Active and passive voice
Active and passive voice describe the relationship between a subject and a verb in a sentence. In active voice, the subject performs the action (The chef cooked the meal). In passive voice, the subject receives the action, formed with a form of "be" plus a past participle (The meal was cooked by the chef).
Types of active and passive voice
Active voice
The subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb.
e.g. The company launched a new product., Scientists discovered the virus in 2019.
Passive voice (with agent)
The subject receives the action, and the performer (agent) is mentioned after 'by'.
e.g. A new product was launched by the company., The virus was discovered by scientists in 2019.
Passive voice (agentless)
The subject receives the action, but the performer is omitted because it is unknown, unimportant or obvious.
e.g. The bridge was built in 1990., Mistakes were made during the process.
Passive with modal verbs
A modal verb combines with 'be' and a past participle to express necessity, possibility or ability in the passive.
e.g. The report must be submitted by Friday., The results can be improved.
Rules to remember
- Form the passive with the correct tense of 'be' plus the past participle of the main verb: is written, was written, has been written, will be written.
- Only transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) can normally be made passive; intransitive verbs like 'arrive' or 'happen' cannot.
- The object of an active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence, and the original subject becomes the agent, introduced by 'by', or is dropped entirely.
- Use passive voice to focus on the action or receiver rather than the doer, or when the doer is unknown, obvious or unimportant.
- Keep subject-verb agreement correct in the passive: the new subject must match the number of the 'be' verb, for example 'The keys were found', not 'was found'.
Examples in sentences
| Example | How it works |
|---|---|
| The team completed the project on time. | Active voice: the subject 'the team' performs the action. |
| The project was completed on time. | Passive voice: focus shifts to the project, and the agent is omitted. |
| The letter was written by my grandfather in 1965. | Passive voice with agent introduced by 'by'. |
| New regulations have been introduced this year. | Present perfect passive, formed with 'have/has been' plus past participle. |
| The problem is being investigated by experts. | Present continuous passive, formed with 'is/are being' plus past participle. |
| The application must be submitted before Monday. | Passive voice combined with a modal verb to express necessity. |
| English is spoken in many countries around the world. | Agentless passive used because the doer is general or unimportant. |
Common mistakes
Incorrect: The homework was did by the students.
Correct: The homework was done by the students.
Incorrect: The meeting was happened yesterday.
Correct: The meeting happened yesterday.
Incorrect: Many houses was destroyed by the storm.
Correct: Many houses were destroyed by the storm.
Why this matters for IELTS
In IELTS Writing and Speaking, confidently switching between active and passive voice shows strong Grammatical Range and Accuracy, especially in Task 1 reports where passive structures like "It was found that" or "The data was collected" sound naturally academic. However, examiners also want variety, so avoid overusing passive voice; mix both voices naturally and ensure subject-verb agreement and correct participle forms to avoid accuracy errors that lower your band score.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between active and passive voice?
In active voice, the subject performs the action; in passive voice, the subject receives the action while the performer is optional or omitted.
When should I use passive voice instead of active voice?
Use passive voice when the action or result matters more than who performed it, when the doer is unknown, or in formal, academic or scientific writing.
Can all verbs be changed into the passive voice?
No, only transitive verbs that take a direct object can be made passive; intransitive verbs such as 'arrive', 'happen' or 'sleep' cannot form a passive.
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