The passive voice is most useful when you want the result, or the receiver, of the action to be the focus of the sentence, instead of the doer of the action.

The passive voice can appear in many forms.

  Active Voice Passive Voice
Simple Present We deliver the package to the store. The package is delivered to the store.
Simple Past We delivered the package to the store. The package was delivered to the store.
Simple Future We will deliver the package to the store. The package will be delivered to the store.
'be going to' We are going to deliver the package to the store. The package is going to be delivered to the store.
Present Continuous We are delivering the package to the store. The package is being delivered to the store.
Past Continuous We were delivering the package to the store. The package was being delivered to the store.
Present Perfect We have delivered the package to the store. The package has been delivered to the store.
Past Perfect We had delivered the package to the store. The package had been delivered to the store.
Present Modal We might deliver the package to the store. The package might be delivered to the store.
Past Modal We could have delivered the package to the store. The package could have been delivered to the store.

We don't use the passive voice as often as we use the active. The passive is used quite often in formal writing and speaking.

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

If a verb has an object after it, it is a transitive verb. If it does not have an object following it, it is an intransitive verb.

Most transitive verbs can be in the passive voice or the active voice.

Active Voice

  • Jeremy ate all the cookies.
  • Someone broke my laptop last night!
  • Arie gave Peter a gold medal.

Passive Voice

  • All the cookies were eaten by Jeremy.
  • My laptop was broken last night!
  • Peter was given a gold medal by Arie.

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Exercises

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