B1 · Intermediate Level

Chapter 5 — Passive Voice

When the Action Matters More Than the Doer — Shift focus from who did something to what happened — essential for formal writing and news.
Five exercises on one page · Lesson + Quiz · Listen & Type · Scrambled Sentences · Shadowing · Listen, Read & Understand
Each section has its own Finish & Send button. Complete the exercises in any order.

① Quick Lesson — Chapter 5: Passive Voice

Quick Lesson — Passive Voice in English

Be + Past Participle · When to Use · Modals · Active vs. Passive · Avoiding Overuse

5.1 — Forming the Passive

Be + Past Participle

The passive voice is formed with the correct form of be + the past participle of the main verb. The subject receives the action instead of doing it.

Tense	Active	Passive
Simple Present	They clean the office.	The office is cleaned.
Simple Past	She wrote the report.	The report was written.
Present Perfect	They have approved the plan.	The plan has been approved.
Future (will)	He will deliver the package.	The package will be delivered.

⚠ Key Rule The agent (the doer) can be added with "by" when it is important or new information.
The email was sent by the manager. — But often, the "by" phrase is omitted if the doer is unknown or unimportant.

5.2 — When to Use the Passive

Reports, Instructions, Science & News

Use the passive when the action or result is more important than who did it. Four main contexts:

News & Reports: Three people were injured in the accident.
Science & Research: The samples were tested twice.
Instructions & Processes: The data is entered into the system automatically.
Unknown or obvious doer: My car was stolen last night. (unknown doer)

5.3 — Passive with Modal Verbs

Modal + Be + Past Participle

Modal verbs combine with the passive using: modal + be + past participle.

Modal	Example	Meaning
must	All forms must be completed.	Obligation
should	The report should be submitted.	Advice / recommendation
can	This room can be used freely.	Possibility / permission
might	The event might be canceled.	Uncertainty
could	The problem could be solved.	Potential

5.4 — Active vs. Passive

Choosing the Right Voice

Choose active voice when the doer is known, important, or the subject of the sentence. Choose passive when the focus is on the action, result, or recipient.

Active: The scientist discovered a new planet. → The scientist is the focus.

Passive: A new planet was discovered in 2024. → The discovery is the focus.

⚠ Quick Test Ask: "What is most important — who did it, or what happened?" If the answer is "what happened," use the passive.

5.5 — Avoiding Overuse

When NOT to Use the Passive

Do NOT overuse the passive. Avoid it when:

The doer is clear and important: ✗ The dog was walked by me. → ✓ I walked the dog.
You want to sound natural and direct in conversation.
The sentence becomes unclear or overly long.
You are writing informal emails or personal narratives.

The passive is best in formal, academic, scientific, and journalistic writing — not in everyday speech.

📝 Quick Quiz — Chapter 5: Passive Voice

20 questions · Multiple choice · Auto-graded

Score: 0 / 20

15:00

Submit any time — your answers and score will be sent to your teacher.

② Listen & Type

Listening Exercise | Passive Voice

Listen & Type — Chapter 5: Passive Voice

15 passive voice sentences • Level B1

Sentence 1 of 15 0 / 15 correct

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Word-by-word hint

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③ Scrambled Sentences

Passive Voice — Scrambled Sentences

🔀 Put the sentences in order | Passive Voice in Context | English B1

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PronounVerb ★Article AdjectivePrepositionNoun Adverband / but / by

④ Shadowing

🎤 Shadowing — Chapter 5: Passive Voice

Listen · Repeat · Practice — 25 passive voice sentences in natural context

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25 sentences — Passive Voice Level B1

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Shadowing is a practice exercise — press Finish & Send to record your participation.

⑤ Listen, Read & Understand

Listen, Read & Understand — Chapter 5: Passive Voice

Read the story · listen along · answer the quiz · send your results

Every morning, the news is watched by millions of people around the world. Yesterday, an important announcement was made by the city government. A new community center will be built in the downtown area. The project has been approved by the city council after months of discussion.

At the local hospital, new medical equipment has been ordered and will be installed next month. Patients are being treated with more advanced technology than ever before. All procedures must be followed carefully by the staff to ensure safety.

Meanwhile, at the city school, a science fair was organized last week. Dozens of projects were submitted by students. First prize was awarded to a young student whose experiment on water purification had been designed entirely by herself. Her work will be presented at a national conference next spring. The principal said, "Students should be encouraged to explore science every day."

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Grammar Notes — Passive Voice in the Story:

🔵 "An announcement was made by the city government." → Simple Past Passive — was/were + past participle

🔵 "A new community center will be built." → Future Passive — will be + past participle

🟢 "The project has been approved." → Present Perfect Passive — has/have been + past participle

🟢 "Patients are being treated." → Present Continuous Passive — is/are being + past participle

🔴 "All procedures must be followed." → Modal Passive — modal + be + past participle

🔴 "Her work had been designed entirely by herself." → Past Perfect Passive — had been + past participle

🟡 "Students should be encouraged to explore science." → Modal Passive with advice — should be + past participle

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📝 Comprehension & Grammar Quiz — Chapter 5: Passive Voice

When you're done, press Finish & Send to submit your results.