Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'was' or 'were' plus a past participle to focus on what happened to something, rather than who did it.
- Use 'was' for singular subjects and 'were' for plural subjects: 'The letter was sent.'
- Always use the past participle (V3) of the main verb: 'The windows were broken.'
- Add 'by' only if the person who did the action is actually important: 'It was painted by Da Vinci.'
Overview
主语（动作执行者）+ 谓语动词 + 宾语（动作承受者）。比如，The construction crew built the bridge.（建筑工人建造了这座桥。）在这里，The construction crew（建筑工人）是执行built（建造）这个动作的主体，the bridge（这座桥）是动作的承受者。by + 执行者的短语里，或者干脆省略掉。被动语态的核心功能就是转移焦点。Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.（亚历山大·格拉汉姆·贝尔发明了电话。）这里，焦点明显在发明者Alexander Graham Bell身上。变成被动语态后，就是：The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.（电话是亚历山大·格拉汉姆·贝尔发明的。）虽然执行者还在，但句子的主语变成了The telephone（电话），突出了“电话”这个发明本身。The telephone was invented in the 19th century.（电话是在19世纪发明的。）谁发明的？可能大家都知道了，或者不重要，这里的重点是“电话在19世纪被发明出来”这个事实。被动语态让表达更简洁，在科学报告、新闻、官方声明等场合非常常见，因为它更侧重于事实本身，而不是谁做了这件事。The team completed the project. （团队完成了项目） | The project was completed by the team. （项目由团队完成） |Someone broke the window. （有人打破了窗户） | The window was broken. （窗户被打破了） |to be 的过去式（was 或 were）加上主要动词的过去分词（Past Participle）。助动词用was还是were，取决于新的主语（也就是动作的承受者）是单数还是复数。主语（动作承受者）+ was/were + 主要动词的过去分词to be 的过去式：- 如果主语是单数（I, he, she, it，或者任何单数名词），用
was。例如：The letter was written quickly.（这封信写得很快。） - 如果主语是复数（you, we, they，或者任何复数名词），用
were。例如：The reports were filed yesterday.（报告是昨天归档的。）
- 对于规则动词，通常在动词原形后加
-ed（例如：clean->cleaned,finish->finished,watch->watched）。 - 对于不规则动词，过去分词形式比较多样，需要专门记忆（例如：
write->written,break->broken,take->taken,build->built）。
The old factory was closed last year.（主语factory是单数，动词close是规则动词，加了-ed。）Many historic documents were destroyed in the fire.（主语documents是复数，动词destroy是不规则动词，过去分词是destroyed。）My car was repaired by a local mechanic.（主语car是单数，动词repair是规则动词，加了-ed。这里还包含了可选的by + 执行者。）
to be 的过去式选择表：by + 执行者 短语：by + 执行者。但请记住，被动语态最常用的目的就是省略执行者。只有当by + 执行者确实能提供关键信息时，才建议使用。例如：The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.（《蒙娜丽莎》是达·芬奇画的。）这句话既强调了画作，也突出了著名画家。但如果说The road was blocked for hours.（路被堵了好几个小时。），谁堵的路并不重要，重要的是“路被堵了”这个结果。- 1当动作的执行者（doer）未知或不重要时： 这是最常见的情况。如果你不知道是谁做的，或者对方是谁不影响你想表达的意思，被动语态就是最佳选择。这样可以让你专注于结果，而不是信息的来源。
My wallet was stolen on the train.（钱包在火车上被偷了。—— 我不知道谁偷的。）The parcel was delivered yesterday afternoon.（包裹是昨天下午送达的。—— 具体是哪个快递员送的，不重要。）Many ancient artifacts were discovered during the excavation.（许多古代文物是在这次挖掘中被发现的。—— 考古学家是执行者，但这里更强调“文物的发现”。）
- 1为了保持客观性或正式感： 在学术写作、科学报告、新闻报道和官方声明中，被动语态通常能营造出一种更客观、更少人称化的语调。它通过聚焦于事实和过程，而不是具体的人，来消除个人偏见。这是正式语体的一个标志。
The experimental data was collected over a six-month period.（实验数据是在六个月期间收集的。—— 重点是数据和收集过程，而不是研究人员。）A new policy was approved by the committee last week.（一项新政策是上周由委员会批准的。—— 强调政策和批准这件事，常见于官方报告。）Several critical errors were identified in the preliminary report.（初步报告中识别出了一些关键错误。—— 客观陈述发现，不直接指责谁犯了错。）
- 1为了强调动作或动作的承受者： 有时，最重要的信息是某事物“发生了什么”，而不是“谁让它发生的”。被动语态将动作的承受者放在主语位置，立刻吸引注意力。
The historic building was renovated extensively in the 1990s.（这座历史建筑在20世纪90年代得到了大规模翻新。—— 重点是“翻新”这个动作本身。）You were selected for the award based on your outstanding performance.（你因出色的表现被选中获奖。—— 焦点在你获得的“荣誉”。）The entire town was evacuated before the hurricane hit.（飓风来袭前，整个镇子都被疏散了。—— 强调了对“镇子”这个整体采取的行动。）
- 1为了避免指名道姓（例如，为了礼貌或避免指责）： 在社交或职业场合，使用被动语态可以是一种委婉的方式，承认某种情况的发生，而不直接指责某个人或某个群体。这是一种微妙但有力的修辞手法。
Mistakes were made during the project's initial phase.（项目初期犯了一些错误。—— 这是典型的官方或公司用语，承认错误但不点名。）The important document was misplaced somewhere in the office.（重要文件在办公室里被放错地方了。—— 暗示有错误发生，但没说谁弄丢了。）Your complaint was reviewed carefully by our customer service team.（您的投诉已由我们的客服团队仔细审查。—— 语气更柔和，强调审查过程。）
- 1在描述过程、历史或普遍真理时： 被动语态经常用于描述事物是如何完成的、它们是如何产生的，或者描述历史事件，特别是当执行者是历史人物、工匠，或者对大众来说是未知的时候。它建立了一个聚焦于发展和影响的叙事。
This magnificent cathedral was built over three centuries.（这座宏伟的大教堂历时三个世纪建成。—— 强调了“建造”这个过程和建筑的悠久。）The first commercial airplane was flown in 1914.（第一架商用飞机于1914年被试飞。—— 强调的是历史事件，而不是具体的飞行员。）The traditional ceremony was performed at sunset.（传统仪式是在日落时进行的。—— 描述的是既定的仪式，而非具体执行者。）
- 1漏掉助动词
to be(was/were)： 这是最常见的错误。被动语态必须在过去分词前加上一个to be的过去式形式。没有它，句子就不完整，意思也会含糊不清，听起来就像是主动语态但动词形式用错了。to be动词是承载时态和语态信息的关键。
- 错误:
The report submitted yesterday.（报告昨天提交了。） - 正确:
The report was submitted yesterday.（这里少了was，submitted就显得像主动语态，好像是“报告”自己在提交。） - 错误:
Many houses damaged by the storm.（许多房子被风暴损坏了。） - 正确:
Many houses were damaged by the storm.
- 1
was/were与主语不一致： 学习者有时会忘记让was或were与新的主语（动作的承受者）的数量保持一致。这表明对被动结构中主谓一致规则的理解不够牢固。
- 错误:
The decisions was made by the board.（主语decisions是复数，应该用were。） - 正确:
The decisions were made by the board. - 错误:
Several emails was sent to the wrong address.（主语emails是复数，应该用were。） - 正确:
Several emails were sent to the wrong address.
- 1使用了动词的“一般过去式”而非“过去分词”： 这个错误在处理不规则动词时尤为常见。学习者可能正确地识别出需要被动语态，但却错误地使用了动词的一般过去式（如
broke）而不是过去分词（如broken）。记忆常见的动词不规则变化形式至关重要。
- 错误:
The window was broke during the storm.（这里用了过去式broke，而不是过去分词。） - 正确:
The window was broken during the storm. - 错误:
The message was wrote on a small piece of paper.（这里用了过去式wrote，而不是过去分词。） - 正确:
The message was written on a small piece of paper.
Subject (Doer) + Verb + Object | Subject (Receiver) + was/were + Past Participle |The chef prepared the meal. (厨师准备了这顿饭。) | The meal was prepared by the chef. (这顿饭由厨师准备。) |Someone stole my bike. (有人偷了我的自行车。) | My bike was stolen. (我的自行车被偷了。) |was/were | is/am/are |The bridge was built last year. (桥是去年建的。) | The bridge is built using steel. (桥是用钢材建造的。) |The letter was sent yesterday. (信是昨天寄出的。) | Letters are sent by post. (信是通过邮寄发送的。) |was/were + Past Participle | was/were + being + Past Participle |The house was painted last week. (房子上周被粉刷了。) | The house was being painted all last week. (房子上周一直在被粉刷。) |The window was broken last night. (窗户昨晚被打破了。) | The window was being replaced when I arrived. (我到的时候，窗户正在被更换。) |- 主动 vs. 被动：中文里我们很少有像英语这样明确的被动语态形式（比如“被”字句有时会显得比较生硬或负面）。我们更多通过语序或上下文来理解。例如，“我吃了苹果”是主动，“苹果被我吃了”是标准被动，“苹果吃了”在某些语境下也可以理解为被动。
- 时态：中文没有像英语那样复杂的动词时态变化。我们用“昨天”、“明天”等时间词，以及“了”、“过”、“着”等助词来表示动作的状态和时间。所以，英语的“过去”、“现在”、“进行”、“完成”等时态概念，对中文母语者来说需要特别学习和区分。
The accident was caused by speeding.（事故是由超速引起的。）比Someone caused the accident by speeding.（有人通过超速引起了事故。）更常用。was 和 were 的选择是不是和中文的“我、你、他、我们、他们”有关？the car, he, it），就用was。如果它是复数（比如 the cars, they, we），就用were。所以，要注意看的是句子开头那个名词或代词的单复数。by someone 来变成被动语态吗？by someone，并且这个someone是泛指的（比如 by someone, by people, by a person），通常会显得累赘和不自然。在大多数情况下，直接省略执行者会更好。只有当这个执行者是特定的、重要的信息时（比如上面提到的达·芬奇的例子），才考虑加上by短语。如果执行者是泛指的“某人”或“人们”，用被动语态时最好直接省略。Past Simple Passive Conjugation
| Subject | Auxiliary (to be) | Past Participle (V3) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
I / He / She / It
|
was
|
done / seen / built
|
It was done.
|
|
You / We / They
|
were
|
done / seen / built
|
They were seen.
|
|
Negative (Singular)
|
was not (wasn't)
|
taken
|
He wasn't taken.
|
|
Negative (Plural)
|
were not (weren't)
|
taken
|
We weren't taken.
|
|
Question (Singular)
|
Was [subject]
|
invited?
|
Was she invited?
|
|
Question (Plural)
|
Were [subject]
|
invited?
|
Were they invited?
|
Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction |
|---|---|
|
was not
|
wasn't
|
|
were not
|
weren't
|
Meanings
The Past Simple Passive is used to describe completed actions in the past where the object of the action becomes the subject of the sentence. It is used when the 'doer' is unknown, obvious, or less important than the action itself.
Historical Facts
Describing events in history where the focus is on the discovery, invention, or event.
“The Pyramids were built thousands of years ago.”
“America was reached by Columbus in 1492.”
Crime and Accidents
Reporting incidents where the perpetrator might be unknown or the victim/object is the news.
“My bike was stolen last night.”
“The shop was robbed at 4 AM.”
Process and Results
Focusing on the completion of a task rather than the worker.
“The report was finished on time.”
“The emails were sent this morning.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subj + was/were + V3
|
The cake was eaten.
|
|
Negative
|
Subj + wasn't/weren't + V3
|
The cake wasn't eaten.
|
|
Question
|
Was/Were + Subj + V3?
|
Was the cake eaten?
|
|
With Agent
|
... + by + Person
|
The cake was eaten by Tom.
|
|
Short Answer (+)
|
Yes, [subj] was/were.
|
Yes, it was.
|
|
Short Answer (-)
|
No, [subj] wasn't/weren't.
|
No, they weren't.
|
正式程度
The mobile device was misappropriated. (Theft)
My phone was stolen. (Theft)
My phone got nicked. (Theft)
My blower was swiped. (Theft)
The Passive Shift
Focus
- The Object The thing that received the action
Components
- Was/Were Past of 'to be'
- V3 Past Participle
Active vs. Passive
Choosing Was or Were
Is the subject singular?
Common Passive Verbs
Creation
- • built
- • painted
- • written
- • invented
Events
- • held
- • organized
- • cancelled
- • delayed
按水平分级的例句
The window was broken.
The window was broken.
The car was washed.
The car was washed.
The books were sold.
The books were sold.
The food was cold.
The food was cold.
The house was built in 1950.
The house was built in 1950.
The emails were sent at 9 AM.
The emails were sent at 9 AM.
The movie was directed by Spielberg.
The movie was directed by Spielberg.
Were the tickets bought yesterday?
Were the tickets bought yesterday?
The missing child was found in the park.
The missing child was found in the park.
The bridge was closed for repairs.
The bridge was closed for repairs.
My luggage was lost by the airline.
My luggage was lost by the airline.
The winners were chosen by a panel of experts.
The winners were chosen by a panel of experts.
The law was passed despite heavy opposition.
The law was passed despite heavy opposition.
The experiment was conducted in a controlled environment.
The experiment was conducted in a controlled environment.
The employees were notified of the changes via email.
The employees were notified of the changes via email.
The ancient ruins were discovered by accident.
The ancient ruins were discovered by accident.
The proposal was summarily rejected by the board.
The proposal was summarily rejected by the board.
The city was decimated by the earthquake of 1906.
The city was decimated by the earthquake of 1906.
The funds were misappropriated over a period of five years.
The funds were misappropriated over a period of five years.
The manuscript was painstakingly restored by conservators.
The manuscript was painstakingly restored by conservators.
The initiative was predicated upon the assumption of growth.
The initiative was predicated upon the assumption of growth.
The castle was besieged for months before it finally fell.
The castle was besieged for months before it finally fell.
The silence was broken only by the occasional cry of a gull.
The silence was broken only by the occasional cry of a gull.
The verdict was overturned on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
The verdict was overturned on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
容易混淆
Learners use the active when they mean the passive, making it sound like objects performed actions.
Mixing up 'is/are' with 'was/were'.
Confusing 'was done' with 'was being done'.
常见错误
The car fixed yesterday.
The car was fixed yesterday.
The books was sold.
The books were sold.
I was borned in 1990.
I was born in 1990.
The window broken.
The window was broken.
The letter was wrote.
The letter was written.
The dinner was cook by my mom.
The dinner was cooked by my mom.
Was the work finish?
Was the work finished?
The thief was arrest.
The thief was arrested.
He was bit by a dog.
He was bitten by a dog.
The house was build in 2000.
The house was built in 2000.
The data was analyzed (when referring to multiple sets).
The data were analyzed.
句型
The ___ was ___ by ___.
When was the ___ ___?
I wasn't ___ that ___.
Real World Usage
The suspect was arrested late last night.
The city was destroyed by fire in 1666.
Your order was shipped yesterday.
This video was made by my best friend!
The meeting was moved to Room 4.
The evidence was collected at the scene.
The 'By' Rule
Intransitive Verbs
Check the Subject
Avoiding Blame
Smart Tips
Use the passive to sound professional and avoid pointing fingers.
Check if the verb before it is a past participle; if so, it's a passive sentence.
Use 'was taken' to describe the location or photographer.
If you don't know the V3, try adding -ed, but always double-check a dictionary for common verbs like 'see', 'give', and 'take'.
发音
Was/Were Stress
In passive sentences, 'was' and 'were' are usually unstressed (weak forms). The stress falls on the past participle.
-ed endings
Remember the three sounds of '-ed': /t/, /d/, and /ɪd/. 'Fixed' (/t/), 'Cleaned' (/d/), 'Painted' (/ɪd/).
Falling intonation for statements
The house was ↘built.
Conveys a completed fact.
记住它
记忆技巧
W.W.P.P. -> Was/Were + Past Participle. Remember: 'What was performed?'
视觉联想
Imagine a factory conveyor belt. The product (the subject) is at the front, and the worker (the agent) is hidden behind a curtain. The focus is entirely on the finished product being 'was made'.
Rhyme
If the doer is unknown or just doesn't matter, use was or were to make the object flatter!
Story
A detective walks into a room. He doesn't say 'Someone stole the diamond.' He says, 'The diamond was stolen!' He focuses on the crime (the object) because he doesn't know the thief yet.
Word Web
挑战
Look around your room. Find three things and say when they were made or where they were bought. (e.g., 'This lamp was bought in IKEA.')
文化笔记
The passive is very common in British English to sound polite or indirect. Instead of saying 'You broke this,' a Brit might say 'This was broken,' to avoid blaming you directly.
In scientific papers globally, the passive is the standard to show objectivity. It suggests the results are true regardless of who did the experiment.
News headlines often drop the 'was/were' to save space, but the meaning remains passive.
The passive voice in English evolved from Old English, which used the verbs 'weorthan' (to become) and 'beon' (to be) with a past participle.
对话开场白
Where were you born and raised?
Tell me about a famous historical event in your country.
Have you ever had something stolen?
What's the best gift you were ever given?
日记主题
常见错误
Test Yourself
The letter ___ (post) yesterday morning.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
The windows was cleaned last week.
The chef prepared the meal.
We use 'was' for the subjects 'I, he, she, it' in the past passive.
A: Did you see the news? B: Yes, the bank ___ (rob) again!
Select the irregular one:
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
练习题
8 exercisesThe letter ___ (post) yesterday morning.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
The windows was cleaned last week.
The chef prepared the meal.
We use 'was' for the subjects 'I, he, she, it' in the past passive.
A: Did you see the news? B: Yes, the bank ___ (rob) again!
Select the irregular one:
Active: 'They invited us.'
Score: /8
Practice Bank
11 exercisesMany mistakes ___ during the first trial.
The secret code was broke by hackers.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Translate: 'Los resultados fueron publicados anoche.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the subjects with the correct form:
The ancient city ___ by an earthquake.
Many valuable items was lost in the fire.
Which of these sentences is correct?
Translate: 'Los documentos fueron firmados esta mañana.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Score: /11
常见问题 (8)
Use `by` only when the person or thing doing the action is important to the meaning. For example: 'The song was written by John Lennon.' If you say 'The room was cleaned by a cleaner,' it's usually better to just say 'The room was cleaned.'
No. You can only use it with 'transitive' verbs (verbs that take an object). You cannot use it with verbs like `go`, `sleep`, `happen`, or `arrive`.
Not at all! In fact, it's often more polite because it avoids blaming people. Saying 'The mistake was made' is softer than 'You made a mistake.'
We almost always use `was born` because being born is a finished action in the past. We only use 'is born' in very specific literary or religious contexts.
Move `was` or `were` to the start of the sentence. Example: 'Was the car stolen?'
In informal English, yes. 'I got fired' is the same as 'I was fired.' However, 'was' is better for writing and formal exams.
Yes, always. The passive voice cannot exist without the past participle (V3).
Because journalists often don't know who did the action (e.g., 'A man was killed') or they want to focus on the victim/event.
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 lacks the 'se' reflexive passive.
La voix passive (être + participe passé)
French participles must agree in gender and number with the subject.
Vorgangspassiv (werden + Partizip II)
The auxiliary verb is 'to become' in German, not 'to be'.
受身 (ukemi)
Japanese changes the verb ending rather than adding an auxiliary verb like 'was'.
المبني للمجهول (al-mabni lil-majhul)
Arabic does not use an auxiliary verb like 'was' to form the passive.
被字句 (bèi zì jù)
Chinese verbs do not change form (no participles).
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
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带情态动词和被动语态的间接引语 (C1)
### Overview 在英语学习的进阶阶段，尤其是达到 C1 水平（高级）时，我们不再仅仅满足于“谁说了什么”这种简单的信息传递。为了...
报告动词：谁说了什么？
### Overview 在英语学习的进阶阶段，我们经常需要转述他人的话。在初级水平时，你可能习惯于反复使用 `say` 或 `tell` 这两个...
何时使用被动语态（报告新闻和谣言）
### Overview 在英语学习的过程中，当你从初级（A2）迈向中级（B1）时，你会发现英语不仅仅是关于“谁做了什么”，更多时候是关于...
被动报告结构（据说他...）
### Overview 对于已经达到 C1 级别的英语学习者来说，掌握基础的被动语态只是第一步。在高级英语，尤其是学术写作、新闻报道、...
