Passive basics

Rules

• Rule 1: Present → is / are + V3

  For facts and things that happen regularly, use is / are + V3. Singular subject → is, plural subject → are.

  Pattern: singular + is + V3 · plural + are + V3

  Example: Coffee is grown in Brazil.

  Example: The classrooms are painted every summer.

• Rule 2: Past → was / were + V3

  For finished actions in the past, use was / were + V3. Singular → was, plural → were.

  Pattern: singular + was + V3 · plural + were + V3

  Example: The telephone was invented in the 19th century.

  Example: These pictures were drawn by my little brother.

• Rule 3: Use by for the doer

  To say who did the action, add by + the doer. If the doer is unknown or unimportant, just leave it out.

  Pattern: be + V3 + by + doer

  Example: The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.

  Example: All the cookies were eaten last night!

• Rule 4: From active to passive

  The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive one. The verb becomes be + V3, and the tense stays the same.

  Pattern: Active: subject + verb + object → Passive: object + be + V3 (+ by …)

  Example: The chef cooks the soup. → The soup is cooked by the chef.

  Example: Emma wrote these songs. → These songs were written by Emma.

Common mistakes

• The house built in 1990. → The house was built in 1990.

  Don't forget be: was built.

• The letter was wrote by Ali. → The letter was written by Ali.

  Use the past participle (V3): write – wrote – written.

• The cake was made from my mom. → The cake was made by my mom.

  The doer comes after by. (*made from* tells us the material.)