Passive Voice Exercises
Do more with this exercise
How the passive voice works
Use the passive when the action or its result matters more than the person who does it. Put the form of be in the right tense, then add the past participle.
- Present simple:
- am/is/are + past participle: The rooms are cleaned every day.
- Past simple:
- was/were + past participle: The rooms were cleaned yesterday.
- Doer:
- Add by only when the doer is useful: The picture was painted by my aunt.
- Keep the tense:
- In an active-to-passive change, the tense stays present or past; the object becomes the new subject.
Examples
The school is opened at eight every morning.
present simple passive: regular routine
These emails are sent every Friday.
plural subject takes are
The bridge was built in 1998.
past simple passive: one finished event
The windows were broken during the storm.
plural subject takes were
The book was written by a local teacher.
use by when the doer adds information
Audio uses a synthetic voice.
Practice exercises
Choose the passive form
Select the form that matches the time and subject.
1.The bridge ___ in 1998.
2.These reports ___ every Monday.
3.The door ___ last night.
4.English ___ in many countries.
5.The tickets ___ online yesterday.
6.This room ___ twice a week.
Complete the passive sentences
Type the correct form of *be* and the past participle of the verb shown.
Change active to passive
Rewrite each sentence in the passive. Keep the same tense. Include *by* only when it adds useful information.
13.Workers clean the station every night.
14.A storm damaged the roof last week.
15.They send the bills by email every month.
16.Someone stole my bike yesterday.
17.The school holds the meeting every Friday.
18.Ms Green marked the tests on Monday.
Present and past simple passive in everyday English
The passive voice helps you talk about what happened to a thing or person. Signs, news reports and instructions often focus on the result rather than the person who did the action. That is why “The road was closed” can be more useful than “Someone closed the road.”
To form the present simple passive, use am, is or are with a past participle. For a finished past event, use was or were with a past participle. The subject of the new sentence controls the form of be. A singular subject takes is or was; a plural subject takes are or were.
When you change an active sentence to passive, keep its time and meaning. Move the object to the front, choose the right form of be, and use the verb’s past participle. Add a by phrase only when the doer helps the reader understand the sentence.
Frequently asked questions
What is the passive voice?
The passive puts the action or its result first. It uses a form of be and a past participle, as in “The room is cleaned.”
How do I choose is, are, was or were?
Choose the tense from the time expression and match be to the new subject: is/are for present, was/were for past.
Do I always need by in a passive sentence?
No. Add by when the doer is useful or surprising. Leave it out when the doer is unknown or unimportant.
Can I use the passive for a routine?
Yes. Use the present simple passive for routines: “The shop is cleaned at nine every day.”
Answer key
1. The bridge ___ in 1998.
Answer: was built
The date marks a finished past event, so use was + built.
2. These reports ___ every Monday.
Answer: are checked
Every Monday is a routine. The plural subject reports takes are checked.
3. The door ___ last night.
Answer: was locked
Last night calls for the past simple; singular door takes was locked.
4. English ___ in many countries.
Answer: is spoken
This is a general fact, so use present simple passive: is spoken.
5. The tickets ___ online yesterday.
Answer: were sold
Yesterday is past, and plural tickets takes were sold.
6. This room ___ twice a week.
Answer: is cleaned
Twice a week is a routine, so use is cleaned.
7. The letters ___ every morning.
Answer: are delivered
Plural letters in a present routine take are delivered.
8. The cake ___ yesterday.
Answer: was made
Singular cake in the past takes was made.
9. The classroom ___ after school.
Answer: is cleaned
A regular action with singular classroom takes is cleaned.
10. The two roads ___ in 2010.
Answer: were built
Plural roads in the past take were built.
11. This song ___ on the radio every day.
Answer: is played
A present routine with singular song takes is played.
12. The windows ___ during the storm last week.
Answer: were broken
Plural windows in the past take were broken.
13. Workers clean the station every night.
Answer: The station is cleaned every night.
The object the station becomes the subject. The routine stays present simple: is cleaned.
14. A storm damaged the roof last week.
Answer: The roof was damaged by a storm last week.
The event is past, so use was damaged. By a storm explains the cause.
15. They send the bills by email every month.
Answer: The bills are sent by email every month.
Plural bills takes are sent. By email describes the method, not the doer.
16. Someone stole my bike yesterday.
Answer: My bike was stolen yesterday.
The doer is unknown. Use past simple passive was stolen without by someone.
17. The school holds the meeting every Friday.
Answer: The meeting is held every Friday.
Every Friday signals a routine, so use is held.
18. Ms Green marked the tests on Monday.
Answer: The tests were marked by Ms Green on Monday.
Plural tests in the past takes were marked. Ms Green is a useful doer to name.