Passive Voice - Daily English
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Use the passive voice when the action matters more than who did it, when you don't know who did it, or when you want to sound neutral and tactful. You form it with the verb "be" in the right tense plus the past participle of the main verb. The object of an active sentence becomes the subject of a passive one: "Our team sent the report" becomes "The report was sent." If you need to name the doer, add it with "by": "The contract was reviewed by the legal team." In professional writing the passive is common because it shifts focus onto the work and softens responsibility. For example, "The meeting has been rescheduled to Thursday" sounds smoother than naming whoever changed it, and "Payment was not received by the due date" reports a problem without pointing fingers. You also see it constantly in processes and reports: "The samples are tested before shipping." The most common pitfall is overusing it until your writing feels vague and lifeless. If the doer is important and known, prefer the active voice: "I've attached the invoice" is clearer and warmer than "The invoice has been attached." Another frequent error is forgetting the past participle and using the base form or past simple instead, as in the incorrect "The order was send." Always use the third form: sent, given, written, made.
Let's practise. Type each answer and press Enter, I'll check it with you.
- The dirty dishes (wash) by my brother every evening.
- The living room (clean) by my roommate every Saturday.
- All the groceries (buy) by my mom at the supermarket.
- The package (deliver) to our house yesterday afternoon.
- The delicious cake (bake) by my grandmother for my birthday.
- The windows (clean) by a professional company once a month.
- Our flight (cancel) because of the heavy snow.
- The emails (send) by the manager this morning.
- The old house (paint) by my father last summer.
- The trash (take) out by my sister every Tuesday.
- The new smartphone (make) in South Korea.
- The lost keys (find) by a neighbor in the garden.
- The laundry (do) by my dad on weekends.
- The broken chair (fix) by my brother yesterday.
- The flowers (water) by my wife every morning.
- The decision (make) by the committee last week.
- The coffee (serve) with milk and sugar.
- The hotel rooms (book) by my friends for our trip.
- The movie (watch) by millions of people worldwide.
- The car (repair) by the mechanic right now.
- The letters (write) by the students in class.
- The dinner (prepare) by my husband tonight.
- The heavy boxes (carry) by the movers earlier today.
- The beautiful song (sing) by a famous artist.
- The street (light) by new lamps last month.
Common questions
How do I form the passive voice in different tenses?
Keep the same tense on the verb 'be' and add the past participle. Present simple: 'The reports are reviewed weekly.' Past simple: 'The email was sent yesterday.' Present perfect: 'The order has been shipped.' Future: 'You will be contacted soon.' Modal: 'The file can be downloaded here.' Only 'be' changes tense; the past participle stays fixed.
When should I use the passive instead of the active voice in business English?
Use the passive when the action or result matters more than the doer, when the doer is unknown or obvious, or when you want to stay neutral and avoid blame. For example, 'A mistake was made in the figures' is more tactful than naming a colleague. For clear, direct messages where the doer is known, prefer the active: 'I'll send the agenda today.'
Do I always need to say who did the action with 'by'?
No. You only add a 'by' phrase when the doer is important or useful information: 'The proposal was approved by the board.' Often you leave it out because it's unknown, obvious, or irrelevant: 'The office will be cleaned tonight' or 'Your account has been updated.' Adding 'by us' or 'by someone' when it adds nothing just clutters the sentence, so omit it.