When to Use the Passive Voice
Think like a journalist or a report writer: your focus is the event, not necessarily the doer.
Use the passive when…
• The agent is unknown or unimportant: The window was broken.
• The agent is obvious: Taxes are collected in April. (by the government)
• You want to sound impersonal, objective, or polite: Your request has been approved.
• You want to emphasise the result/process more than the actor: All files are backed up nightly.
• In news/academic/technical styles where the procedure matters: Samples were tested at 25°C.
• With reporting frames: The new app is expected to launch next quarter.
Avoid the passive when the sentence becomes long or unclear. If the agent is important or contrastive, prefer the active: Our team solved the issue yesterday.
• The agent is unknown or unimportant: The window was broken.
• The agent is obvious: Taxes are collected in April. (by the government)
• You want to sound impersonal, objective, or polite: Your request has been approved.
• You want to emphasise the result/process more than the actor: All files are backed up nightly.
• In news/academic/technical styles where the procedure matters: Samples were tested at 25°C.
• With reporting frames: The new app is expected to launch next quarter.
Avoid the passive when the sentence becomes long or unclear. If the agent is important or contrastive, prefer the active: Our team solved the issue yesterday.
“Form = be (tense) + past participle (V3). Add a by‑phrase only if the agent is new, important, or contrastive.”
📖 Key Grammar Vocabulary — Passive
agent — the doer of the action (optional in passive)
by‑phrase — the phrase that shows the agent: “by the police”
past participle (V3) — e.g., done, sent, built, written
reporting passive — phrases like “is expected”, “is believed”, “is required”
A · MCQ
Choose the Best Passive
Questions 1–5 · Form & usage
Question 1
The report ___ to all managers yesterday.
A was send
B was sent
C is sent yesterday
D has sent
Question 2
A new metro line ___ next year, the mayor announced.
A will be opened
B is opening
C opened
D is opened next year
Question 3
Which sentence is more natural in news style?
A The committee will review the plan this week.
B The plan will be reviewed this week.
C They review the plan this week.
D Someone reviews the plan this week.
Question 4
Right present continuous passive: “The road ___ at the moment.”
A is repairing
B is being repaired
C is repaired now
D being repaired
Question 5
Choose the best option to avoid an unnecessary agent.
A The policy was updated by us last week.
B The policy was updated last week.
C We updated the policy by us last week.
D Last week by us the policy updated.
B · T/F
True or False?
Questions 6–10 · Usage & meaning
Question 6
In passive sentences, the agent must always be included with “by”.
Question 7
“The results have been checked” focuses on the completed action, not who checked them.
Question 8
“The door is being painted” describes an action in progress.
Question 9
“The machine repairs every Friday” is a correct passive sentence.
Question 10
Passive reporting frames such as “is expected” are common in news and reports.
C · Fill
Fill in the Passive
Questions 11–15 · Use exact/near‑exact phrases
Question 11
The conference schedule next Monday.
Question 12
All tickets within two hours.
Question 13
Your request by the team.
Question 14
The lift at the moment.
Question 15
The new product in July.
D · Completion
Choose the Best Rewriting
Questions 16–18 · Active → Passive & register
Question 16
Active: “They will publish the results tomorrow.” Best passive:
A Tomorrow the results publish.
B The results will be published tomorrow.
C The results are publishing tomorrow.
D The results have been publish tomorrow.
Question 17
Active: “The cleaners are painting the walls.” Best passive now:
A The walls paint by the cleaners.
B The walls are being painted (by the cleaners).
C The walls are painted now by cleaners.
D The walls have been being painted.
Question 18
Active: “People believe the policy helps.” Best passive reporting frame:
A The policy is believed to help.
B The policy believes to help.
C It believes the policy helps.
D People are believed the policy helps.
E · Cloze
Choose the Correct Form
Questions 19–22 · Auxiliaries & participles
The stadium by volunteers every weekend. The main gate this morning, so visitors to the south entrance. New seats this month after safety checks.
F · Scramble
Build the Passive Sentence
Questions 23–25 · Word order
Question 23
Rearrange: the / meeting / will / be / held / tomorrow
Question 24
Rearrange: the / documents / are / being / reviewed / now
Question 25
Rearrange: the / policy / was / updated / last / week
✎
Writing Practice (Open-ended)
Not auto-graded — Suggested targets
Task 1 (80–100 words): Write a short news update about a local event using at least five passive forms (different tenses). Underline each passive.
Task 2 (60–80 words): Rewrite this active paragraph in passive style, omitting the agent when it’s obvious.