Active and passive voice in English : complete course

What Are Active and Passive Voice?

In English grammar, every sentence has a voice. The voice tells us whether the subject of the sentence is doing the action or receiving it. There are two main voices: the active voice and the passive voice. Understanding both will help you read, write, and speak English much more naturally.

Simple Examples to Get Started

• Active: The chef cooks the meal.
• Passive: The meal is cooked by the chef.

In the first sentence, the chef (the subject) does the action. In the second sentence, the meal (the subject) receives the action. Same meaning, different focus!

The Key Elements of Active and Passive Voice in English

The Active Voice

In an active sentence, the subject performs the action. The structure is simple and direct:

Subject + Verb + Object

• Maria writes the report.
• The dog ate the sandwich.
• They will finish the project tomorrow.

The active voice is the most common structure in everyday English. It is clear, direct, and easy to understand.

The Passive Voice

In a passive sentence, the subject receives the action. The structure uses the verb ‘to be’ + the past participle of the main verb:

Subject + To Be + Past Participle (+ by + Agent)

• The report is written by Maria.
• The sandwich was eaten by the dog.
• The project will be finished tomorrow.

Notice that the agent (the person or thing doing the action) can be omitted when it is unknown or unimportant.

When Do We Use the Passive Voice?

The passive voice is used in specific situations. Here are the most common ones:

• When we do not know who did the action: The window was broken.
• When the action is more important than the person doing it: The new law was signed yesterday.
• In formal writing, news, or scientific texts: The results were recorded carefully.

Why Active and Passive Voice Matter in English

You might be wondering: why should I learn both? Here is the simple answer. Using only the active voice can make your writing feel repetitive or too informal. Using only the passive voice can make it feel cold or unclear. The key is knowing when to use each one.

In everyday conversation, the active voice is your best friend. It sounds natural and direct. But in emails, reports, news articles, or academic writing, the passive voice appears very often. If you do not recognise it, you may misunderstand the meaning. If you cannot use it, your writing will feel limited.

Learning both voices also helps you vary your sentences, sound more fluent, and express ideas with more precision.

Comparison with Other Languages

If your first language is French or Spanish, you will find some similarities, but also some important differences.

In all three languages, the passive voice uses a form of the verb ‘to be’ plus a past participle. This is good news for French and Spanish speakers! However, in English, the passive voice is used much more frequently, especially in writing. Also, English often drops the agent (‘by someone’) when it is not needed, which is less common in French or Spanish.

A Complete Example

Let us look at a short paragraph and see how active and passive sentences work together:

‘A famous artist painted this picture in 1905. It was sold to a museum in Paris. Today, the picture is admired by thousands of visitors every year.’

• ‘A famous artist painted this picture’ → Active voice. We know who did the action.
• ‘It was sold to a museum’ → Passive voice. We do not know or care who sold it.
• ‘The picture is admired by thousands of visitors’ → Passive voice. The focus is on the picture, not the visitors.

This example shows how both voices can work together naturally in the same text.

Key Points to Remember

• The active voice follows the structure: Subject + Verb + Object.
• The passive voice follows the structure: Subject + To Be + Past Participle.
• Use the active voice for clear, direct sentences in conversation.
• Use the passive voice when the action or result is more important than the person doing it.
• The passive voice is very common in formal writing, news, and academic English.
• French and Spanish speakers will recognise the structure, but remember that English uses the passive more often.

Do not try to avoid the passive voice entirely. Instead, learn to recognise it and use it with confidence. It is an essential part of natural English communication.

Sources

• Swan, M. (2005). Practical English Usage. Oxford University Press.
• Murphy, R. (2019). English Grammar in Use (5th edition). Cambridge University Press.
• Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S., and Finegan, E. (1999). Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Pearson Education.