Practice the passive voice in all tenses with B1+ level tests and exercises. Improve your English grammar with clear explanations and quizzes.
The Passive Voice in All Tenses Exercises
When we want to talk about the action or the result instead of who did it, we use the passive voice. In formal writing, news reports, instructions, and academic English, this is very common.
Active vs Passive
The subject does the action in an active sentence.
The subject gets the action in a passive sentence.
Example:
Active: The company produces the cars in Germany.
Passive: The cars are produced in Germany.
How to Form the Passive
The passive voice is formed with:
be + past participle
The form of be determines the tense of the sentence.
Passive Voice in Different Tenses
Present Simple Passive
am / is / are + past participle
Example:
Emails are sent every morning.
Present Continuous Passive
am / is / are being + past participle
Example:
The report is being prepared right now.
Past Simple Passive
was / were + past participle
Example:
The bridge was built in 1995.
Past Continuous Passive
was / were being + past participle
Example:
The room was being cleaned when we arrived.
Present Perfect Passive
has / have been + past participle
Example:
The tickets have been sold already.
Past Perfect Passive
had been + past participle
Example:
The work had been finished before noon.
Future Simple Passive
will be + past participle
Example:
The results will be announced tomorrow.
Future with Going to (Passive)
am / is / are going to be + past participle
Example:
A new school is going to be opened next year.
Modal Verbs in the Passive
modal + be + past participle
Example:
The form must be completed today.
Using “by” in Passive Sentences
We use by when the person or thing doing the action is important.
Example:
The novel was written by a famous author.
We usually leave out the agent if it’s obvious or not important.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not remembering the right form of “be” for the time.
- Instead of the past participle, use the past simple.
Incorrect: The house was build in 2005.
Correct: The house was built in 2005.
