Among the key English grammar topics, the Passive Voice is an essential structure that can boost your performance across all IELTS skills. If you're still unsure how to use passive voice or convert active sentences into passive ones, explore the detailed explanation and exercises below with IDP.
1. What Is Passive Voice?
The passive voice is used when the focus is on the subject receiving the action, rather than performing it. When converting an active sentence into a passive one, the verb tense must remain the same.
Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|
The subject performs an action. | The subject receives the action. |
Example: The Beatles wrote "A Hard Day's Night". | Example: "A Hard Day's Night" was written by the Beatles. |
They called off the meeting. | The meeting was called off. |
Note:
If a sentence has two objects, choose the one you want to emphasize and place it as the subject in the passive sentence. Typically, the indirect object is preferred. Example: Haley gives Alex an elegant tie. → Alex is given an elegant tie by Haley.
Use by for the direct agent and with for tools or indirect agents. Example: She is making a cake. → A cake is being made by her. A door is opened with a key.
For general agents like people, they, someone, omit the agent in the passive sentence. Example: Someone stole my bicycle yesterday. → My bicycle was stolen yesterday.
2. Passive Voice Sentence Structure in English
Affirmative Passive Sentence:
Active Voice | Passive Voice |
S + Verb + O | S + be + V3 (past participle) + by O |
Question Form:
Active Voice | Passive Voice |
Be + S + V3 + O? | Be + S + V3 + by O? |
3. Steps to Convert Active Voice to Passive Voice
Follow these simple steps to convert an active sentence into a passive one:
Step-by-Step Guide:
Step | Example |
|---|---|
Step 1: Identify the object of the active sentence and turn it into the subject. | The house |
Step 2: Determine the tense and use the correct passive verb form (be + V3). | The house was cleaned |
Step 3: Add the agent (by + noun) if needed. | The house was cleaned yesterday by my mom. |
4. Passive Voice Tense Structures
Tense | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
Present simple | S + V(s/es) + O | S + am/is/are + V3 |
Present continuous | S + am/is/are + V-ing + O | S + am/is/are + being + V3 |
Present perfect | S + have/has + V3 + O | S + have/has + been + V3 |
Past simple | S + V2 + O | S + was/were + V3 |
Past continuous | S + was/were + V-ing + O | S + was/were + being + V3 |
Past perfect | S + had + V3 + O | S + had + been + V3 |
Future simple | S + will + V-inf + O | S + will + be + V3 |
Future perfect | S + will have + V3 + O | S + will have been + V3 |
Be going to | S + am/is/are going to + V-inf + O | S + am/is/are going to + be + V3 |
Modal verbs | S + modal + V-inf + O | S + modal + be + V3 |
5. Passive Voice Exercises with Answers
Exercise 1: Convert the following into passive voice
The waiter brings me this dish. → This dish is brought to me by the waiter.
Our friends send these postcards to us. → These postcards are sent to us by our friends.
Their grandmother told them this story when they visited her last week. → They were told this story by their grandmother when they visited her last week.
Tim ordered this train ticket for his mother. → This train ticket was ordered for his mother by Tim.
She showed her ticket to the airline agent. → Her ticket was shown to the airline agent by her.
Jim baked this cake yesterday. → This cake was baked by Jim yesterday.
They are going to buy a new apartment next year. → A new apartment is going to be bought next year.
The shop assistant handed these boxes to the customer. → These boxes were handed to the customer by the shop assistant.
The board awarded the first prize to the reporter. → The first prize was awarded to the reporter by the board.
Have you sent the Christmas cards to your family? → Have the Christmas cards been sent to your family?
Exercise 2: Fill in the correct passive form
The war will be declared next week.
Your homework must be finished by tomorrow afternoon.
That house has not been painted since I was a child.
Smoking is not allowed in this hotel.
After all the flights had been canceled, the tourists checked in at the hotel.
The car has not been washed for over a week.
He was given a new contract last year.
This song was written by the Beatles in 1967.
Valuable resources can be saved with better usage.
New schools are being built in the area.
Master Passive Voice with IDP
The guide above covers everything from the definition of passive voice, grammar structures, to how to convert active sentences across tenses. To use passive voice effectively in the IELTS test, be sure to practice regularly using IDP’s free IELTS study materials.
To get familiar with the IELTS format and improve time management, try IDP’s official IELTS mock test. You can also review the IELTS band descriptors to set your goals and explore IELTS remark procedures if you are not satisfied with your score.
When you’re ready, register for your IELTS test online with IDP today!