B1 · Intermédiaire Chapitre 7

Focusing on Actions with the Passive Voice

5 Règles totales
60 exemples
6 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

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.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

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.

Guide du chapitre

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!

Exemples clés (8)

1

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

L'e-mail est envoyé tous les lundis matin.

Voix Passive : Formation de Base (be + V3)
2

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

L'ancien château fut construit au 12ème siècle.

Voix Passive : Formation de Base (be + V3)
3

The coffee is brewed fresh every morning.

Le café est préparé frais tous les matins.

Voix Passive en Anglais : Ce qui arrive aux choses (Passif Présent Simple)
4

Books are read in the library.

Les livres sont lus à la bibliothèque.

Voix Passive en Anglais : Ce qui arrive aux choses (Passif Présent Simple)
5

The email `was sent` an hour ago.

L'e-mail a été envoyé il y a une heure.

Passif Simple Passé: Qu'est-il arrivé?
6

My bike `was stolen` from outside the cafe.

Mon vélo a été volé devant le café.

Passif Simple Passé: Qu'est-il arrivé?
7

The new bridge was designed by a famous architect.

Le nouveau pont a été conçu par un architecte célèbre.

Voix Passive : Accorder le Crédit avec 'par'
8

The email will be sent by the marketing team tomorrow.

L'e-mail sera envoyé par l'équipe marketing demain.

Voix Passive : Accorder le Crédit avec 'par'

Conseils et astuces (4)

💡

Repérer le Passif

Imagine que tu es un détective. Cherche toujours une forme du verbe 'to be' (is, was, are, were, been, being) immédiatement suivie d'un participe passé (V3). S'il manque l'un des deux, ce n'est probablement pas du passif.
The cake was eaten quickly.
Facile, non ?
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voix Passive : Formation de Base (be + V3)
💡

Repère le 'Be' + V3

Cherche toujours une forme de to be (am, is, are) suivie d'un participe passé (V3). Si l'un des deux manque, ce n'est pas de la voix passive !
The car is repaired.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voix Passive en Anglais : Ce qui arrive aux choses (Passif Présent Simple)
💡

Repère le 'Was/Were'

Quand tu lis ou écris, cherche toujours was ou were avant le verbe principal. Si ça manque, tu es sûrement en voix active ou tu as fait une petite erreur !
The house was built in 1900.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passif Simple Passé: Qu'est-il arrivé?
💡

L'agent, c'est important !

N'utilise 'by + agent' que si savoir *qui* ou *quoi* a fait l'action apporte une information clé, donne du crédit, ou lève une ambiguïté. Si c'est évident, inutile de l'ajouter!
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voix Passive : Accorder le Crédit avec 'par'

Vocabulaire clé (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...

Erreurs courantes

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.
Correct: 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.
Correct: 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.
Correct: 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: Exprime-toi avec élégance : Le passif et l'anglais naturel

Pratique rapide (10)

Quelle phrase utilise correctement 'by' à la voix passive ?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The new song was produced by the popular DJ.
L'option 1 utilise correctement 'was produced' (forme passive de 'to produce') suivi de 'by' pour introduire l'agent. Les options 2 et 3 sont grammaticalement incorrectes. Bravo!

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voix Passive : Accorder le Crédit avec 'par'

Choisis la forme correcte de la voix passive.

The world's best coffee ___ in Colombia.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: is grown
Puisque 'coffee' est singulier, nous utilisons 'is' avec le participe passé 'grown'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voix Passive en Anglais : Ce qui arrive aux choses (Passif Présent Simple)

Choisis la forme correcte du verbe pour la voix passive.

The old house ___ last year.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: was demolished
Le sujet The old house est singulier, donc nous utilisons was. Demolished est le participe passé de demolish.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passif Simple Passé: Qu'est-il arrivé?

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

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 est au pluriel, donc nous avons besoin de were au lieu de was.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Passif Simple Passé: Qu'est-il arrivé?

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

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.
Après to, tu dois utiliser un verbe à l'infinitif de base. To be updated montre correctement une action passive future.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Quand utiliser la voix passive (Rapporter les nouvelles et les rumeurs)

Choisis la préposition correcte pour introduire l'agent.

The famous novel was written ___ an acclaimed author.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: by
Pour introduire l'agent (l'auteur) dans une phrase passive, on utilise 'by'. 'With' serait utilisé pour un instrument. Facile, non?

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voix Passive : Accorder le Crédit avec 'par'

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

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.
La phrase originale manque du verbe 'be'. Puisque 'cancelled' indique un événement passé, 'was' est la forme correcte du passé simple de 'to be'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voix Passive : Formation de Base (be + V3)

Choisis la forme correcte de 'to be' pour compléter la phrase passive.

The new library ___ opened next month.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: will be
Puisque l'action se déroule 'next month' (le mois prochain), nous avons besoin de la forme passive du futur simple, qui est 'will be' + V3.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voix Passive : Formation de Base (be + V3)

Choisis la phrase correcte :

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: It is reported that the store is closed.
La forme passive is reported est correcte pour la structure It is...that, indiquant une nouvelle générale.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Quand utiliser la voix passive (Rapporter les nouvelles et les rumeurs)

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

New ideas is discuss every Monday.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: New ideas are discussed every Monday.
'Ideas' est pluriel, donc 'are' est nécessaire. De plus, 'discussed' est le participe passé correct.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voix Passive en Anglais : Ce qui arrive aux choses (Passif Présent Simple)

Score: /10

Questions fréquentes (6)

La structure la plus fondamentale est une forme du verbe to be (comme is, was, are) suivie du participe passé (V3) du verbe principal. Par exemple,
The book is read.
Nous l'utilisons quand la personne ou la chose qui fait l'action ('doer') est inconnue, sans importance, ou quand nous voulons mettre l'accent sur l'action elle-même ou la personne/chose qui reçoit l'action. Par exemple,
The window was broken.
Son but principal est de se concentrer sur l'action ou l'objet qui reçoit l'action, plutôt que sur celui qui la fait. Par exemple,
The report is written
met l'accent sur le rapport, pas sur la personne qui l'écrit.
Tu la formes en utilisant la forme du présent simple de to be (am, is, are) suivie du participe passé (V3) du verbe principal. Par exemple,
English is spoken globally
.
L'idée principale est de se concentrer sur une action qui s'est produite dans le passé et sur ce qui *a été fait* au sujet, plutôt que sur la personne qui a effectué l'action. Par exemple, The car was repaired met en évidence la voiture et sa réparation, pas le mécanicien.
Tu le formes en combinant le passé simple du verbe to be (was pour les sujets singuliers, were pour les pluriels) avec le participe passé (V3) du verbe principal. Ainsi, The report was written ou The gifts were given.
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L’art des nuances : Maîtrisez les subtilités des verbes anglais
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Exprime-toi avec élégance : Le passif et l'anglais naturel
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