B1 · Intermedio Capítulo 7

¡Dale protagonismo a la acción! Domina la voz pasiva

5 Reglas totales
60 ejemplos
6 min
Reglas en este capítulo Práctica rápida

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.

Lo que aprenderás

¿Alguna vez has sentido que tus frases en inglés siempre siguen el mismo patrón de alguien hizo algo? ¡Es hora de darle un giro profesional a tu comunicación! En este capítulo, vas a desbloquear el poder de la voz pasiva, una herramienta esencial para tu nivel B1 que te permitirá cambiar el enfoque de tus oraciones hacia lo que realmente importa: el resultado de la acción. Aprenderás a dominar la estructura fundamental de be + participio (V3), permitiéndote moverte con soltura entre el Present Simple Passive y el Past Simple Passive. Imagina que estás en el trabajo y necesitas informar que

the report was sent
(el informe fue enviado) sin sonar acusador, o que quieres describir un hito diciendo
the bridge was built in 1920
. Veremos cómo dar crédito a los responsables usando la partícula by y, lo más interesante, cómo reportar noticias o rumores de forma objetiva y elegante. Al terminar, ya no dependerás siempre de decir quién hizo qué. Podrás redactar correos más formales, entender artículos de prensa complejos y elegir exactamente qué parte de tu mensaje quieres resaltar. ¡Es un gran paso para sonar mucho más natural y fluido en cualquier situación profesional o social! ¿Listo para que tus ideas tomen el protagonismo que se merecen?

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.

Guía del capítulo

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!

Ejemplos clave (8)

1

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

El correo electrónico se envía cada lunes por la mañana.

Voz Pasiva: Formación Básica (be + V3)
2

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

El viejo castillo fue construido en el siglo XII.

Voz Pasiva: Formación Básica (be + V3)
3

The coffee is brewed fresh every morning.

El café se prepara fresco cada mañana.

Voz Pasiva en Inglés: Qué les sucede a las cosas (Presente Simple Pasivo)
4

Books are read in the library.

Los libros se leen en la biblioteca.

Voz Pasiva en Inglés: Qué les sucede a las cosas (Presente Simple Pasivo)
5

The email `was sent` an hour ago.

El correo electrónico fue enviado hace una hora.

Pasado Simple Pasivo: ¿Qué le pasó?
6

My bike `was stolen` from outside the cafe.

Mi bicicleta fue robada de afuera de la cafetería.

Pasado Simple Pasivo: ¿Qué le pasó?
7

The new bridge was designed by a famous architect.

El nuevo puente fue diseñado por un arquitecto famoso.

Voz Pasiva: Dando Crédito con 'por'
8

The email will be sent by the marketing team tomorrow.

El correo electrónico será enviado por el equipo de marketing mañana.

Voz Pasiva: Dando Crédito con 'por'

Consejos y trucos (4)

💡

Identificando la Voz Pasiva

Siempre busca una forma del verbo 'to be' (is, was, are, were, been, being) seguida inmediatamente por un participio pasado (V3). Si no ves ambos, probablemente no es pasiva. ¡Así de fácil!
The email was sent.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Pasiva: Formación Básica (be + V3)
💡

Busca el 'Be' + V3

Siempre fíjate en una forma del verbo 'to be' (am, is, are) seguida de un participio pasado. ¡Si falta uno, no es voz pasiva! Por ejemplo:
The car is repaired.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Pasiva en Inglés: Qué les sucede a las cosas (Presente Simple Pasivo)
💡

¡Busca el 'Was/Were'!

Siempre fíjate si 'was' o 'were' están antes del verbo principal. Si no están, ¡probablemente estás usando la voz activa o hay un error! Por ejemplo, decimos
The email was sent
, no The email sent.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pasado Simple Pasivo: ¿Qué le pasó?
💡

¡El Agente Importa!

Imagina que tu amigo te pregunta quién pintó un cuadro increíble. Le dirías quién es el artista. Usa 'by + agent' solo cuando saber *quién* o *qué* hizo la acción añade información importante, da crédito o aclara algo. No lo añadas si es obvio o innecesario.
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Pasiva: Dando Crédito con 'por'

Vocabulario clave (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...

Errores comunes

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.
Correcto: 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.
Correcto: 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.
Correcto: 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

Práctica rápida (10)

Encuentra y corrige el error en la oración.

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.
A la oración original le falta el verbo 'be'. Como 'cancelled' indica un evento pasado, 'was' es la forma correcta del pasado simple de 'to be'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Pasiva: Formación Básica (be + V3)

Elige la preposición correcta para introducir al agente.

The famous novel was written ___ an acclaimed author.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: by
Para introducir al agente (el autor) en una oración pasiva, usamos 'by'. 'With' se usaría para un instrumento.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Pasiva: Dando Crédito con 'por'

Elige la forma correcta del verbo para la voz pasiva.

The old house ___ last year.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: was demolished
El sujeto 'The old house' es singular, por eso usamos 'was'. 'Demolished' es el participio pasado de 'demolish'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pasado Simple Pasivo: ¿Qué le pasó?

Elige la forma correcta para completar la oración.

It ___ that the new student is from Canada.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: is believed
La estructura 'It is believed that...' es correcta para reportar una creencia o rumor general actual.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Cuándo usar la voz pasiva (Informar noticias y rumores)

Elige la forma correcta de 'to be' para completar la oración pasiva.

The new library ___ opened next month.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: will be
Como la acción ocurrirá 'next month' (el próximo mes), necesitamos la forma pasiva del futuro simple, que es 'will be' + V3.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Pasiva: Formación Básica (be + V3)

Elige la forma correcta de la voz pasiva.

The world's best coffee ___ in Colombia.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: is grown
Como 'coffee' es singular, usamos 'is' con el participio pasado 'grown'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Pasiva en Inglés: Qué les sucede a las cosas (Presente Simple Pasivo)

Elige la oración que usa correctamente la voz pasiva para reportar.

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: It is reported that the store is closed.
La forma pasiva 'is reported' es correcta para la estructura 'It is...that', mostrando una noticia general.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Cuándo usar la voz pasiva (Informar noticias y rumores)

Encuentra y corrige el error en la oración.

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.
Después de 'to', debes usar un verbo infinitivo base. 'To be updated' muestra correctamente una acción pasiva futura.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Cuándo usar la voz pasiva (Informar noticias y rumores)

Encuentra y corrige el error en la oración.

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' es plural, así que necesitamos 'were' en lugar de 'was'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pasado Simple Pasivo: ¿Qué le pasó?

¿Qué oración usa correctamente 'by' en la voz pasiva?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The new song was produced by the popular DJ.
La Opción 1 usa correctamente 'was produced' (forma pasiva de 'to produce') seguido de 'by' para introducir al agente. Las Opciones 2 y 3 son gramaticalmente incorrectas.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voz Pasiva: Dando Crédito con 'por'

Score: /10

Preguntas frecuentes (6)

La estructura más fundamental es una forma del verbo 'to be' (como is, was, are) seguida del 'past participle' (V3) del verbo principal. Por ejemplo,
The book is read.
(El libro es leído).
La usamos cuando la persona o cosa que realiza la acción (el 'agente') es desconocida, no importante, o cuando queremos enfatizar la acción misma o la persona/cosa que la recibe. Por ejemplo,
The window was broken.
(La ventana fue rota).
Su propósito principal es enfocarse en la acción o el objeto que recibe la acción, en lugar de quién o qué la realiza. Por ejemplo, en
The report is written
, el énfasis está en el informe, no en quien lo escribió.
Se forma usando el presente simple del verbo 'to be' (am, is, are) seguido del participio pasado (V3) del verbo principal. Por ejemplo:
English is spoken globally.
La idea principal es enfocarse en una acción que ocurrió en el pasado y lo que *se le hizo* al sujeto, en lugar de quién realizó la acción. Por ejemplo,
The car was repaired
destaca el coche y su reparación, no al mecánico.
Se forma combinando el pasado simple del verbo 'to be' ('was' para sujetos singulares, 'were' para plurales) con el participio pasado (V3) del verbo principal. Así, decimos
The report was written
o
The gifts were given
.
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