Joy English
Joy English

B1 Grammar

B1Passive voice15 min

The passive: present and past

Use the passive when the action or result is more important than the person who does it.

In an active sentence, the subject does the action: Farmers grow rice in this valley. In a passive sentence, the subject receives the action: Rice is grown in this valley. We use the passive when we don't know who did something, when it is obvious, or when it isn't important.

TenseFormExample
Present simpleam / is / are + past participleThese bikes are made in two small factories.
Present simple negativeisn't / aren't + past participleCash isn't accepted in this café.
Past simplewas / were + past participleThe bridge was built in 1890.
Past simple negativewasn't / weren't + past participleThe letters weren't delivered on time.
Questionsis / was (etc.) + subject + past participleWhere were these photos taken?

To say who did the action, use by: The song was written by a teenager from Nairobi. Only add by + person when this information is new or interesting. A sentence like My bag was found by someone sounds strange, because someone adds no information.

Where we often see it

The passive is common in news, notices, instructions and descriptions of processes. It helps the writer focus on what happened and on the result.

  • Breakfast is served from 7 to 10 a.m.
  • Three new kinds of frog were discovered in the forest last year.
  • Our flat is cleaned every Friday.
  • The match was cancelled because of the storm.
  • Was the email sent to everyone?

Exercise 1 of 2

Choose the correct form

Choose the correct option to complete each sentence.

  1. Paper _____ from wood.

  2. The first bicycles _____ in the 19th century.

  3. Our flight _____ last night, so we took the train today.

  4. _____ the tickets checked at the door yesterday?

  5. Spanish _____ in more than twenty countries.

  6. The new library _____ by a young architect from Lima.

  7. Credit cards _____ in this shop. You have to pay in cash.

  8. These photos were taken _____ my sister.

0 of 8 answered

Exercise 2 of 2

Write the passive

Type the passive form of the verb in brackets. Use the present simple or the past simple.

  1. The windows (wash) every spring.

  2. This castle (build) more than 600 years ago.

  3. Dogs (not / allow) in this park.

  4. The winners (announce) yesterday evening.

  5. Our order (not / deliver) until Tuesday, so we waited all weekend.

  6. A lot of coffee (produce) in Colombia every year.

  7. The letter (write) by hand, so it was hard to read.

  8. At our school, all meals (cook) fresh every day.

0 of 8 answered

Source

Original lesson by Joy English.

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