Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Shift the focus from 'who did it' to 'what happened' using 'was' or 'were' plus the third verb form.
- Use 'was' for singular subjects and 'were' for plural subjects. Example: 'The car was fixed.'
- Always use the Past Participle (V3) of the main verb. Example: 'The letters were written.'
- Add 'by' only if the person who did the action is actually important. Example: 'It was painted by Da Vinci.'
Overview
Your milk was stolen（君のミルクは盗まれた）。これこそが Past Simple Passive（過去の単純受動態）だよ！これは、犯人（疑わしいけど証拠がないルームメイトとかね）よりも、被害者（ミルク）にスポットライトを当てたい時に最高のグラマーツールなんだ。それに、レポートでプロっぽく見せたり、Instagramのキャプションをちょっとミステリアスな雰囲気にしたりする時の「秘密のスパイス」でもあるんだよ。能動態が「誰が」に注目するのに対して、受動態は「何が起きたか」がすべて。実録犯罪ドキュメンタリーで、ナレーターが The evidence was discovered in a dumpster（証拠がゴミ捨て場で発見された）なんて言っているのを聞いたことがあるなら、もうこのルールを自然な環境で耳にしていることになるね。でも、これは探偵のためだけじゃないんだ。歴史やテクノロジー、それにスマホに届く「パッケージが配達されました」っていうあの通知なんかでもよく使われているよ。
Elon Musk bought Twitter.（イーロン・マスクがTwitterを買収した。）これは能動態。でも、たまにシナリオを逆転させたい時があるんだ。「Twitterがイーロン・マスクによって買収された」と言いたい時、これが
Passive Voice（受動態）なんだ。特に Past Simple Passive は、誰がやったかよりも、その「結果」や「対象物」の方が重要な、過去に完了したアクションにフォーカスするんだ。カメラのレンズをイメージしてみて。能動態では、カメラは「役者（動作主）」を向いている。受動態では、カメラがズームインするのは「アクションを受けている人やモノ」なんだ。ニュースの報道や科学論文、あるいは自分の責任をうまく回避したい時なんかにめちゃくちゃよく使われるよ。The vase was broken（花瓶が割れちゃった）の方が、
I broke the vase（僕が花瓶を割った）より罪悪感が少なく聞こえるでしょ？（プロからのアドバイス：親に怒られそうな時にこれを使っちゃダメだよ。だいたい見抜かれちゃうからね）。このパターンは、動作主がわからない時や、明らかな時、あるいは話のストーリーにおいて単に重要じゃない時に使うんだ。
How This Grammar Works
The chef cooked the meal.（シェフがその料理を作った）。これを受動態にするには、「目的語」が運転席に飛び乗って、新しい「主語」になるんだ。もともとの「主語」は、バスの最後尾に行く（
by で始まる言葉になる）か、バスから完全に降りちゃうかのどちらか。それから動詞は、to be 動詞の過去形と past participle（過去分詞。動詞リストの3列目のやつね）を使って変身させるんだ。化学反応みたいなものだよ。Object（目的語） + was/were + V3。この変換で文の「味わい」が変わるんだ。スポットライトが移動するんだね。もしTikTokをスクロールしていて This hidden gem was found in London（この隠れた名所はロンドンで見つけられた）っていう投稿を見たら、クリエーターは受動態を使っていることになる。なぜなら、誰がたまたま見つけたかじゃなくて、その場所を「見つけた」こと自体がポイントだからね。それは発見であり、イベントであり、歴史についての話なんだ。
Formation Pattern
Past Simple Passive を作るのは、簡単な3ステップのレシピに従うようなものだよ。言語学の博士号なんていらない。過去分詞をしっかりマスターしていれば大丈夫。
pizza、email、stolen heart など）。
to be の助っ人を選ぶ：単数の主語（I, he, she, it）には was を、複数の主語（you, we, they）には were を使おう。
V3）を足す：ここは不規則動詞を思い出す必要があるところだね。Eaten、broken、written、sent など。
Conjugation Table
| Form | Example | Translation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| --- | --- | --- | ||
| Singular (I/He/She/It) | The photo was posted. |
{写真 | しゃしん}が{投稿 | とうこう}された。 |
| Plural (You/We/They) | The tickets were sold. |
チケットが{完売 | かんばい}した（売られた）。 | |
| Negative | The app was not updated. |
アプリは{更新 | こうしん}されなかった。 | |
| Question | Was the car fixed? |
{車 | くるま}は{修理 | しゅうり}された？ |
When To Use It
- 謎の人物（The Mystery Man）: 誰がアクションを起こしたかさっぱりわからない時。
My bike
（自分の自転車が盗まれた）。（もし犯人が誰かわかっていたら、受動態なんて使わずにそいつの家に行ってるよね）。was stolen. - 当たり前すぎる時（Captain Obvious）: 誰がやったかがあまりに明白で、わざわざ言うのが野暮な時。
The thief
（泥棒が逮捕された）。（逮捕したのは警察であって、そこらへんのバリスタじゃないってことはわかるよね）。was arrested. - 影の薄い人（The Wallflower）: アクションを起こした人が重要じゃない時。
The road
（道路は去年舗装された）。（気になるのは道路がきれいになったことであって、具体的な工事チームのことじゃないよね）。was pavedlast year. - プロフェッショナル（The Professional）: フォーマルな文章やニュースで。
The law
（その法律は議会で可決された）。これによって、すごく「大人な感じ」の客観的な距離感が出るんだ。was passedby parliament.
This title was added recently（このタイトルは最近追加されました）って出ているし、Amazonのアカウントには Your package was delivered（荷物が配達されました）って書いてある。好きな人のInstagramのストーリーにだって This moment was captured by a friend（この瞬間を友達が撮ってくれた）なんて書いてあるかもね。これは「結果」と「ステータス更新」の言語なんだ。
Common Mistakes
to be動詞の忘れ物: よくThe letter written yesterday
って言っちゃう人がいるけど、ダメだよ！wasが必要。The letter
（手紙は昨日書かれた）が正解。waswritten yesterday.- 分詞の間違い: 過去分詞の代わりに過去形を使っちゃうこと。
The cake was
（うわぁ、これは痛い）。正しくはate.The cake was
だね。eaten. - 主語と動詞の不一致: 複数形なのに
wasを使っちゃうこと。The files
はブブー。wasdeleted.The files
（ファイルが削除された）だよ。weredeleted. - 使いすぎ: 何でもかんでも受動態で言おうとすると、ロボットか、すごく退屈な教科書みたいに聞こえちゃう。
The coffee was drunk by me
は変だよね。普通にI drank the coffee.
って言おう。 byとwithの混乱: 人や代理人にはbyを、道具にはwithを使おう。The window was broken
（窓は泥棒によってレンガで割られた）。bya thiefwitha brick.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
Past Simple Passive を、似ている他のパターンと混ぜないように気をつけて：
The cat caught the mouse.（ネコの狩りのスキルに注目）。
The mouse was caught by the cat.（ネズミの運の悪さに注目）。The mail is delivered every day.（習慣や一般的な事実）。The house was being painted when I arrived.（到着した時に進行中だったアクション）。Past Simple Passive は、完成したポラロイド写真みたいに考えてみて。それは起きたことの断片であり、完全に終わったこと。もう閉じられた章なんだ。
The email was sent.（メールは送られた）。これで終わり。もう悩む必要はないんだよ。
Quick FAQ
どんな動詞でも受動態にできるの？
いいえ！他動詞（目的語を取る動詞）だけが受動態になれるんだ。I was slept（私は寝られた）なんて言えないよね。
受動態を使うのは失礼？
全然そんなことないよ。でも「はぐらかしている」ように聞こえることはあるかも。政治家は
I made a mistake（私がミスをした）と言わずに、
Mistakes were made（ミスが犯された）って言うのが大好きだよね。
V3 なのか、ただの過去形なのか、どうやって見分ければいい？
規則動詞の場合は同じ形（played/played）だね。不規則動詞の場合は形が違うよ（saw/seen）。これはもう暗記するしかないんだ！ごめんね、近道はないんだよ。
すべての受動態の文に by は必要？
ううん！実際、ほとんどの受動態の文では by は省略されるよ。だって「誰が」は重要じゃないんだから。
Memory Trick
W.W.P. ルールで覚えよう： Was/Were + Participle（過去分詞）。何をするにも面倒くさがる Passive Panda（受動態のパンダ）を想像してみて。彼は何もしないから、物事がただ彼に「起きていく」んだ。
The bamboo was eaten by the panda.（竹がパンダによって食べられた）。彼は「行動（act）」したんじゃなくて、ただ結果を楽しんだだけ！
Real Conversations
Alex:
なあ、車はどこ？
Sam:
今朝、was towed（レッカー移動された）んだよ。間違えて荷降ろし専用ゾーンに停めちゃってさ。
Alex:
うわ、最悪だね。Wasa finegiven（罰金も科された）の？
Sarah:
新しいプロフィール写真、すごくいいね！
Maya:
ありがとう！バリに旅行した時に、妹に was taken（撮ってもらった）んだ。
Sarah:
光の感じが最高だね。アプリでWasitedited（加工した）？
Maya:
少しだけね！
Progressive Practice
シンプルに始めてみよう：
I wrote the textを
The text was written に変えてみて。
動作主を足してみよう：
The movie was directed by Spielberg.
否定文にしてみよう：
The invite was not sent.
疑問文にしてみよう：
Werethe resultspublished?
混ぜてみよう：ひどい野球の試合についてのストーリーで、thrown（投げられた）、caught（捕られた）、brought（運ばれた）のような不規則動詞を使ってみて。
Past Simple Passive Formation
| Subject | Auxiliary (to be) | Past Participle (V3) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
I / He / She / It
|
was
|
cleaned
|
It was cleaned.
|
|
You / We / They
|
were
|
cleaned
|
They were cleaned.
|
|
I / He / She / It (Neg)
|
wasn't
|
cleaned
|
She wasn't cleaned.
|
|
You / We / They (Neg)
|
weren't
|
cleaned
|
We weren't cleaned.
|
|
Question (Singular)
|
Was [subject]
|
cleaned?
|
Was it cleaned?
|
|
Question (Plural)
|
Were [subject]
|
cleaned?
|
Were they cleaned?
|
Contractions in the Past Passive
| Full Form | Contraction | Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
was not
|
wasn't
|
Common in speech/informal writing
|
|
were not
|
weren't
|
Common in speech/informal writing
|
Meanings
A grammatical construction used to describe an action that happened in the past where the receiver of the action becomes the subject of the sentence.
Unknown or Unimportant Actor
Used when we don't know who performed the action or it doesn't matter.
“My bike was stolen yesterday.”
“The windows were cleaned last week.”
Formal or Academic Reporting
Used in news reports, history books, or scientific papers to sound objective.
“The treaty was signed by both leaders.”
“The experiment was conducted under strict conditions.”
Emphasizing the Result
Used when the result of the action is the most interesting part of the story.
“The gold medal was won by a teenager.”
“The cake was eaten before the party even started!”
Reference Table
| 能動態 (Active Voice) | 受動態 (Passive Voice) | 焦点 (Focus) |
|---|---|---|
|
They built it.
|
It was built.
|
行動 (Action)
|
|
Someone broke the window.
|
The window was broken.
|
結果 (Result)
|
|
The company made mistakes.
|
Mistakes were made.
|
客観性 (Objectivity)
|
|
She interviewed him.
|
He was interviewed by her.
|
受け手 (Recipient)
|
|
Kids ate the cookies.
|
The cookies were eaten.
|
影響を受けた物 (Item affected)
|
|
The staff cleaned the room.
|
The room was cleaned.
|
状態 (State)
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
The bicycle was forcibly removed from the premises. (Reporting a theft)
My bike was stolen. (Reporting a theft)
My bike got nicked. (Reporting a theft)
My whip was boosted. (Reporting a theft)
Past Simple Passive：核心概念図
形成 (Formation)
- Was/Were 助動詞 (Auxiliary Verb)
- Past Participle 主動詞（V3） (Main Verb (V3))
主な使い方 (Key Uses)
- Unknown Agent 行為者が不明 (Doer is unknown)
- Unimportant Agent 行為者が重要ではない (Doer doesn't matter)
- Focus on Action 起こったことを強調 (Highlighting what happened)
- Formal Context フォーマルな文脈 (News, reports)
能動態 vs 受動態（単純過去）
Past Simple Passive を使うべきか？
その行動は過去に起こりましたか？
文の主語は行動をする側ではなく、受ける側ですか？
行為者（doer）は不明、重要でない、または明らかですか？
Past Simple Passive：いつ使うか
行為者不明 (Unknown Doer)
- • My keys were found.
- • The window was broken.
行為者非重要 (Unimportant Doer)
- • The new road was opened.
- • Mistakes were made.
フォーマルな報告 (Formal Reporting)
- • The decision was announced.
- • Research was conducted.
結果に焦点 (Focus on Outcome)
- • The project was completed.
- • My phone was fixed.
レベル別の例文
The door was closed.
The door was closed.
The car was washed.
The car was washed.
The apples were eaten.
The apples were eaten.
The book was lost.
The book was lost.
The letter was sent yesterday.
The letter was sent yesterday.
The windows were not cleaned.
The windows were not cleaned.
Was the pizza delivered?
Was the pizza delivered?
The toys were broken by the kids.
The toys were broken by the kids.
The bridge was built in 1850.
The bridge was built in 1850.
My phone was stolen while I was on the bus.
My phone was stolen while I was on the bus.
The results were published in a medical journal.
The results were published in a medical journal.
Were you told about the meeting change?
Were you told about the meeting change?
The suspect was seen leaving the building at midnight.
The suspect was seen leaving the building at midnight.
The law was passed despite heavy opposition.
The law was passed despite heavy opposition.
The data was analyzed using a new software tool.
The data was analyzed using a new software tool.
The employees were given a bonus for their hard work.
The employees were given a bonus for their hard work.
The city was utterly devastated by the earthquake.
The city was utterly devastated by the earthquake.
It was widely believed that the king had been poisoned.
It was widely believed that the king had been poisoned.
The proposal was rejected on the grounds of being too costly.
The proposal was rejected on the grounds of being too costly.
No fewer than ten houses were destroyed in the blaze.
No fewer than ten houses were destroyed in the blaze.
The manuscript was painstakingly restored over several decades.
The manuscript was painstakingly restored over several decades.
The initiative was all but forgotten until the recent discovery of the files.
The initiative was all but forgotten until the recent discovery of the files.
The decision was reached after exhaustive deliberation by the board.
The decision was reached after exhaustive deliberation by the board.
The landscape was transformed beyond recognition by the industrial revolution.
The landscape was transformed beyond recognition by the industrial revolution.
間違えやすい
Learners often use the active voice when they don't know the subject, leading to vague sentences.
Learners mix up 'was built' (finished) with 'was being built' (in progress).
Confusing a state (adjective) with an action (passive).
よくある間違い
The car fixed yesterday.
The car was fixed yesterday.
The windows were clean.
The windows were cleaned.
I was eat the cake.
The cake was eaten.
They was invited.
They were invited.
The book was wrote by him.
The book was written by him.
Was the letters sent?
Were the letters sent?
The house was build in 1990.
The house was built in 1990.
The thief was arrested from the police.
The thief was arrested by the police.
It was happened last night.
It happened last night.
The dinner was being cooked when I arrived.
The dinner was cooked.
The bed was not slept in it.
The bed was not slept in.
文型パターン
The ___ was ___ in ___.
I was ___ to ___ by ___.
___ were not ___ until ___.
Was the ___ ___ by ___?
Real World Usage
Local shop was robbed last night.
I was promoted after six months.
I was stuck in traffic, sorry!
The war was ended by a treaty.
Was this dish made with nuts?
This photo was taken in Bali.
「was/were」を見つけよう！
V3（過去分詞）に注意！
受け手に焦点を当てる！
フォーマルとカジュアル
行為者（by〜）はオプション
Smart Tips
Switch to the passive voice to make your writing sound more professional and varied.
Check the V3 form. Many learners accidentally use the V2 form (e.g., 'was took' instead of 'was taken').
Use the passive voice to focus on the mistake rather than the person who made it.
Use the passive to keep the focus on the product.
発音
Weak form of 'was'
In the passive voice, 'was' is usually unstressed and sounds like /wəz/.
Linking 'were'
If the next word starts with a vowel, the 'r' in 'were' is pronounced.
Focus on the Participle
The cake was EATEN.
Emphasizes the action itself.
暗記しよう
記憶術
W.W.P: Was/Were + Participle. Think of it as 'What Was Performed'.
視覚的連想
Imagine a crime scene where the criminal is invisible. You can only see the broken window and the stolen jewelry. You describe what you see: 'The window was broken,' 'The jewelry was stolen.'
Rhyme
If the doer is unknown or you just don't care, use 'was' or 'were' with a V3 pair!
Story
A famous painting was stolen from a museum. The guards were questioned, the tapes were watched, but the thief was never found. Every sentence focuses on the mystery, not the person.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Look around your room. Find three things and say when they were made or bought using the passive voice. (e.g., 'This lamp was bought in 2021.')
文化メモ
The 'get-passive' (e.g., 'I got sacked') is extremely common in informal British English to describe negative events.
In scientific English, the passive is used to maintain 'objectivity', though modern journals are starting to allow 'we' more often.
Passive voice is used in legal contexts to focus on the crime or the law rather than the individual.
The English passive voice evolved from Old English, which used the verbs 'weorthan' (to become) and 'beon' (to be) with a past participle.
会話のきっかけ
Tell me about a time something of yours was stolen or lost.
What is a famous building in your city? When was it built?
Think of your favorite movie. Where was it filmed?
Were you ever given a very special gift?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
Test Yourself
The old house ___ last year.
Find and fix the mistake:
The books was read by many students.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Score: /3
練習問題
8 exercisesThe letter ___ (write) by my grandfather in 1945.
Select the correct passive sentence.
Find and fix the mistake:
The windows was cleaned yesterday.
The police arrested the thief.
1. He found the keys. 2. They built the bridge.
You can use the passive voice with the verb 'to arrive'.
A: Why are you late? B: My car ___ (hit) by another driver.
Sort: Build, Clean, Write, Play
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesThe bridge ___ in the storm last night.
The old car ___ (repair) by the mechanic yesterday.
Important historical documents ___ (safeguard) in the museum vault.
The new rules was announced to everyone.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'El edificio fue construido en 1900.'
Translate into English: 'Ella fue vista en la cafetería anoche.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the subjects with the correct form:
Score: /10
よくある質問 (8)
Use `by` only if the person who did the action is important or surprising. For example, 'The book was written by a 10-year-old.' If it's obvious, like 'The thief was arrested by the police,' you can leave it out.
No! Overusing the passive voice can make your writing sound boring or evasive. Use it only when the object is truly more important than the subject.
`Was broken` is neutral and standard. `Got broken` is informal and often used for accidents or negative events in spoken English.
Not always. It can be an adjective describing the state of the window. If you mean 'Someone broke it,' it's passive. If you mean 'It was in a broken state,' it's an adjective.
Because in science, the experiment is what matters, not the scientist. 'The chemicals were mixed' sounds more objective than 'I mixed the chemicals.'
Put `was` or `were` at the beginning. 'Was the email sent?' or 'Were the cookies eaten?'
Common ones include: `done`, `seen`, `made`, `built`, `written`, `broken`, `stolen`, and `taken`.
No, 'they' is plural and always requires `were`. 'They were found,' never 'They was found.'
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Voz pasiva (ser + participio) or Pasiva refleja (se)
English uses the passive voice much more frequently than the formal Spanish 'ser' passive.
La voix passive (être + participe passé)
French participles must agree in gender and number with the subject, unlike English.
Vorgangspassiv (werden + Partizip II)
The auxiliary verb is different ('become' vs 'be').
受身 (ukemi)
English passive is a sentence structure; Japanese passive is a verb conjugation.
المبني للمجهول (al-mabni lil-majhul)
Arabic does not use an auxiliary verb like 'was' or 'were'.
被字句 (bèi zì jù)
Chinese verbs don't change form (no V3), and the passive often implies a negative result.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
関連動画
06:16 How Kodak invented the “snapshot”
06:27 Was Alexander the Great really that great? - Stephanie Honchell Smith
05:40 Japan's most famous ghost story - Jeffrey Angles
PASSIVE VOICE - English Grammar step-by-step
Arnel's Everyday English
Passive Voice | English Grammar Lessons For Beginners | Spoken English For Beginners
WOW English
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