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Passive voice (simple tenses)

B1 (Intermediate)

Rule details

Passive voice (simple tenses)

B1 (Intermediate)

1. How it is formed

Passive voice:

Subject + be (in needed tense) + Past Participle (V3)
(+ by + agent, if needed)

Example: The letter was written by John.

2. When to use

  • When the result or object is more important than who did the action.
  • When the doer is unknown, obvious, or irrelevant.
  • Common in formal, academic, and technical writing.

3. Examples

Present Simple:

Active: People speak English worldwide.

Passive: English is spoken worldwide.

Past Simple:

Active: They built the bridge in 2010.

Passive: The bridge was built in 2010.

Future Simple:

Active: They will announce the results tomorrow.

Passive: The results will be announced tomorrow.

4. Differences and notes

Active vs Passive

Active focuses on the doer; passive focuses on the action/result.

Usage notes

Do not overuse passive voice in conversational speech where active voice is clearer.

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