Passive Voice
What Is It?
The object becomes the subject; the original subject (agent) is optional and introduced with by.
new-subject (object) + be (+ tense) + past participle (+ by agent)
“The bug was fixed (by the developer).”
When to Use Passive Voice
- Shift focus to results: “The feature was shipped yesterday.”
- Agent unknown or obvious: “The window was broken.”
- Politeness / tact: “Deadlines were missed.”
- Objectivity in research: “Samples were analyzed.”
- Variety in longer texts: Mix passives with actives for rhythm.
Forming Passive Constructions
Step-by-Step
- Identify the direct object.
- Move it to subject position.
- Choose the correct form of be for the tense.
- Use the past participle of the main verb.
- Add the agent (by …) only if it matters.
Tense Conversion Cheatsheet
| Active Tense | Passive Form | Active Example | Passive Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | am/is/are + pp | “Tests catch bugs.” | “Bugs are caught (by tests).” |
| Simple Past | was/were + pp | “CI ran checks.” | “Checks were run by CI.” |
| Present Perfect | has/have been + pp | “Engineers have deployed code.” | “Code has been deployed.” |
| Future | will be + pp | “We will launch beta.” | “Beta will be launched.” |
(pp = past participle)
Caveats & Special Cases
- Stative passives describe condition, not action: “The door is closed.”
- Get-passives (get + pp) sound informal: “He got promoted.”
- Double-object verbs can create two passives:
- Active: “They gave her a raise.”
- Passive 1: “She was given a raise.”
- Passive 2: “A raise was given to her.”
- Avoid dangling modifiers: Always clarify who/what performed the action if it matters.
Editing Checklist
- Is the doer important? Yes → use active.
- Does the sentence feel wordy? Yes → try converting to active.
- Is formality, tact, or objectivity critical? Yes → passive may help.