Passive voice and active voice – a table with differences and rules of using

Passive voice is a grammatical construction when the action in the sentence is performed on the subject, rather than by it independently. Conversely, active voice is a grammatical construction where the action in the sentence is performed by the subject itself.

Contents

1. When the passive voice is used
2. Sentence construction
3. Passive voice forms
4. A comparison table
5. Exercises for consolidating the material

Let's look at the following sentences in active voice:

• Apples are falling down from the tree.
• Jane has never been to Paris in her life.
• You are washing the dishes now, don't answer your phone.

Now let's look at other sentences written in passive voice:

• The book was written by a famous author.
• She is loved without any doubt.
• This song was presented by Miley Cyrus at the Grammy's this year for the first time.

When the passive voice is used

1. When the action is more important than the doer:

• Roses should be watered every 3 days.
• Zara, Oysho, Berska and some other shops will be returned to the Ukrainian market in 2024.
• The new shopping mall will be opened in the city center in a few weeks.

2. When there is an absence of the doer of the action in the sentence:

• The cocktails are being made right now, don’t worry.
• The house will be decorated till tomorrow evening.
• Our meeting was being held while you were somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

3. Certain troubles, unpleasant events:

• The window on the first floor was broken.
• My new car had been stolen yesterday before I came home.
• Her wallet was stolen in the restroom.

4. Impersonal constructions, generally understood facts and events:

• It is said that Julia always comes across as a very shy person, but that’s not true.
• It’s expected that all of the pupils of our school will pass the final exams.
• It’s believed that the more languages you know, the better career you have.

You can consolidate this information with a free video tutorial from Green Forest:

Sentence construction

Passive voice can be used in almost every tense in the English language. However, it is worth understanding that the construction of the sentences will be different.

Passive voice forms

Active and passive voice: a comparison table

For better clarity, we provide you with a comparison table followed by peculiarities.

Exercises for consolidating the material

In order to fully master and consolidate this topic, we suggest that you do an exercise. Complete the sentences (to see the hint, click on the appropriate sentence):

1. The house ___ (decorate) by her children yesterday, it looks really fantastic.

   (was decorated)

2. Your lunch ___ (prepare) now, wait a minute.

   (is being prepared)

3. The room ___ (clean) before their parents arrived at home.

   (had been cleaned)

4. My boss ___ (invite) for the TV show as an expert.

   (has been invited)

5. Jenny ___ (fire) by Mary tomorrow till 10 a.m., believe me.

   (will have been fired)

You can complete more activities to understand the rules of Passive Voice better on our Smarte interactive platform for free! The activities are divided into English levels, so choose yours. Have fun with your practice!