Passive Voice: English ЕГЭ 2025 Preparation

The passive voice is a grammatical construction in which the subject of a sentence receives the action of the verb rather than performing it. Understanding the passive voice is essential for the ЕГЭ English exam, as it is frequently used in formal and academic writing. This guide will help you master the passive voice and use it correctly in different contexts.

Theory for Exam Preparation

In English, sentences can be written in either the active voice or the passive voice. In the active voice, the subject performs the action of the verb (e.g., "The teacher explains the lesson"). In the passive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb (e.g., "The lesson is explained by the teacher"). The passive voice is formed using the verb "to be" in the appropriate tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. Mastering the passive voice is crucial for achieving a high score in the ЕГЭ English exam, as it is frequently tested in both the grammar and writing sections.

Formation of the Passive Voice

The passive voice is formed using the verb "to be" in the appropriate tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Basic Structure

Active Voice: Subject + Verb + Object

Passive Voice: Object (from active) + be + Past Participle (of main verb) + by + Subject (from active)

Example:

Active: The teacher explains the lesson.
Passive: The lesson is explained by the teacher.

Passive Voice in Different Tenses

Tense	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Present Simple	They clean the room.	The room is cleaned (by them).
Present Continuous	They are cleaning the room.	The room is being cleaned (by them).
Present Perfect	They have cleaned the room.	The room has been cleaned (by them).
Present Perfect Continuous	They have been cleaning the room.	No passive form (use present perfect passive instead)
Past Simple	They cleaned the room.	The room was cleaned (by them).
Past Continuous	They were cleaning the room.	The room was being cleaned (by them).
Past Perfect	They had cleaned the room.	The room had been cleaned (by them).
Past Perfect Continuous	They had been cleaning the room.	No passive form (use past perfect passive instead)
Future Simple	They will clean the room.	The room will be cleaned (by them).
Future Continuous	They will be cleaning the room.	No passive form (use future simple passive instead)
Future Perfect	They will have cleaned the room.	The room will have been cleaned (by them).
Future Perfect Continuous	They will have been cleaning the room.	No passive form (use future perfect passive instead)

Note!

Continuous tenses in the passive voice are less common and can be awkward. In many cases, it's better to use the simple tense in the passive voice instead of the continuous tense.

Passive Voice with Modal Verbs

Modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, should, etc.) can also be used in the passive voice.

Modal Verb	Active Voice	Passive Voice
can	They can solve the problem.	The problem can be solved (by them).
could	They could solve the problem.	The problem could be solved (by them).
may	They may solve the problem.	The problem may be solved (by them).
might	They might solve the problem.	The problem might be solved (by them).
must	They must solve the problem.	The problem must be solved (by them).
should	They should solve the problem.	The problem should be solved (by them).
would	They would solve the problem.	The problem would be solved (by them).

Passive Voice with Perfect Infinitives

Perfect infinitives can also be used in the passive voice.

Modal Verb	Active Voice	Passive Voice
should have	They should have solved the problem.	The problem should have been solved (by them).
could have	They could have solved the problem.	The problem could have been solved (by them).
might have	They might have solved the problem.	The problem might have been solved (by them).
must have	They must have solved the problem.	The problem must have been solved (by them).

Uses of the Passive Voice

When the Doer (Agent) is Unknown, Unimportant, or Obvious

My car was stolen last night. (unknown agent)
English is spoken in many countries. (unimportant agent)
The criminal was arrested. (obvious agent: the police)

To Emphasize the Action or the Recipient of the Action

The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci. (emphasis on the Mona Lisa)
The new bridge will be opened by the mayor next month. (emphasis on the new bridge)

In Formal and Scientific Writing

It has been observed that the reaction occurs more quickly at higher temperatures.
The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions.

To Be Tactful or Diplomatic

Mistakes were made in the handling of the situation. (more diplomatic than "You made mistakes")
The deadline was missed. (more tactful than "You missed the deadline")

Special Cases in the Passive Voice

Verbs with Two Objects

Some verbs can take two objects: a direct object (the thing) and an indirect object (the person). In such cases, either object can become the subject of the passive sentence.

Active: They gave me (indirect object) a book (direct object).

Passive (with indirect object as subject): I was given a book (by them).

Passive (with direct object as subject): A book was given to me (by them).

Other verbs with two objects include: ask, bring, buy, offer, pay, promise, send, show, teach, tell.

Verbs Followed by Prepositions

When a verb is followed by a preposition (phrasal verb), the preposition stays with the verb in the passive voice.

Active: They looked after the children.
Passive: The children were looked after (by them).
Active: Nobody has slept in this bed.
Passive: This bed has not been slept in.

Verbs That Cannot Be Used in the Passive Voice

Some verbs cannot be used in the passive voice because they do not take an object (intransitive verbs) or because they express a state rather than an action.

Intransitive verbs: appear, arrive, come, die, fall, go, happen, occur, rain, rise, sleep, snow, etc.

State verbs: be, belong, cost, exist, have (meaning "possess"), lack, resemble, seem, etc.

Note!

Some verbs can be both transitive and intransitive, depending on their meaning:

The water boiled. (intransitive, cannot be passive)

She boiled the water. (transitive, can be passive: The water was boiled by her.)

Have Something Done

The structure "have something done" is used to express that someone arranges for someone else to do something for them.

I had my car repaired yesterday. (I arranged for someone to repair my car.)
She is having her hair cut tomorrow. (She is arranging for someone to cut her hair.)
They have had their house painted. (They arranged for someone to paint their house.)

Get Something Done

The structure "get something done" is similar to "have something done" but is more informal.

I need to get my watch fixed. (I need to arrange for someone to fix my watch.)
She got her hair dyed last week. (She arranged for someone to dye her hair.)

Reporting Verbs

Reporting verbs like "say," "think," "believe," "report," "know," etc., can be used in special passive constructions.

Active: People say that he is a good teacher.
Passive: It is said that he is a good teacher.
Passive: He is said to be a good teacher.

Other examples:

It is believed that the painting is a fake.
The painting is believed to be a fake.
It is reported that many people were injured in the accident.
Many people are reported to have been injured in the accident.

Active vs. Passive Voice: When to Use Each

Use the Active Voice When:

The doer (agent) is important or the focus of the sentence
You want to make your writing more direct and vigorous
You want to avoid ambiguity
You are writing in an informal context

Use the Passive Voice When:

The doer (agent) is unknown, unimportant, or obvious
You want to emphasize the action or the recipient of the action
You are writing in a formal or scientific context
You want to be tactful or diplomatic

In academic and scientific writing, the passive voice is often preferred because it helps to maintain an objective tone and focus on the processes and results rather than the researchers.

Common Errors with the Passive Voice

Using the Wrong Form of the Verb "to be"

Incorrect: The letter is wrote by John.
Correct: The letter is written by John.

Forgetting to Use the Past Participle

Incorrect: The room is clean every day.
Correct: The room is cleaned every day.

Using the Passive Voice with Intransitive Verbs

Incorrect: The accident was happened yesterday.
Correct: The accident happened yesterday.

Incorrect Word Order

Incorrect: Was written the letter by John.
Correct: The letter was written by John.

Using "by" When It's Not Necessary

Redundant: The room was cleaned by someone.
Better: The room was cleaned.

Practice Examples

Rewrite the following sentences in the passive voice.

They built this house in 1990.
Someone has stolen my wallet.
The teacher is explaining the lesson.
They will announce the results tomorrow.
People speak English in many countries.

Answers:

1. This house was built in 1990 (by them).

2. My wallet has been stolen.

3. The lesson is being explained by the teacher.

4. The results will be announced tomorrow (by them).

5. English is spoken in many countries.

Rewrite the following sentences in the active voice.

The window was broken by the children.
The book has been read by many students.
The car is being repaired by the mechanic.
The letter will be delivered tomorrow.
The cake was made by my mother.

Answers:

1. The children broke the window.

2. Many students have read the book.

3. The mechanic is repairing the car.

4. Someone will deliver the letter tomorrow. (or: The postal service will deliver the letter tomorrow.)

5. My mother made the cake.

Choose the correct form to complete each sentence.

The letter ________ yesterday. (was sent / sent / was send)
English ________ in many countries. (speaks / is spoken / is spoke)
The room ________ every day. (cleans / is cleaned / is clean)
The book ________ by many students. (has read / has been read / has been readed)
The results ________ tomorrow. (will announce / will be announced / will be announce)

Answers:

1. The letter was sent yesterday.

2. English is spoken in many countries.

3. The room is cleaned every day.

4. The book has been read by many students.

5. The results will be announced tomorrow.

Key Points to Remember

The passive voice is formed using the verb "to be" in the appropriate tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb
The passive voice is used when the doer (agent) is unknown, unimportant, or obvious; to emphasize the action or the recipient of the action; in formal and scientific writing; and to be tactful or diplomatic
Some verbs cannot be used in the passive voice because they are intransitive (do not take an object) or express a state rather than an action
With verbs that take two objects, either object can become the subject of the passive sentence
When a verb is followed by a preposition (phrasal verb), the preposition stays with the verb in the passive voice
The structures "have something done" and "get something done" are used to express that someone arranges for someone else to do something for them
Reporting verbs like "say," "think," "believe," etc., can be used in special passive constructions

Exam Tip!

In the ЕГЭ English exam, the passive voice is often tested in multiple-choice questions, gap-filling exercises, and sentence transformation tasks. Pay special attention to the correct form of the verb "to be" in different tenses, the use of the past participle, and the special cases of the passive voice. Also, be aware of when to use the active voice and when to use the passive voice, as this can affect the meaning and emphasis of a sentence.