The key idea
Choose the passive when the action or result matters more than the doer, especially in formal writing.
What is it for?
Learn to choose the passive when actions or results matter more than the people doing them. Use it to write clear formal notices and reports.
What you need to know
- Form the passive with be and a past participle.
- Choose the correct form of be for the time or meaning.
- Use the passive when the doer is unknown, obvious, or unimportant.
- Use by only when the person or group adds useful information.
- Use reporting passives to present common beliefs or reports formally.
- Keep active sentences when they make the message clearer.
1. Build the passive correctly
The passive puts the action or result first. Its basic form is be + past participle.
Change be to match the time or meaning. Keep the past participle after it.
- Present: am, is, or are + past participle.
- Past: was or were + past participle.
- Present perfect: has or have been + past participle.
- With a modal: can, must, or should + be + past participle.
The kitchen is cleaned every evening.
Use is + cleaned for a regular action.
The kitchen was cleaned yesterday.
Use was + cleaned for a past action.
The kitchen has been cleaned.
Use has been + cleaned for a completed action with a present result.
The kitchen must be cleaned before lunch.
Use must be + cleaned to show a requirement.
2. Choose the passive for a clear focus
Use the passive when the action or result matters most. The person doing it may be unknown or unimportant.
Formal notices often focus on rules, repairs, and arrangements. This helps readers find the important information quickly.
- Use it when nobody knows who did the action.
- Use it when the doer is easy to guess.
- Use it when the result matters more than the doer.
- Do not use it just to make every sentence sound formal.
The office door was left open overnight.
The notice focuses on the problem, not the person.
All visitors must sign the register.
The active form is clear because visitors must act.
The heating system has been repaired.
The result matters more than the repair worker.
3. Add the doer only when useful
Use by before the person or group that did the action. Add this information only when it helps the reader.
If the doer does not matter, leave it out. The sentence will often be shorter and clearer.
- Without a useful doer, leave out the by phrase.
- Include by when the person or group is important.
- Do not add a doer simply because you know their name.
The broken window was replaced yesterday.
The worker is not important to this notice.
The broken window was replaced by a local company.
The company matters if readers need to know who did the work.
The new timetable was prepared by the office manager.
The sentence identifies the person responsible.
4. Report beliefs and information formally
Reporting passives help present information in a formal way. They are useful when the source is general or the report matters more than the speaker.
Use It is said that or He is believed to. Choose the second form when the sentence focuses on a person.
- It is said that + subject and verb.
- It is believed that + subject and verb.
- Subject + is believed to + base verb.
- Use a past infinitive, such as to have left, for an earlier action.
It is reported that the shop opens at eight.
The sentence reports information without naming a source.
The new manager is believed to live nearby.
The sentence focuses on the manager.
The missing keys are thought to have been found.
The sentence reports a belief about an earlier event.
5. Compare active and passive notices
Active and passive sentences can give the same information. The best choice depends on what readers need first.
Use active sentences when the person responsible matters. Use passive sentences when the action or result deserves attention.
- Active: The caretaker closes the gate at six.
- Passive: The gate is closed at six.
- The active version names the person responsible.
- The passive version puts the gate and its closing first.
Active: Staff moved the boxes this morning.
The staff are the focus.
Passive: The boxes were moved this morning.
The boxes and the completed action are the focus.
The caretaker has checked the fire doors.
The active form clearly identifies who completed the check.
How to do it, step by step
- State the purpose of the notice or report.
- Give the main action, change, or result.
- Add dates, times, places, or rules.
- Name the doer only when this information helps.
- Check every passive form and keep clear active sentences where useful.
Formulas and key language
| Use it for | Example | Another example |
|---|---|---|
| am/is/are + past participle | The rooms are checked every morning. | The payment is recorded automatically. |
| was/were + past participle | The meeting room was cleaned yesterday. | The old chairs were removed last week. |
| has/have been + past participle | The new lights have been installed. | The report has been completed. |
| modal + be + past participle | All bags must be collected by Friday. | The form can be downloaded online. |
| passive + by + doer | The notice was written by the manager. | The shelves were repaired by a local worker. |
| It is said that + clause | It is said that the café serves fresh bread. | It is reported that the road opens tomorrow. |
| subject + is believed to + verb | The owner is believed to live nearby. | The new employee is expected to arrive early. |
| subject + is believed to have + past participle | The parcel is believed to have arrived yesterday. | The keys are thought to have been left upstairs. |
UK / US: British and American English use the same basic passive forms. Some past participles differ, such as learnt and learned.
Level up: Replace basic words (good, very, nice) with stronger ones. See our A2 to B2 upgrades page.
Model text
Notice: Kitchen Repairs and Temporary Changes
Purpose
The staff kitchen will be closed on Tuesday, 13 October, for essential repairs. The closure has been arranged to improve safety and replace damaged equipment.
The passive puts the closure and its purpose first.
Main information
The damaged sink will be replaced by a local repair company. New cupboard doors will also be installed, and the electrical system will be checked before the kitchen reopens. All work is expected to be completed by Wednesday afternoon.
The notice uses passive forms for planned work. The company is named because it adds useful information.
Instructions
During the closure, staff should use the kitchen on the ground floor. Food must be stored in the labelled containers provided there. Personal items should be removed before Monday evening, because the cupboards will be emptied before repairs begin.
Modal passive forms make the instructions clear and formal.
Final information
It is believed that the repairs will reduce future problems. The building manager will confirm when the kitchen is ready for use. Thank you for your cooperation.
A reporting passive presents a general belief. An active sentence identifies who will confirm the reopening.
Common mistakes
✗ The room cleaned every morning.
✓ The room is cleaned every morning.
A present passive needs a form of be before the past participle.
✗ The door was broke yesterday.
✓ The door was broken yesterday.
Use the past participle broken, not the past form broke.
✗ The forms have been send.
✓ The forms have been sent.
The present perfect passive needs the past participle sent.
✗ The parcel must delivered today.
✓ The parcel must be delivered today.
A modal passive needs be before the past participle.
✗ The notice was wrote by the manager.
✓ The notice was written by the manager.
Use the past participle written after was.
✗ It is believed the shop to be closed.
✓ It is believed that the shop is closed.
Use that before a full clause in this reporting pattern.
Plan it, then check it
Plan
- Decide what the reader needs to know first.
- List the main actions, results, dates, and rules.
- Choose passive forms when the action or result matters most.
- Add the doer only when it gives useful information.
- Keep active sentences when they name someone responsible.
Check
- Does each passive have the correct form of be?
- Is every past participle correct?
- Have I left out unneeded by phrases?
- Have I kept active sentences where they are clearer?
- Does the notice sound formal and easy to understand?
Practice
Choose active or passive
Choose the sentence that best fits the focus described.
1.A notice focuses on the result. The repair is complete.
The passive focuses on the repaired lift, not the technician.
2.The reader needs to know who checks the doors.
The active sentence names the person responsible.
3.The doer is unknown. The window was damaged last night.
The passive reports the damage without guessing who caused it.
4.A formal notice gives a rule for all visitors.
The active form clearly tells visitors what they must do.
5.The notice reports completed work, but the workers do not matter.
The passive focuses on the completed installation.
6.A report gives a general belief about a local shop.
It is said that is a standard formal reporting passive.
Complete the passive forms
Complete each sentence with the correct passive form of the verb in brackets.
1.The office every evening. (clean)
Use is + past participle for a regular present action.
2.The broken chair yesterday. (repair)
Use was + past participle for a completed past action.
3.The new signs already . (install)
Use have been + past participle for a completed action with a present result.
4.The forms must before Friday. (submit)
Use must be + past participle to express a requirement.
5.The front door at the moment. (paint)
Use is being + past participle for an action happening now.
6.The missing bag by a shop assistant. (find)
Use was found for a completed past action.
7.It is believed that the parcel yesterday. (arrive)
The reporting phrase is passive, while the that-clause uses the past simple.
8.The meeting room before the guests arrived. (prepare)
Use had been + past participle for an action completed before another past event.
Build passive sentences
Put the words in the correct order. Add the necessary punctuation.
1.Put the words in order:
morningarecheckedthewindowsevery
The present passive uses are + checked.
2.Put the words in order:
bythetherepairedwascaretakergate
The past passive uses was + repaired, followed by the doer.
3.Put the words in order:
thebeenlightsnewhaveinstalled
The present perfect passive uses have been + installed.
4.Put the words in order:
mustdoorlockedbeforebethemidnight
The modal passive uses must be + locked.
5.Put the words in order:
istoopenbelievedthebeshop
The reporting pattern is subject + is believed + to-infinitive.
Correct one small mistake
Each sentence has one mistake in its passive form. Correct only that mistake.
1.The room is clean every morning.
Use the past participle cleaned after is in the passive.
2.The chairs was removed yesterday.
Use were with the plural subject chairs.
3.The parcel has been send.
Sent is the past participle of send.
4.The gate must locked at night.
A modal passive needs be before the past participle.
5.The notice was wrote by the manager.
Written is the past participle needed after was.
6.The new desks have been deliver.
Use the past participle delivered after have been.
Now write
Your task
Rewrite the six active sentences below as one short formal notice. Use the passive wherever it makes the action or result more important than the doer. Keep active sentences when they clearly identify someone responsible. Add a suitable title and connect related details. Sentences to rewrite: (1) The caretaker closes the kitchen at six on Monday. (2) A repair company will replace the broken sink on Tuesday. (3) The staff moved the tables yesterday. (4) The manager has checked the fire doors. (5) Workers must remove all old boxes before Friday. (6) The office team will announce the reopening time. Use these details to write your notice. You may change sentence order to make the notice clearer.
Word bank
temporary closureessential repairswill be replacedhas been checkedmust be removedbefore Fridaystaff membersreopening timesafety rulesrepair companyon Tuesdayby the caretakeras a resultuntil further noticebuilding manager
Sentence starters
- The kitchen will be closed...
- The broken sink will...
- The tables were...
- The fire doors have...
- All old boxes must...
- The reopening time will...