Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action, rather than on who or what is performing the action. In passive sentences, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. Below are the rules for forming passive voice, along with examples for each tense:
1. Present Simple
Rule: am/is/are + past participle (verb 3rd form)
Active: She writes a letter.
Passive: A letter is written by her.
2. Present Continuous
Rule: am/is/are + being + past participle
Active: They are cleaning the room.
Passive: The room is being cleaned by them.
3. Present Perfect
Rule: has/have + been + past participle
Active: He has completed the report.
Passive: The report has been completed by him.
4. Past Simple
Rule: was/were + past participle
Active: They built the house.
Passive: The house was built by them.
5. Past Continuous
Rule: was/were + being + past participle
Active: She was reading the book.
Passive: The book was being read by her.
6. Past Perfect
Rule: had + been + past participle
Active: They had delivered the package.
Passive: The package had been delivered by them.
7. Future Simple
Rule: will + be + past participle
Active: They will finish the project.
Passive: The project will be finished by them.
8. Future Perfect
Rule: will have + been + past participle
Active: She will have written the letter.
Passive: The letter will have been written by her.
9. Modal Verbs (Can/Should/May, etc.)
Rule: modal verb + be + past participle
Active: You can solve the problem.
Passive: The problem can be solved by you.
Imperative Sentences (Commands)
Rule: let + object + be + past participle
Active: Close the door.
Passive: Let the door be closed.
Use of “By”
In passive sentences, “by” is used to indicate the agent (the one who performs the action), though it is often omitted if the agent is unknown or unimportant.
Example:
Active: Someone stole my car.
Passive: My car was stolen (by someone).
- When the action is more important than the agent.
- Example: The bridge was completed in 2020.
- When the agent is unknown, unimportant, or obvious.
- Example: The letter was sent yesterday.
- In formal or scientific writing where the focus is on the process or result rather than the person performing the action.
- Example: The experiment was conducted under strict conditions.
When to Use Passive Voice:
- When the action is more important than the agent.
- Example: The bridge was completed in 2020.
- When the agent is unknown, unimportant, or obvious.
- Example: The letter was sent yesterday.
- In formal or scientific writing where the focus is on the process or result rather than the person performing the action.
- Example: The experiment was conducted under strict conditions.
Here’s a comprehensive guide to all the rules of passive voice, covering assertive, negative, and interrogative forms for various tenses, including modal verbs and imperative sentences.
1. Present Simple Tense
- Rule: am/is/are + past participle (verb 3rd form)
| Type | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Assertive | She writes a letter. | A letter is written by her. |
| Negative | She does not write a letter. | A letter is not written by her. |
| Interrogative | Does she write a letter? | Is a letter written by her? |
2. Present Continuous Tense
- Rule: am/is/are + being + past participle
| Type | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Assertive | They are cleaning the room. | The room is being cleaned by them. |
| Negative | They are not cleaning the room. | The room is not being cleaned by them. |
| Interrogative | Are they cleaning the room? | Is the room being cleaned by them? |
3. Present Perfect Tense
- Rule: has/have + been + past participle
| Type | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Assertive | He has completed the report. | The report has been completed by him. |
| Negative | He has not completed the report. | The report has not been completed by him. |
| Interrogative | Has he completed the report? | Has the report been completed by him? |
4. Past Simple Tense
- Rule: was/were + past participle
| Type | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Assertive | They built the house. | The house was built by them. |
| Negative | They did not build the house. | The house was not built by them. |
| Interrogative | Did they build the house? | Was the house built by them? |
5. Past Continuous Tense
- Rule: was/were + being + past participle
| Type | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Assertive | She was reading the book. | The book was being read by her. |
| Negative | She was not reading the book. | The book was not being read by her. |
| Interrogative | Was she reading the book? | Was the book being read by her? |
6. Past Perfect Tense
- Rule: had + been + past participle
| Type | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Assertive | They had delivered the package. | The package had been delivered by them. |
| Negative | They had not delivered the package. | The package had not been delivered by them. |
| Interrogative | Had they delivered the package? | Had the package been delivered by them? |
7. Future Simple Tense
- Rule: will + be + past participle
| Type | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Assertive | They will finish the project. | The project will be finished by them. |
| Negative | They will not finish the project. | The project will not be finished by them. |
| Interrogative | Will they finish the project? | Will the project be finished by them? |
8. Future Perfect Tense
- Rule: will + have + been + past participle
| Type | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Assertive | She will have written the letter. | The letter will have been written by her. |
| Negative | She will not have written the letter. | The letter will not have been written by her. |
| Interrogative | Will she have written the letter? | Will the letter have been written by her? |
9. Modal Verbs (Can, Could, Should, May, Might, Must, etc.)
- Rule: modal verb + be + past participle
| Type | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Assertive | You can solve the problem. | The problem can be solved by you. |
| Negative | You cannot solve the problem. | The problem cannot be solved by you. |
| Interrogative | Can you solve the problem? | Can the problem be solved by you? |
10. Imperative Sentences (Commands and Requests)
- Rule: let + object + be + past participle (for passive imperative)
| Type | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Assertive | Close the door. | Let the door be closed. |
| Negative | Do not close the door. | Let the door not be closed. |
| Interrogative | Should I close the door? | Should the door be closed? |
11. Passive Voice in Interrogative-Negative Form
For interrogative-negative forms, simply follow this pattern:
- Present Simple:
- Active: Does she not write the letter?
- Passive: Is the letter not written by her?
- Present Continuous:
- Active: Is she not cleaning the room?
- Passive: Is the room not being cleaned by her?
- Past Simple:
- Active: Did they not build the house?
- Passive: Was the house not built by them?
- Future Simple:
- Active: Will they not finish the project?
- Passive: Will the project not be finished by them?
Summary of Key Rules for Passive Voice
- Basic Structure:
- Active: Subject + verb + object
- Passive: Object + be + past participle + by + subject (optional)
- Forming Negatives:
- Add not after the auxiliary verb (am/is/are/was/were or will, etc.)
- Forming Interrogatives:
- Place the auxiliary verb before the subject (i.e., Is/Are/Was/Were + object + past participle + by + subject?)