The cake was eaten.
- Language
- English
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Passive and Causative Structures
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
The passive voice in English is a way to show that the subject of the sentence is not doing the action, but is receiving it. The focus is on the action or the result, not on who does it.
When to use it
Use the passive voice when the person or thing doing the action is unknown, unimportant, or obvious, or when you want to focus on the action itself rather than the doer.
Key forms
- be (in the correct tense) + past participle
- Examples: is made, was built, will be finished
Examples
The letter is being written.
The project will be completed soon.
English is spoken in many countries.
Tips
- Always use the correct form of 'be' for the tense.
- Use the past participle of the main verb after 'be'.
- Only add 'by' to show who did the action if it is important.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Some verbs do not have a passive form (for example, intransitive verbs like 'arrive', 'sleep').
- The passive voice is not common with some verbs in English.
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