Practice
Active and passive voice: choose the clearer sentence
A notice may say that the library will close at six. It does not need to name the person who turns the key, so the passive form keeps attention on the library.
Choose active or passive voice according to whether the actor or the action matters most in a sentence.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
active and passive voice /ˈæktɪv ən ˈpæsɪv vɔɪs/
The short answer
In active voice, the subject does the action: The team finished the report. In passive voice, the subject receives the action: The report was finished by the team.
The museum opens the new gallery on Friday.
Why it works: The museum performs the action, so this is active voice.
3 more examples
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The volunteers collected 400 bottles during the clean-up.
The volunteers do the collecting, so active voice makes the actor clear.
Not this:Four hundred bottles
were collectedduring the clean-up. What changes: The passive sentence puts the result first. It works when the number of bottles is the main point. -
A technician repaired the lift this morning.
The sentence identifies who did the repair, so active voice is direct.
Not this:The lift
was repairedthis morning. What changes: The passive form suits a message for lift users because the completed repair matters more than the technician's identity. -
Someone left a blue umbrella in the hall.
The actor is unknown, but the active sentence can still use someone.
Not this:A blue umbrella
was leftin the hall. What changes: The passive form is common in a lost-property notice because it focuses on the umbrella.
Read the full guide
Use active voice when readers need to know who acts. Use passive voice when the action, result, or affected thing deserves the first position, or when the actor is unknown or unimportant.
Find the actor and the affected thing
Most sentences about an action contain an actor and something affected by that action. In The mechanic checked the brakes, the mechanic is the actor and the brakes are the affected thing.
The mechanic checked the brakes before the journey.
The mechanic comes first because this active sentence tells us who performed the check.
In The children painted the fence, what received the action?
The fence received the action. The children are the actors because they did the painting.
Use active voice to name who acts
Active voice usually follows a simple order: actor, verb, affected thing. It helps readers follow responsibility and action without extra words.
The school sent parents an email about the meeting.
This sentence answers a useful question: who sent the email? If you are writing instructions, news, or a message about responsibility, active voice often gives that answer quickly.
Our manager approved the new timetable.
The actor matters here because people may need to know who made the decision.
Build a passive verb phrase
Passive voice uses a form of be and a past participle. Keep the same time meaning by changing be: is cleaned for the present, was cleaned for the past, and will be cleaned for the future.
The classrooms are cleaned every evening.
The classrooms were cleaned yesterday evening.
The classrooms will be cleaned tomorrow evening.
Which two parts make the passive verb in The package was delivered?
Was is the past form of be, and delivered is the past participle. Together they make the passive verb phrase.
Choose passive voice for the result or process
Use passive voice when the actor is unknown, obvious from the situation, or less useful than the result. A sign saying Payments are accepted by card focuses on the payment method, which is what customers need.
The road was closed after the storm.
The sentence gives important information about the road. It does not need to identify the authority that closed it.
Rice is grown in many parts of Asia.
A description of a process or general fact often uses passive voice because no single actor needs attention.
Decide whether to add by
A passive sentence can name the actor with by: The portrait was painted by my aunt. Add this phrase when it gives useful information. Leave it out when readers do not need it.
The winning goal was scored by Amina.
The by phrase belongs because the scorer is part of the news. In The window was broken overnight, a by phrase would not help when nobody knows who broke it.
Would you add by the delivery company to The parcel was delivered at noon?
Add it only if the company matters to the message. For a customer waiting for a parcel, the delivery time may be enough.
Before you go
Remember this
Active voice begins with the actor: The chef prepared the meal. Passive voice begins with the affected thing: The meal was prepared. Choose the form that puts the information your reader needs first.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Active and passive voice: choose the clearer sentence"
What is the difference between active and passive voice?
In active voice, the subject does the action, as in The nurse checked the patient. In passive voice, the subject receives it, as in The patient was checked.
The volunteers collected 400 bottles during the clean-up.
How do I form the passive voice?
Use the correct form of be plus a past participle. For example, is made is present passive, was made is past passive, and will be made is future passive.
Four hundred bottles were collected during the clean-up.
When should I use passive voice?
Use passive voice when the action or result matters more than the actor, or when the actor is unknown, obvious, or not useful to the reader.
A technician repaired the lift this morning.
Do passive sentences always need by?
No. Add by plus the actor only when that detail helps. The sentence The road was closed gives useful information even when it does not name who closed it.
The lift was repaired this morning.
Is passive voice wrong in English?
No. Passive voice is standard English and is common in notices, reports, and process descriptions. Choose active voice when naming the actor makes the sentence clearer.
Someone left a blue umbrella in the hall.