6 Key Uses of Passive Voice in English

Introduction

Voice is an important concept in English grammar because it affects how we focus on actions and the people or things involved in those actions. Understanding the key uses of passive voice in English helps you communicate more clearly and confidently, especially in daily conversations, formal writing, academic contexts, and business communication.

Voice indicates whether the subject performs the action or receives the action of the verb. Voice shows whether the subject acts (active voice) or is acted on (passive voice). This blog article explains passive voice in detail, shows how to convert active sentences into passive, passive voice structure in different tenses, the key uses of passive voice, and gives practical examples from daily life and professional settings.

What is Active Voice

Active voice is a sentence structure in which the subject performs the action expressed by the verb. In other words, the focus of the sentence is on who is doing the action, making the meaning clear and direct.

Basic Structure of Active Voice: Subject + Verb + Object

Examples:

1. She writes emails every morning.
2. The manager approved the proposal.
3. They are planning a trip.

In active voice, sentences usually sound more natural and energetic. This is why active voice is commonly used in daily conversations, storytelling, and most forms of modern writing. It helps readers understand the message quickly without unnecessary complexity.

To learn more about the Subject-Verb-Object structure in English, please read our blog post, Basic Sentence Formation in English.

What is Passive Voice

In passive voice, the focus of the sentence is on the action or the receiver of the action, rather than on the person who performs the action.

Basic Structure of Passive Voice: Subject (Object of Active sentence (Receiver of action)) + Appropriate form of “be” + Past Participle of the (main) Verb + by + Object (Subject of Active sentence in Appropriate form)

Examples:

• The chef cooked the meal. (Active voice)
• The meal was cooked by the chef. (Passive voice)
• She wrote the report. (Active voice)
• The report was written by her. (Passive voice)
• We follow the rules strictly. (Active voice)
• The rules are strictly followed. (Passive voice)

Active voice is generally preferred in everyday communication, while passive voice is widely used in formal, academic, and professional contexts. In passive sentences, the doer of the action (called the agent) is often omitted when it is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from the context.

Key Uses of Passive Voice

1. When the doer is unknown or unimportant: Use passive voice when we do not know who performed the action, or when the doer is unclear, unimportant, or irrelevant to the context. This is one of the key uses of passive voice.

Examples:

1. My wallet was stolen yesterday.
2. The documents were misplaced.
3. The documents were stolen.
4. The bank was robbed.
5. The window was broken during the night.

2. When the action is more important than the doer: Use passive voice when the result or action matters more than who did it, or when the focus is on the object being acted upon. This is one of the well-known key uses of passive voice in English.

Examples:

1. The rules are strictly followed.
2. The building was completed on time.
3. The cake was baked perfectly.
4. The report was finished.
5. The beans are packed in summer and are left to dry.

3. When the actor is obvious: If the doer is obvious, the passive voice allows the focus to remain on the action. Some learners often feel every passive sentence must include “by” + doer. But this is not always correct. This is another key use of passive voice.

Examples:

1. The thief was arrested. (We know that the police will arrest thieves.)
2. The arrangements have been done. (Everyone in the company knows the admin dept. will do the arrangements.)
3. The room has been cleaned. (It is obvious that someone in the house cleaned it.)
4. The parcel has been delivered. (We know a delivery service delivered it.)
5. The meeting has been rescheduled to Monday. (It is understood that the management or organizer did it.)
6. The invoice has been sent. (It is obvious that the accounts department sent it.)

4. In formal, academic, scientific and technical writing: Passive voice is commonly used in academic and formal writing to maintain an objective and impersonal tone. Passive voice is used to focus on procedures and results rather than the researcher, research analyst, or scientist. It is used to introduce evidence, viewpoint, proposition, argument, or opinion. This is also one of the key uses of passive voice.

Examples:

1. The data was analyzed carefully.
2. The results were recorded accurately.
3. The solution was heated to 100°C.
4. The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions.
5. A distinction can be made between secured and unsecured creditors.
6. It is argued that the stock market’s behavior depends on the country’s economic performance.

5. In business and official communication: Passive voice is used in business contexts to sound professional, neutral, and focused on processes rather than individuals. This is one of the key uses of passive voice.  

Examples:

1. The report has been approved by management.
2. Your request is being reviewed.
3. The payment has been approved.
4. The order has been processed.
5. Wine is produced in this region.

6. To sound polite or indirect: Passive voice helps avoid blaming individuals and sounds more polite or diplomatic. This is another key use of passive voice.  

Examples:

1. The deadline was missed.
2. Your email was overlooked.
3. The flower vase got broken, mom.
4. A mistake was made in the calculation.

How to Convert Active Voice into Passive Voice

Follow these simple steps to change an active sentence into a passive one:

1. Identify the object of the active sentence.
2. Make that object the subject of the passive sentence.
3. Use the correct form of “be” according to the tense.
4. Add the past participle of the main verb.
5. Add “by” + object in the appropriate form, if necessary.

Example:

• She writes emails. (Active Voice)
• Emails are written by her. (Passive Voice)
• They completed the project. (Active voice)
• The project was completed by them. (Passive voice)

Forms of Subjects (Pronouns) (in Active) When They Become Objects (in Passive)

When changing a sentence from active voice to passive voice, do not forget to change the pronouns correctly.

Subject (Pronoun) (In Active Voice)		Object (Pronoun) (In Passive Voice)
I We You He She It They	becomes becomes remains as becomes becomes remains as becomes	me us you him her it them

Examples:

• I read the newspaper. (Active Voice)
• The newspaper is read by me. (Passive Voice)
• I completed the task. (Active Voice)
• The task was completed by me. (Passive Voice)
• We are watching a movie. (Active Voice)
• A movie is being watched by us. (Passive Voice)
• We reject all incomplete applications. (Active Voice)
• All incomplete applications are rejected by us. (Passive Voice)
• You bought a new phone yesterday. (Active Voice)
• A new phone was bought by you yesterday. (Passive Voice)
• You will complete the task today. (Active Voice)
• The task will be completed by you today. (Passive Voice)
• He approved the proposal. (Active Voice)
• The proposal was approved by him. (Passive Voice)
• She writes emails. (Active Voice)
• Emails are written by her. (Passive Voice)
• The company launched a new product. (Active Voice)
• A new product was launched by the company. (Passive Voice)
• The system records all transactions automatically. (Active Voice)
• All transactions are automatically recorded by the system. (Passive Voice)
• They cleaned the house in the morning. (Active Voice)
• The house was cleaned by them in the morning. (Passive Voice)
• They prepared the presentation for the client. (Active Voice)
• The presentation for the client was prepared by them. (Passive Voice)

Passive Voice in Different Tenses

1. Passive Voice in Simple Present Tense

Structure: Subject + is / are + past participle of verb

Examples:

1. The room is cleaned every day.
2. Emails are sent automatically.
3. The door is left open.
4. The newspaper is read by him.
5. Flowers are gathered by her in the morning.

2. Passive Voice in Simple Past Tense

Structure: Subject + was / were + past participle of verb

Examples:

1. The meeting was postponed.
2. The tickets were sold out.
3. I was fascinated by the painting.
4. My phone was repaired yesterday.
5. The message was sent by mistake.
6. The car was made in India.
7. The meeting was rescheduled due to unforeseen circumstances.

3. Passive Voice in Simple Future Tense

Structure: Subject + will be + past participle of verb

Examples:

1. The results will be announced tomorrow.
2. The work will be completed on time.
3. All applications will be reviewed carefully.
4. The engine will be repaired on Friday.
5. The task will be done by her.

4. Passive Voice in Present Continuous Tense

Structure: Subject + is / are + being + past participle of verb

Examples:

1. The house is being painted.
2. The documents are being checked.
3. A toy is being made by him.
4. The roads are being repaired.
5. The villages are being electrified (by the government).
6. New policies are being implemented across departments.

5. Passive Voice in Past Continuous Tense

Structure: Subject + was / were + being + past participle of verb

Examples:

1. The room was being cleaned.
2. The project was being discussed.
3. A poem was being penned by me.
4. The cars were being washed.
5. An enquiry was being held by the advocate.
6. The harvest was being gathered by farmers.

6. Passive Voice in Future Continuous Tense

Structure: Subject + will + be + being + past participle of verb

Important Note: The future continuous tense is generally NOT used in passive voice in standard English because it sounds unnatural and is rarely accepted in formal grammar.  

The work will be being completed. (awkward and generally avoided) 

Instead, many learners use simple future tense.  

The work will be completed. (simple and easy to understand)

7. Passive Voice in Present Perfect Tense

Structure: Subject + has / have + been + past participle of verb

Examples:

1. The cake has been eaten already.
2. The digital image has been drawn by him.
3. The tickets have been booked.
4. The letter has just been sent by courier.
5. He has been seen by her a day before.
6. The payment has been processed successfully.
7. The report has been submitted to the management.

8. Passive Voice in Past Perfect Tense

Structure: Subject + had + been + past participle of verb

Examples:

1. The order had been placed.
2. The decision had been made.
3. The work had been finished.
4. The cake had not been tasted by her.
5. The table had been cleaned by the maid.  

9. Passive Voice in Future Perfect Tense

Structure: Subject + will have + been + past participle of verb 

Examples:

1. The project will have been completed.
2. The exam will have been conducted.
3. The work will have been reviewed.
4. The thesis will have been reviewed by next week.
5. The presentation will have been completed by Thursday.

Common Errors in the Use of Passive Voice

Many learners make mistakes while using passive voice. Here are some common ones.

1. Using the Wrong Form of “be”: Learners often use the wrong form of “be” (am, is, are, was, were) or forget to change the verb into the past participle. Learners need to use the past participle form of the main verb in the passive voice. Learn the key uses of passive voice, observe the passive voice structure in different tenses given in this blog and use the correct “be” form.  

Examples:

• The work is completed yesterday. (Incorrect)
• The work was completed yesterday. (Correct)
• The letter was write. (Incorrect)
• The letter was wrote. (Incorrect)
• The letter was written. (Correct)
• The letter was send. (Incorrect)
• The letter was sent. (Correct)
• The room is clean yesterday. (Incorrect)
• The room was cleaned yesterday. (Correct)
• The parcel is deliver today. (Incorrect)
• The parcel will be delivered today. (Correct)
• The payment was transfer yesterday. (Incorrect)
• The payment was transferred yesterday. (Correct)
• The file is submit to HR. (Incorrect)
• The file was submitted to HR. (Correct)
• The agreement was sign last week. (Incorrect)
• The agreement was signed last week. (Correct)

2. Using Intransitive Verbs in Passive Voice: Intransitive verbs are the verbs that do not take an object. Intransitive verbs cannot normally be used in passive voice. Verbs like arrive, happen, occur, go, come, cry cannot be made passive. Also, remember the key uses of passive voice given in this blog.

Examples:

• He was arrived yesterday. (Incorrect)
• He arrived yesterday. (Correct)
  The accident was happened. (Incorrect)
• The accident happened. (Correct)
• She was gone to school. (Incorrect)
• She went to school. (Correct)
• The baby was cried loudly. (Incorrect)
• The baby cried loudly. (Correct)
• The train was arrived late. (Incorrect)
• The train arrived late. (Correct)
• The meeting was happened at 10 AM. (Incorrect)
• The meeting happened at 10 AM. (Correct)
• The issue was occurred yesterday. (Incorrect)
• The issue occurred yesterday. (Correct)

3. Using Wrong Word Order in Questions: Learners sometimes follow their mother tongue or native language structure instead of English structure. They tend to use the wrong word order in passive interrogative sentences or when forming questions in passive. Learn the key uses of passive voice given in this blog.

Examples:

• By whom this letter was written? (Incorrect)
  By whom was this letter written? (Correct)
• The work is completed? (Incorrect)
  Is the work completed? (Correct)
• By whom this cake was made? (Incorrect)
• By whom was this cake made? (Correct)
• This phone was bought by you? (Incorrect)
• Was this phone bought by you? (Correct)
• The contract was signed by the client? (Incorrect)
• Was the contract signed by the client? (Correct)

4. Forgetting to Change Pronouns in Passive Voice: When changing from active to passive voice, we tend to forget to change the pronouns correctly in the passive construction. Learn the key uses of passive voice, observe the structure and use the pronoun correctly.

Examples:

• He was helped by I. (Incorrect)
  He was helped by me. (Correct)
• The cake was made by she. (Incorrect)
• The cake was made by her. (Correct)
• The work was done by they. (Incorrect)
• The work was done by them. (Correct)
• The email was sent by we. (Incorrect)
• The email was sent by us. (Correct)
• The report was prepared by he. (Incorrect)
• The report was prepared by him. (Correct)

5. Mixing Active and Passive Voice: Do not mix the active and passive voice in the same sentence or structure. Maintain only active voice or only passive voice throughout the sentence.

Examples:

• The report was submitted and the manager approved it. (Incorrect)
• The team submitted the report and the manager approved it. (Correct) (Fully Active Voice)
• The report was submitted by the team and approved by the manager. (Correct) (Fully Passive Voice)
• The cake was baked and my sister decorated it. (Incorrect)
• The cake was baked and decorated by my sister. (Correct)
• The room was cleaned and I arranged the furniture. (Incorrect)
• The room was cleaned and the furniture was arranged by me. (Correct)
• The meal was cooked and we served it. (Incorrect)
• The meals were cooked and served by us. (Correct)
• The proposal was drafted and the director approved it. (Incorrect)
• The proposal was drafted by the team and approved by the director. (Correct)
• The presentation was created and the team delivered it. (Incorrect)
• The presentation was created and delivered by the team. (Correct)

6. Using Passive Voice in Casual Speech: Many learners overuse or misuse passive voice, especially in speech and conversations, making sentences sound unnatural or overly formal. Active voice sounds more natural in daily conversations and informal, colloquial usage.

Examples:

• The dinner was cooked by my mother yesterday. (Passive)
• My mother cooked dinner yesterday. (Active)
• A movie was watched by us yesterday. (Passive)
• We watched a movie yesterday. (Active)
• The report was prepared by me. (Passive)
• I prepared the report. (Active)
• The client was called by our team. (Passive)
• Our team called the client. (Active)

Conclusion

Active and passive voice are both essential tools in English. While active voice makes communication direct and lively, passive voice is valuable when the focus needs to be on the action, result, or object rather than the person performing it. By understanding the key uses of passive voice, when and how to use passive voice correctly, you can improve your writing for academic, professional, and formal situations. Practice converting sentences between active and passive voice to gain confidence and accuracy in real-world English usage.