Passive Voice
Grammar 5: Passive Voice
The passive voice is used when the focus is on the action or the object, not who did it. It’s very common in formal writing, news reports, and scientific texts—and often appears in your Bac exam!
How to Form the Passive
Structure: be + past participle (the verb “be” changes with tense)
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | They clean the school. | The school is cleaned. |
| Past Simple | She wrote a letter. | A letter was written. |
| Future Simple | He will fix the car. | The car will be fixed. |
| Present Perfect | They have built a bridge. | A bridge has been built. |
When to Use the Passive
- When the doer is unknown or unimportant:
→ My phone was stolen. (We don’t know who did it.) - In formal or scientific writing:
→ English is spoken in many countries. - When the action matters more than the person:
→ The exam will be corrected by Friday.
Important Notes
- Only transitive verbs (verbs with an object) can be passive.
❌ “She sleeps.” → No object → No passive. - You can mention the doer with “by” if needed:
→ The book was written by a famous author.
Quick Practice (Bac Exam Style)
Change to passive:
- They deliver newspapers every morning.
- Someone has stolen my wallet.
- The teacher will announce the results tomorrow.
✅ Answers:
1. Newspapers are delivered every morning.
2. My wallet has been stolen.
3. The results will be announced tomorrow.
Final Tips
- Check if the sentence has an object—no object = no passive!
- Practice transforming active sentences from past Bac exams into passive.
- Use passive voice in formal letters or reports to sound more academic.
Mastering the passive voice shows advanced grammar control—great for high marks!