B1 · Mittelstufe Kapitel 7

Focusing on Actions with the Passive Voice

5 Gesamtregeln
60 Beispiele
6 Min.
Regeln in diesem Kapitel Schnelle Übung

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Shift the focus from who did it to what happened.

  • Construct passive sentences using the verb 'to be' and past participles.
  • Describe ongoing processes and historical events where the action is the star.
  • Identify when to include the person performing the action using 'by'.
Master the art of objective reporting and professional descriptions.

Was du lernen wirst

Ever wonder how to talk about events or give credit for achievements without always focusing on who did it? This chapter unlocks the power of the passive voice, helping you share news and highlight actions with confidence. You'll soon be reporting like a pro!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to transform active sentences into the basic passive form using 'be' + V3.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to describe daily routines and facts using the Present Simple Passive.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to narrate historical events or past actions using the Past Simple Passive.
  4. 4
    By the end you will be able to assign responsibility or credit in a passive sentence using the 'by' agent.
  5. 5
    By the end you will be able to use passive reporting structures to share news or common beliefs.

Kapitel-Leitfaden

Overview

Welcome to
Focusing on Actions with the Passive Voice,
your guide to mastering a truly versatile aspect of B1 English grammar! Have you ever wanted to talk about an event or achievement without always having to say who was responsible? Perhaps you’ve read a news report and noticed how things are described in a very objective way.
That’s the magic of the passive voice. This chapter is designed to help you shift your focus from the doer to the action itself, giving you more flexibility and sophistication in your English.
By understanding how to use be with a past participle (V3), you'll unlock the ability to describe what happens to things (Present Simple Passive) and what happened to things (Past Simple Passive). We’ll also explore how to still give credit with by when the doer is important, and how professional English uses the passive voice for reporting news and rumors. This will significantly improve your ability to communicate clearly and confidently, allowing you to sound more natural and professional in various situations.
Get ready to enhance your English focusing on actions with the passive voice!

How This Grammar Works

At its heart, the passive voice is about changing the focus of a sentence. Instead of saying *who* did something (the active voice), you focus on *what* was done or *what* something happened to. The fundamental building block for all passive sentences is the auxiliary verb 'be' followed by the past participle (V3) of the main verb.
For example,
The car is repaired
or
The letter was written.
Let’s look at how this core structure adapts across different situations. For actions happening regularly or states of being, we use the Present Simple Passive. This is formed with am/is/are + V3.
If a problem with your car is fixed every year, you might say,
The engine is checked annually.
Here, the focus is on the engine and the regular action, not necessarily who checks it. When we talk about past actions where the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious, we use the Past Simple Passive. This uses was/were + V3.
For instance,
The ancient city was discovered in the desert
focuses on the city and the discovery, not who discovered it.
Sometimes, even in the passive voice, the doer *is* important. In these cases, you can give credit with by by adding 'by' followed by the agent at the end of the sentence.
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci
still highlights the painting first, but acknowledges the artist.
This is particularly useful when the action is more significant than the actor, but the actor is still noteworthy. Finally, the passive voice is extremely common for reporting news and rumors. This allows for objectivity and formality, often when the source isn't clear or needs to be generalized.
Phrases like
It is believed that...
or
The new policy was announced yesterday
are perfect examples, focusing on the information itself rather than the speaker or announcer.

Common Mistakes

Learning the passive voice can sometimes lead to a few common errors. Let's make sure you avoid them!
  1. 1✗ Incorrect form of 'be' or forgetting it
* ✗ The book written last year.
* ✓ The book was written last year.
* *Explanation:* You must always include a form of the verb 'be' (am, is, are, was, were) in passive sentences.
  1. 1✗ Using the wrong past participle
* ✗ The report is wrote by my colleague.
* ✓ The report is written by my colleague.
* *Explanation:* Remember to use the correct past participle (V3) form of the verb, not the past simple form.
  1. 1✗ Confusing active and passive when using 'by'
* ✗ She was cooking the dinner by her.
* ✓ The dinner was cooked by her.
* *Explanation:* The agent with 'by' comes after the passive verb structure, indicating the person who performed the action. The original sentence was trying to force a passive structure onto an active meaning.

Real Conversations

Here’s how the passive voice sounds in everyday chats:

A

A

Hey, what happened to the old building on Elm Street?
B

B

Oh, it was demolished last month. A new apartment complex is being built there now.
A

A

Did you hear about the new art exhibit?
B

B

Yes, I did! I heard a lot of the sculptures were created by local artists. It is said to be very impressive.
A

A

This report looks great. Who put it together?
B

B

Actually, the data was collected by the whole team, and then the final presentation was designed by Sarah.

Quick FAQ

Q

Why is English focusing on actions with the passive voice important for B1 learners?

It's crucial for understanding news, formal reports, and sounding more sophisticated. It allows you to describe situations where the action or result is more important than who did it, which is very common in English.

Q

When should I definitely use by in a passive sentence?

Use by when the agent (the person or thing doing the action) is important or interesting to know, but you still want to keep the focus on the action or the recipient of the action. If the agent is unknown, unimportant, or obvious, you can omit by.

Q

Can the passive voice be used in questions?

Absolutely! Just like active sentences, passive sentences can be turned into questions. For example:

Was the car repaired?
or
Is the message understood?

Q

How can I practice using the passive voice effectively?

Try describing processes (e.g.,

How coffee is made
), summarizing news articles, or rewriting active sentences you find into passive ones. Listening to news broadcasts also helps you hear it naturally.

Cultural Context

In English, the passive voice is more prevalent in formal, academic, scientific, and journalistic writing. It helps maintain objectivity and can make reports sound more authoritative by depersonalizing statements. For instance,
Mistakes were made
sounds more formal and less accusatory than You made mistakes. In informal, everyday conversations, the active voice is generally preferred, as it’s more direct and personal.
Overusing the passive voice in casual talk can sometimes make you sound overly formal or even evasive, so it's all about choosing the right tool for the right situation!

Wichtige Beispiele (8)

1

The email **is sent** every Monday morning.

Der E-Mail wird jeden Montagmorgen gesendet.

Passiv: Grundlegende Bildung (be + V3)
2

The old castle **was built** in the 12th century.

Das alte Schloss wurde im 12. Jahrhundert gebaut.

Passiv: Grundlegende Bildung (be + V3)
3

The coffee is brewed fresh every morning.

Der Kaffee wird jeden Morgen frisch gebrüht.

Englisch Passiv: Was mit Dingen geschieht (Präsens Passiv)
4

Books are read in the library.

Bücher werden in der Bibliothek gelesen.

Englisch Passiv: Was mit Dingen geschieht (Präsens Passiv)
5

The email `was sent` an hour ago.

Die E-Mail wurde vor einer Stunde verschickt.

Vergangenheit Passiv: Was ist damit passiert?
6

My bike `was stolen` from outside the cafe.

Mein Fahrrad wurde vor dem Café gestohlen.

Vergangenheit Passiv: Was ist damit passiert?
7

The new bridge was designed by a famous architect.

Die neue Brücke wurde von einem berühmten Architekten entworfen.

Passiv: Anerkennung durch 'von'
8

The email will be sent by the marketing team tomorrow.

Die E-Mail wird morgen vom Marketingteam verschickt werden.

Passiv: Anerkennung durch 'von'

Tipps & Tricks (4)

💡

Das Passiv erkennen

Such immer nach einer Form von 'to be' (is, was, are, were, been, being) direkt gefolgt von einem Past Participle (V3). Wenn beides da ist, ist es wahrscheinlich Passiv. Ganz easy!:
The door is opened.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passiv: Grundlegende Bildung (be + V3)
💡

Achte auf 'Be' + V3

Wenn du einen Satz liest und wissen willst, ob er passiv ist, such immer nach einer Form von 'to be' (am, is, are) gefolgt vom Partizip Perfekt (V3). Wenn eins fehlt, ist es kein Passiv!
The car is washed.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Englisch Passiv: Was mit Dingen geschieht (Präsens Passiv)
💡

Achte auf 'Was/Were'

Immer auf 'was' oder 'were' vor dem Hauptverb achten. Ohne sie bist du wahrscheinlich im Aktiv oder machst einen Fehler! The letter sent ist falsch.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Vergangenheit Passiv: Was ist damit passiert?
💡

Der Handelnde zählt!

Nutze 'by + Agent' nur, wenn es wirklich wichtige Infos sind, wer oder was die Aktion ausgeführt hat. Wenn es offensichtlich ist, lass es weg.
The project was finished by the team.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passiv: Anerkennung durch 'von'

Wichtige Vokabeln (6)

manufactured made in a factory discovered found for the first time announced made known publicly organized planned and coordinated published printed for sale believed thought to be true

Real-World Preview

palette

The Art Gallery Tour

Review Summary

  • Subject + to be + Past Participle (V3)
  • am/is/are + V3
  • was/were + V3
  • ... + by + person
  • It is + said/thought/reported + that...

Häufige Fehler

Many learners forget the verb 'to be'. You always need a form of 'be' (is, are, was, were) to make a passive sentence.

Wrong: The movie watched by me yesterday.
Richtig: The movie was watched by me yesterday.

You must use the Past Participle (V3), not the Past Simple (V2). 'Wrote' is V2; 'written' is V3.

Wrong: The song was wrote by her.
Richtig: The song was written by her.

In English, we use 'by' to indicate the person who performed the action, not 'from' or 'of'.

Wrong: The book was written from Mark Twain.
Richtig: The book was written by Mark Twain.

Next Steps

You've unlocked a major level of English fluency! Using the passive voice makes your writing sound sophisticated and objective. Keep practicing!

Read a short news article and highlight every passive sentence.

Describe how your favorite food is made using the Present Simple Passive.

Continue to: Advanced Passive Forms and Natural Phrasing

Schnelle Übung (10)

Wähle die korrekte Form von 'to be', um den Passivsatz zu vervollständigen.

The new library ___ opened next month.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: will be
Da die Handlung 'next month' stattfindet, brauchen wir die Future Simple Passivform, welche 'will be' + V3 ist.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passiv: Grundlegende Bildung (be + V3)

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler im Satz.

Find and fix the mistake:

The concert cancelled because of the rain.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The concert was cancelled because of the rain.
Im Originalsatz fehlt das 'be'-Verb. Da 'cancelled' ein vergangenes Ereignis anzeigt, ist 'was' die korrekte Past Simple Form von 'to be'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passiv: Grundlegende Bildung (be + V3)

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler im Satz.

Find and fix the mistake:

The app is said to being updated next week.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The app is said to be updated next week.
Nach to musst du einen Infinitiv ohne to verwenden. To be updated zeigt korrekt eine zukünftige passive Handlung an.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Wann man das Passiv verwendet (Nachrichten & Gerüchte berichten)

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler im Satz.

Find and fix the mistake:

New ideas is discuss every Monday.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: New ideas are discussed every Monday.
'Ideas' ist plural, daher wird 'are' benötigt. Außerdem ist 'discussed' das korrekte Partizip Perfekt.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Englisch Passiv: Was mit Dingen geschieht (Präsens Passiv)

Wähle die korrekte Form, um den Satz zu vervollständigen.

It ___ that the new student is from Canada.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: is believed
Die Struktur It is believed that... ist korrekt, um eine allgemeine aktuelle Überzeugung oder ein Gerücht zu berichten.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Wann man das Passiv verwendet (Nachrichten & Gerüchte berichten)

Wähle die korrekte Präposition, um den Handelnden einzuführen.

The famous novel was written ___ an acclaimed author.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: by
Um den Handelnden (den Autor) in einem Passivsatz einzuführen, verwenden wir 'by'. 'With' würde für ein Instrument verwendet werden.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passiv: Anerkennung durch 'von'

Welcher Satz verwendet 'by' im Passiv korrekt?

Wähle den korrekten Satz:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The new song was produced by the popular DJ.
Option 1 verwendet korrekt 'was produced' (Passivform von 'produzieren'), gefolgt von 'by', um den Handelnden einzuführen. Optionen 2 und 3 sind grammatikalisch falsch.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passiv: Anerkennung durch 'von'

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler im Satz.

Find and fix the mistake:

The books was read by many students.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The books were read by many students.
'Books' ist Plural, deshalb brauchen wir 'were' statt 'was'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Vergangenheit Passiv: Was ist damit passiert?

Wähle die korrekte Verbform für das Passiv.

The old house ___ last year.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: was demolished
Das Subjekt 'The old house' ist singular, deshalb benutzen wir 'was'. 'Demolished' ist das Past Participle von 'demolish'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Vergangenheit Passiv: Was ist damit passiert?

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler im Satz.

Find and fix the mistake:

The delicious pizza was eaten with my brother.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The delicious pizza was eaten by my brother.
Der Fehler ist die Verwendung von 'with', um den Handelnden ('my brother') einzuführen. 'By' wird für den Handelnden verwendet, 'with' für das Instrument. Mein Bruder ist der Handelnde, nicht das Werkzeug!

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passiv: Anerkennung durch 'von'

Score: /10

Häufige Fragen (6)

Die grundlegendste Struktur ist eine Form des Verbs to be (wie is, was, are), gefolgt vom Past Participle (V3) des Hauptverbs. Zum Beispiel:
The book is read.
Wir verwenden es, wenn die Person oder Sache, die die Handlung ausführt (der 'Täter'), unbekannt oder unwichtig ist, oder wenn wir die Handlung selbst oder die Person/Sache, die die Handlung empfängt, betonen wollen. Zum Beispiel:
The window was broken.
Der Hauptzweck ist, die Handlung oder das Objekt, das die Handlung empfängt, zu betonen, anstatt wer oder was die Handlung ausführt. Zum Beispiel betont
The report is written
den Bericht, nicht den Schreiber.
Du bildest es, indem du die Simple Present Form von 'to be' (am, is, are) verwendest, gefolgt vom Partizip Perfekt (V3) des Hauptverbs. Zum Beispiel:
English is spoken globally.
Die Kernaussage ist, sich auf eine vergangene Handlung zu konzentrieren und darauf, was dem Subjekt „getan wurde“, anstatt wer die Handlung ausgeführt hat. Zum Beispiel:
The car was repaired
betont das Auto und seine Reparatur, nicht den Mechaniker.
Du bildest es, indem du die Simple Past Form von „to be“ (was für Einzahl, were für Mehrzahl) mit dem Past Participle (V3) des Hauptverbs kombinierst. Also:
The report was written
oder
The gifts were given
.
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