office every day.
- The email has already been sent.
- The ancient city was discovered by archaeologists.
- The report is being prepared right now.
Esercitazione
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Common Mistakes for Spanish Speakers
Spanish speakers often make specific mistakes when using the passive voice in English:
- Using ‘have’ instead of ‘be’ as the auxiliary verb: In Spanish, you might use ‘haber’ (to have) in some similar constructions. However, in English passive, it’s always ‘to be’.
Errato: The window has broken.
Corretto: The window was broken. (Or active: The window broke.) - Overusing the passive voice: Spanish uses ‘se’ constructions (e.g., Se habla español) which often translate to the passive. While correct, English generally prefers the active voice for directness unless there’s a clear reason for the passive.
Less natural: Mistakes are often made by students.
More natural (active): Students often make mistakes. - Incorrect past participle forms: English irregular verbs have unique past participle forms that must be learned. For example, ‘write’ becomes ‘written’, not ‘writed’.
Errato: The letter was writed.
Corretto: The letter was written.
Domande frequenti
Is the passive voice more formal?
Yes, the passive voice often sounds more formal and objective. This is why it is commonly used in academic papers, scientific reports, and news articles. It helps to present information in a neutral way, focusing on facts rather than personal opinions or agents.
Can I always use the passive voice?
No, you should not always use the passive voice. While useful, the active voice is generally clearer, more direct, and more engaging. Use the passive voice only when there is a specific reason, such as when the ‘doer’ is unknown, unimportant, or when you want to emphasize the action or its receiver.
What is the difference between ‘by’ and ‘with’ in passive sentences?
Utilizziamo by to introduce the agent, the person or thing that performs the action (e.g., The painting was created by Picasso.). We use with to introduce the instrument or tool used to perform the action (e.g., The window was broken with a hammer.).
How can the H5P exercise help me with the passive voice?
The interactive H5P exercise will help you practice identifying and forming different passive voice structures. It will challenge you to match examples with their correct passive forms, reinforcing your understanding of how the verb be and the past participle change across various tenses.
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