Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Advanced passives shift focus from the actor to the action, using complex verb forms like 'is being done' or 'has been done'.
- Use passive voice when the actor is unknown or irrelevant: 'The report was finalized yesterday.'
- Use 'being' for ongoing actions: 'The project is being managed by a new team.'
- Use 'have been' for completed actions with present relevance: 'The results have been analyzed.'
Overview
- The report must be submitted by noon.
- Changes could be introduced next quarter.
- The issue should have been flagged earlier. (modal perfect passive)
- It might not have been noticed without your input.
- She expects to be interviewed next week.
- The plan appears to have been abandoned. (perfect passive infinitive)
- There is a lot to be done before the deadline.
- The matter appears to be being investigated. (in progress — rare but grammatical)
- He disliked being followed everywhere.
- She was upset about not being consulted.
- Having been turned down once, he applied again. (perfect passive gerund)
- She got promoted last month.
- He got blamed for something he did not do.
- The package got lost in the post.
- It is believed that the decision has already been made.
- The CEO is reported to have resigned.
- Two suspects are said to be helping police.
Passive Voice Tense Conjugation
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
writes
|
is written
|
|
Past Simple
|
wrote
|
was written
|
|
Future Simple
|
will write
|
will be written
|
|
Present Continuous
|
is writing
|
is being written
|
|
Present Perfect
|
has written
|
has been written
|
|
Past Perfect
|
had written
|
had been written
|
Common Passive Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction |
|---|---|
|
is not
|
isn't
|
|
was not
|
wasn't
|
|
have not been
|
haven't been
|
|
will not be
|
won't be
|
Meanings
The passive voice is a grammatical construction where the object of an action becomes the subject of the sentence. It is essential for formal, academic, and professional communication.
Focus on Object
Highlighting the receiver of the action rather than the performer.
“The bridge was built in 1920.”
“The documents were signed.”
Formal/Academic
Maintaining objectivity by removing the personal 'I' or 'we'.
“It is hypothesized that...”
“The data were collected.”
Ongoing Passive
Describing an action currently in progress.
“The house is being painted.”
“The streets are being cleaned.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + be + V3
|
The cake was eaten.
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + be + not + V3
|
The cake was not eaten.
|
|
Question
|
Be + Subject + V3?
|
Was the cake eaten?
|
|
Continuous
|
Subject + be + being + V3
|
The cake is being eaten.
|
|
Perfect
|
Subject + have/has + been + V3
|
The cake has been eaten.
|
|
Modal
|
Subject + modal + be + V3
|
The cake must be eaten.
|
正式程度
The vehicle was stolen. (Police report vs conversation)
The car was stolen. (Police report vs conversation)
Someone swiped the car. (Police report vs conversation)
My ride got jacked. (Police report vs conversation)
Passive Voice Components
Verb
- to be auxiliary
Action
- past participle V3
Active vs Passive
Passive Decision Tree
Is the actor important?
按水平分级的例句
The ball is kicked.
La pelota es pateada.
The book is read.
El libro es leído.
The cake is made.
El pastel es hecho.
The door is closed.
La puerta es cerrada.
The letter was sent yesterday.
La carta fue enviada ayer.
The house was built in 1990.
La casa fue construida en 1990.
The windows were cleaned.
Las ventanas fueron limpiadas.
The car was not repaired.
El coche no fue reparado.
The project has been completed.
El proyecto ha sido completado.
The meeting will be held tomorrow.
La reunión se celebrará mañana.
The files are being updated.
Los archivos están siendo actualizados.
The decision was made by the board.
La decisión fue tomada por la junta.
It is often said that honesty is the best policy.
Se dice a menudo que la honestidad es la mejor política.
The results were being analyzed when the power failed.
Los resultados estaban siendo analizados cuando se fue la luz.
The proposal should have been submitted earlier.
La propuesta debería haber sido enviada antes.
The new law is expected to be passed soon.
Se espera que la nueva ley sea aprobada pronto.
The evidence is thought to have been destroyed.
Se cree que la evidencia ha sido destruida.
The building is being renovated to meet modern standards.
El edificio está siendo renovado para cumplir con los estándares modernos.
Had the warnings been heeded, the disaster might have been averted.
Si las advertencias hubieran sido escuchadas, el desastre podría haberse evitado.
The manuscript is said to be written in an archaic dialect.
Se dice que el manuscrito está escrito en un dialecto arcaico.
It is widely acknowledged that the paradigm shift was inevitable.
Es ampliamente reconocido que el cambio de paradigma era inevitable.
The findings, having been peer-reviewed, were published in the journal.
Los hallazgos, habiendo sido revisados por pares, fueron publicados en la revista.
Little is known about the origins of the artifact, which is believed to be ancient.
Poco se sabe sobre los orígenes del artefacto, el cual se cree que es antiguo.
The contract, which was to have been signed yesterday, remains unsigned.
El contrato, que debía haber sido firmado ayer, permanece sin firmar.
容易混淆
Learners confuse 'The door is opened' (action) with 'The door is open' (state).
Using passive for simple, personal actions.
Using 'get' instead of 'be' in formal writing.
常见错误
The ball kicked.
The ball is kicked.
The book is readed.
The book is read.
The door is open.
The door is opened.
He is eat the apple.
The apple is eaten.
The car was happened.
The accident happened.
The work was do.
The work was done.
The windows was cleaned.
The windows were cleaned.
The report has been submit.
The report has been submitted.
The meeting is being hold.
The meeting is being held.
It is said that he is go.
It is said that he went.
The decision was made by me, so I am responsible.
I made the decision, so I am responsible.
The data were analyzed by the team, and they were found to be correct.
The team analyzed the data and found them to be correct.
The experiment was being conducted by us.
We conducted the experiment.
The cake was eaten by the dog.
The dog ate the cake.
句型
The ___ was ___ by the team.
It is ___ that the results are accurate.
The files are being ___ right now.
The work should have been ___ yesterday.
Real World Usage
The samples were collected at 10:00 AM.
The suspect was apprehended earlier today.
The project was led by me.
The truth has been revealed.
The terms shall be agreed upon by both parties.
Your order is being prepared.
Check Transitivity
Don't Overuse
The 'By' Test
Formal Tone
Smart Tips
Use passive voice to maintain objectivity.
Use passive voice to avoid guessing.
Use passive to avoid blaming.
Use passive to focus on the steps.
发音
Past Participle endings
Ensure the -ed sound is clear (t, d, or id).
Falling intonation
The report was SUBMITTED.
Finality and authority.
记住它
记忆技巧
Be the Action: Think 'Be' + 'Past Participle' to be passive.
视觉联想
Imagine a statue. It doesn't do anything; it is 'being' looked at. The statue is the subject, but it isn't moving.
Rhyme
When the actor is out of sight, use 'be' and the participle right.
Story
The house was built. The paint was applied. The keys were handed over. The new owner was welcomed.
Word Web
挑战
Rewrite 5 sentences from a news article into the passive voice.
文化笔记
Passive voice is very common in formal British English to avoid sounding too direct or aggressive.
Americans often prefer active voice even in business, though passive is still used for objectivity.
In global academia, passive voice is the gold standard for objectivity.
The passive voice in English evolved from Old English constructions using 'beon' (to be) and a past participle.
对话开场白
How was the project handled?
What is being done about the climate crisis?
Has the decision been made yet?
What is said about the new policy?
日记主题
常见错误
Test Yourself
The report ___ (finish) yesterday.
Find and fix the mistake:
The accident was happened at noon.
Which is correct?
They built the house.
is / being / the / cleaned / room
Choose the formal sentence.
The work ___ (already/do).
Find and fix the mistake:
The books was read by the students.
Score: /8
练习题
8 exercisesThe report ___ (finish) yesterday.
Find and fix the mistake:
The accident was happened at noon.
Which is correct?
They built the house.
is / being / the / cleaned / room
Choose the formal sentence.
The work ___ (already/do).
Find and fix the mistake:
The books was read by the students.
Score: /8
常见问题 (8)
Use it when the action is more important than the actor, or when the actor is unknown.
No, only transitive verbs (verbs that take an object) can be passive.
Generally yes, but it can be used for dramatic effect in storytelling.
If you can ask 'What?' after the verb (e.g., 'I ate... what?'), it is transitive.
It can make writing feel stiff and indirect if used too much.
'Is being done' is continuous (happening now); 'has been done' is perfect (finished).
Yes, but it is informal and often implies something negative happened.
Move the auxiliary 'be' to the front: 'Was the report finished?'
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Voz pasiva (ser + participio)
Spanish 'se' passive is more frequent than English passive.
Voix passive (être + participe passé)
French uses passive voice slightly less often than English in formal writing.
Passiv (werden + Partizip II)
German uses 'werden' instead of 'to be'.
Ukemigata (Passive form)
Japanese passive is a verb suffix, not an auxiliary construction.
Al-Mabni lil-Majhool
Arabic uses internal vowel changes, not auxiliary verbs.
Bei-construction
Chinese passive is marked by a particle, not verb conjugation.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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