The passive voice is a way of structuring a sentence so that the focus is on the receiver of the action rather than the doer. In passive sentences, the subject is the thing affected by the verb. The agent, or the person or thing doing the action, can be included with "by" or left unstated.

Passive sentences are formed with a form of "be" plus the past participle of the main verb. The tense is shown by the form of "be," not by changing the participle. Questions and negatives follow the usual rules for "be" in English.

The passive can appear in different tenses by changing the form of "be." Common tenses include present simple, past simple, present continuous, and present perfect. Each tense keeps its normal meaning but focuses on the result or the receiver.

Subject	Form
Present simple	am/is/are + past participle
Past simple	was/were + past participle
Present continuous	am/is/are being + past participle
Present perfect	has/have been + past participle

The past participle is the form used in passive constructions after "be." Regular verbs form the past participle with "-ed." Irregular verbs have specific forms that must be memorized.

Word/Phrase	Definition
opened	This is the regular past participle of "open".
written	This is the irregular past participle of "write".
made	This is the irregular past participle of "make".
taken	This is the irregular past participle of "take".

In passive sentences, the agent can be introduced with "by" to show who or what performed the action. The agent is often omitted when it is unknown, obvious, or not important to the message. Keeping or removing the agent changes the focus but not the basic structure.

The passive voice is common when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or general. It is also used in formal writing, scientific reports, and instructions to focus on results. Choosing passive or active voice depends on what the speaker wants to emphasize.