1Complete the sentence.
2Complete the sentence.
3Complete the sentence.
4Complete the sentence.
Passive voice: explanation and exercises
B1Updated 2026-09-216 exercises
In the passive voice the focus moves from who does the action to what happens to the object. It is formed with the verb be plus the past participle. It is common in news, science, instructions and formal writing.
How it is formed
- Present
English is spoken in many countries.
- Past
The window was broken yesterday.
The letters were sent.
- Future
The report will be finished by Friday.
When to use it
- When the doer is unknown or unimportant: My bike was stolen.
- Processes and instructions: The paper is folded twice.
- News and formal writing.
Common mistakes
Not this
The window broken yesterday.Say thisThe window was broken yesterday.
Never drop the be verb.
Not this
The letters was sent.Say thisThe letters were sent.
The be verb agrees with the new subject.
Not this
It was happened yesterday.Say thisIt happened yesterday.
Intransitive verbs (happen, arrive, die) have no passive.
Tips for teaching it
- Start from processes students know: how chocolate is made, how a school day is organised.
- Show the transformation: object becomes subject, be + past participle, doer moves to by… or disappears.
- Have students decide whether the doer matters. If it does not, the passive is the natural choice.
Practice: passive voice exercises
Try these exercises. Answers are checked in your browser and never sent to us. Teachers can share this page with a class as it is.
Frequently asked questions
When should students avoid the passive?
When the doer matters and is known, the active voice is clearer and more direct. Overusing the passive makes writing heavy.
How do I choose the right tense?
Keep the tense of the active verb and change the verb into be + past participle: writes → is written, wrote → was written.