In the active voice, the subject does the action and the focus is on the doer. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action and the focus is on the result, the receiver, or the action itself. Passive voice is useful when the doer is unknown, unimportant, obvious, or intentionally not mentioned. Many passive sentences can include the doer with a by phrase, but they do not have to.

The passive voice is built with a form of be plus the past participle of the main verb. Tense, aspect, and modality are carried by the be verb or by modal verbs, while the main verb stays as a past participle. Only transitive verbs can normally form a passive because there must be an object to become the passive subject. The active object becomes the passive subject, and the active subject can be moved to an optional by phrase.

Rule	Example
Form be plus past participle	The report was written.
Tense is on be not on participle	The report is written every week.
Use a by phrase to name the doer	The report was written by Maya.
Requires a transitive verb	The window was broken.

Choose the same time reference as in the active sentence, but express it through be or have plus been. Simple tenses use be directly, progressive uses being, and perfect uses been after have. The past participle does not change for tense. This helps keep meaning clear while shifting focus away from the doer.

Rule	Example
Present simple passive uses am is are plus participle	Meals are served at noon.
Past simple passive uses was were plus participle	The meeting was canceled.
Present continuous passive uses am is are being plus participle	The road is being repaired.
Past continuous passive uses was were being plus participle	The data were being checked.
Present perfect passive uses has have been plus participle	The file has been uploaded.
Past perfect passive uses had been plus participle	The seats had been reserved.
Future passive uses will be plus participle	The results will be announced tomorrow.

With modal verbs, keep the modal and use be plus the past participle. For perfect meaning with modals, use have been plus the past participle. This structure keeps the same modality like ability, permission, obligation, or possibility while changing the focus. The doer can still be added with a by phrase if needed.

Rule	Example
Modal plus be plus participle	The form must be signed.
Modal plus have been plus participle for past meaning	The package might have been delivered.
Modal questions invert the modal not be	Should the report be revised?

A by phrase names the agent, the person or thing that performs the action. Use it when the agent is important, surprising, or needed for clarity. Omit it when the agent is unknown, obvious, general, or unimportant, or when you intentionally want to avoid naming the agent. Even when included, the sentence focus usually stays on the passive subject.

Rule	Example
Use by to identify the agent	The mural was painted by local artists.
Omit by when the agent is unknown or irrelevant	My bike was stolen.
Omit by when the agent is general people	The tickets are sold online.

Passive voice changes emphasis: it highlights what happens to the receiver or what result matters. It can create a more formal, objective, or impersonal tone, common in academic and professional writing. Passive can also help paragraph flow by keeping the same topic in the subject position across sentences. Use passive when it improves clarity and coherence, not just to sound formal.

Rule	Example
Use passive to focus on the receiver or result	The samples were stored at room temperature.
Use passive for process descriptions	First, the solution is heated to 80°C.
Use passive to maintain topic continuity	The device was tested overnight. It was then calibrated.

Some verbs take two objects, like give, send, or teach. In these cases, English often allows two passive options, depending on which object you want to emphasize. The indirect object can become the passive subject, especially with people, and the direct object can remain as the second object. Choosing between these options is mainly about which information you want in the subject position.

Rule	Example
Indirect object passive emphasizes the recipient	She was given a refund.
Direct object passive emphasizes the thing given	A refund was given to her.
Keep the remaining object in place	He was taught Spanish.

English also uses get plus past participle as an alternative passive. Get passives are more informal and often suggest change, eventfulness, or that the subject is somehow involved or affected. They are common in spoken English and in situations that feel personal or unexpected. Use be passive for neutral, formal, or descriptive contexts, and get passive for more dynamic tone.

Rule	Example
Get passive is informal and event focused	My phone got stolen.
Get passive often implies change of state	He got promoted last week.
Be passive sounds more neutral or formal	The phone was stolen.

Some be plus past participle forms look passive but function like adjectives that describe a state. Compare an event meaning where an action happened with a state meaning that describes a condition. Context, time expressions, and the possibility of adding a by phrase help you decide. This distinction matters because adjective like uses behave more like descriptions than actions.

Rule	Example
Event passive describes an action happening or completed	The door was closed by the guard.
Stative meaning describes a condition not the action	The door was closed all day.
By phrase usually fits event passives better	The window was broken by vandals.

Passive voice can reduce clarity when it hides the agent or makes sentences long and abstract. In instructions, narratives, and persuasive writing, active voice often feels more direct and energetic. Avoid passive when the agent is essential for meaning, accountability, or precision. If you use passive, make sure the sentence still clearly answers who did what when needed.

Rule	Example
Avoid passive when responsibility matters	The deadline was missed.
Prefer active for clear instructions	Click Save to finish.
Use passive only if the agent is truly not needed	The system is updated nightly.