Form
Formula: Subject + be (conjugated) + past participle (+ by + agent)
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | People speak English worldwide. | English is spoken worldwide. |
| Past Simple | Bell invented the telephone. | The telephone was invented by Bell. |
| Present Continuous | They are building a new station. | A new station is being built. |
| Present Perfect | Someone has stolen my bike. | My bike has been stolen. |
| Future Simple | They will take you to the airport. | You will be taken to the airport. |
When to use the passive
| Reason | Example |
|---|---|
| Agent is unknown | My wallet was stolen. (we don't know who) |
| Agent is unimportant | Rice is grown in many countries. (who grows it doesn't matter) |
| Focus on the result | The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci. (the painting is the focus) |
| Formal or impersonal style | Customers are requested to keep their receipts. |
by + agent:
We only mention the agent (the doer) when it is important or surprising: "This painting was created by a 10-year-old child." If the agent is obvious or unknown, omit it.
Quick reference: be conjugation
| Tense | Form of be |
|---|---|
| Present Simple | am / is / are + pp |
| Past Simple | was / were + pp |
| Present Continuous | am/is/are being + pp |
| Past Continuous | was/were being + pp |
| Present Perfect | have/has been + pp |
| Future (will) | will be + pp |
Exercises
Choose the correct passive form.
1. Bell invented the telephone in 1876. → The telephone ___ by Bell in 1876.
2. They are building a new train station. → A new train station ___ near my house.
3. Someone will take the visitors to the airport. → The visitors ___ to the airport.
4. The government submitted a new project. → A new project ___ by the government.
5. Someone has stolen my bike. → My bike ___.