Active or Passive Voice in FrenchB1

In the active voice, the subject performs the action. The sentence often follows the structure subject + verb + complement, like The mail carrier delivers the mail or Marie opens the window. The verb gets straight to the point, and the most important information appears right away with the agent of the action. This form gives a livelier and more natural tone in everyday conversation. It is used when we want to say clearly who acts without beating around the bush.

In the passive voice, the subject does not perform the action; it receives it. The form is constructed with to be + past participle, like The window is opened or The mail is delivered. The main verb keeps the meaning of the action, but attention is placed on the person or thing undergoing that action. The passive sentence often appears in a more descriptive, more neutral style, or when the agent is not the most useful part to mention.

Basic construction in the passive

Idea
In the passive voice, the subject undergoes the action instead of carrying it out.
The passive form is constructed with être followed by the past participle.
The passive is often chosen when the agent matters less than the action itself.

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When an active sentence becomes passive, the direct object of the active sentence takes the place of the subject. Thus, The gardener waters the flowers becomes The flowers are watered by the gardener. The group that received the action becomes the starting point of the sentence. The active subject disappears from its initial position and moves, if it is expressed, into a group introduced by by. The structure changes, but the basic idea remains the same.

Passive with être in the present

Subject	Infinitive	Conjugation
je	être	suis pris
tu	être	es pris
il	être	est pris
nous	être	sommes pris
vous	être	êtes pris
ils	être	sont pris

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In the passive sentence, the agent is most often introduced with by. We say The painting was painted by an artist or The letter is read by the teacher. This group names the one who actually performs the action, but it is not obligatory. Of appears with certain verbs and in certain fixed expressions, especially when the sentence describes a state or a relationship rather than a visible gesture, like He is loved by everyone or The room is surrounded by gardens. The choice between by and of therefore depends on the verb and the meaning.

Expressing the agent in the passive

Phrase	Purpose
Le message a été envoyé par Léa.	indicates who carries out the action
Le gâteau a été préparé par mon frère.	presents the author of the action
La salle est décorée par les élèves.	shows the agent in the passive
Le rapport a été corrigé par la directrice.	specifies the person responsible
La scène a été éclairée par des projecteurs.	names the source of the action
Le vieux pont est connu de tous.	illustrates a complement with to in a fixed expression

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In the passive voice, the past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number. We say The door is closed, The doors are closed, The file is classified, The files are classified. The agreement is made with the word that is the subject of to be, since this subject receives the action. The singular masculine serves as the basic form, then the feminine often adds -e and the plural adds -s.

Past participle agreement in the passive

Idea
In the passive, the past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number.
With a singular feminine subject, one often adds e to the past participle form.
With a plural subject, one often marks s at the end of the past participle.

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The choice depends on the point we want to emphasize. The active voice is suitable when the agent matters and we want a clear sentence, like The chef announces the decision. The passive voice is used when we want to emphasize the action or the person or thing affected by the action, like The decision is announced tonight. It is also used when the agent is unknown, unimportant, or deliberately left out. In an official, scientific, or journalistic text, the passive voice often gives a more neutral and impersonal tone.

Choice according to the intended effect

Usage	Explanation
Emphasizing the action	We use the passive voice when we want to emphasize what happens more than the person who acts.
Putting the agent in the background	We choose the passive when the doer of the action matters less than the result.
Omitting the unknown agent	We use the passive voice when we do not know who carried out the action or when we do not want to say.

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The pronominal form is not the passive voice. In The door closes, the verb is pronominal and the sentence often describes a phenomenon that occurs without an expressed agent, whereas The door is closed establishes a true passive voice with to be + past participle. The simple verb to be with an adjective gives something else again: The door is closed can be a state if closed functions as an adjective, whereas in a passive the past participle retains the idea of an action undergone. The context shows the difference between a state, an action undergone, and a pronominal construction.