When learning English, we often focus on what someone does, but what about what happens to something?
That’s where the passive form comes in, when you're describing an event or simply want to sound more objective.
Mastering the passive form can dramatically improve your writing and speaking skills.
In this article, we’ll learn when and how to use it correctly, with examples that make it all click.
What is the Passive Form?
The passive form is a grammatical structure where the object of an active sentence becomes the subject of the sentence.
Instead of focusing on who performs the action, the passive form emphasizes what happens or who receives the action.
It’s formed using a form of the verb “to be” + the past participle of the main verb. Example:
- Active: “The chef cooked the meal.
- Passive: “The meal was cooked by the chef.”
When Should You Use the Passive Form?
You can use the passive form in the following situations:
- When the doer is unknown. Example: “My bike was taken from the garage.” Why passive? Because the focus is on what happened (the bike being taken), and the person who did it is not mentioned.
- When the doer is not important. Example: “The floors are mopped every evening.” Why passive? Because we care more about the action (clean floors) than the person doing it (the janitor, housekeeper, etc.).
- When the doer is obvious or already mentioned. Example: “He was taken to the hospital.” Why passive? Because it’s clear or implied who did the action (e.g., emergency services), so the speaker skips repeating the subject.
- To sound more formal or objective. Example: ”Your request has been approved.” Why passive? It removes personal tone and keeps communication formal, which is useful in professional or academic settings.
How to Form a Sentence Using the Passive Form?
How to Use Passive Form in a Regular Sentence
To form a passive sentence, follow this formula: Subject + to be + past participle (V3) + by agent (optional)
Don’t forget to choose the correct tense of “to be” based on the original sentence’s tense.
Examples:
- Present: The house is cleaned every day.
- Past: The cake was eaten quickly.
- Future: The email will be sent tomorrow.
How to Use Passive Form in a Negative Sentence
To make the passive form negative, just add “not” after the form of “to be.” Structure: Subject + to be + not + past participle.
Examples:
- Present: The letter was not written by John.
- Past: The files are not stored in this folder.
- Future: The food won’t be served until 8 PM.
How to Use Passive Form in a Sentence with Question
To ask a question in the passive form, invert the subject and the form of “to be.”
Structure:
- Yes/No Questions: To be + subject + past participle?
- Wh- Questions: Wh-word + to be + subject + past participle?
For examples:
- Was the window broken?
- Is the project being handled by Tom?
- When was the report submitted?
10 Examples of Sentences with Passive form
Here are more examples so that you can understand passive form better:
- The homework was completed on time.
- English is spoken in many countries.
- The package has been delivered.
- The movie was directed by Steven Spielberg.
- These shoes are made in Italy.
- A new policy is being discussed at the meeting.
- The documents were signed yesterday.
- Lunch will be served at noon.
- The room has not been cleaned yet.
- Who was invited to the party?
Conclusion
The passive form may seem tricky at first, but it’ll become a powerful tool in your grammar toolkit with a little practice.
It allows you to shift focus, add variety to your writing, and sound more professional. Ready to practice?
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