Passive Voice in English: Rules, Formulas, and All Tense Examples

The passive voice is a fundamental structure in English grammar. It is used when the focus is on the action itself or on the receiver of the action rather than on who performs it. This form is especially common in formal writing, reports, academic texts, and situations where the doer is unknown or unimportant.

The General Formula of Passive Voice

A passive sentence is formed using the verb to be followed by the past participle (V3) of the main verb.

Form: Subject + Be + Past Participle

If the person or thing performing the action is important, it can be added at the end of the sentence using by.

• Active: Tom painted the entire house.
• Passive: The entire house was painted by Tom.

• Active: Someone killed twenty civilians in the explosion.
• Passive: Twenty civilians were killed in the explosion.

Active vs. Passive Voice for All Tenses

Present Simple

• Active: He delivers the mail.
• Passive: The mail is delivered.

Present Continuous

• Active: Mother is cooking lunch in the kitchen.
• Passive: Lunch is being cooked in the kitchen.

Past Simple

• Active: Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa.
• Passive: The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.

Past Continuous

• Active: The salesman was helping the customer when the thief entered the store.
• Passive: The customer was being helped by the salesman when the thief entered the store.

Present Perfect

• Active: Mark has tricked me.
• Passive: I have been tricked by Mark.

Past Perfect

• Active: She had done the drawing of her mother.
• Passive: The drawing of her mother had been done by her.

Future Simple

• Active: They will give instructions.
• Passive: Instructions will be given.

Future (Be Going To)

• Active: Their children are going to learn English.
• Passive: English is going to be learned by their children.

Modal Verbs

• Active: She must deliver the letters.
• Passive: The letters must be delivered.

Important Notes

Intransitive Verbs

Verbs that do not take an object cannot be used in the passive voice. Common examples include arrive, come, die, exist, go, happen, live, occur, sleep.

Using “by” to Show the Agent

The phrase by + agent is only used when the identity of the person or thing performing the action is important to the meaning of the sentence.

Last Updated on January 23, 2026