8 structures · CEFR B2–C1
English passive voice
The passive puts the thing that was done first and the person who did it last, or leaves them out entirely. It is built with the verb "be" plus the third form: "the file was sent". English uses it constantly in formal writing, in reports and in process descriptions, and it is the register a lot of Indian office English is expected to produce — so this is the family that pays off fastest at work.
Common passive voice mistakes
Every one of these is a sentence Indian-English speakers genuinely produce — not a textbook example.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
The work was did yesterday. | The work was done yesterday. The passive needs the third form, not the past simple. Active vs Passive → |
The road is repaired right now. | The road is being repaired right now. Without "being" it means the road is in a repaired state, not that work is going on. Continuous passive → |
The report has completed. | The report has been completed. The report did not complete anything — it needs "been" to become passive. Perfect passive → |
The results will announce tomorrow. | The results will be announced tomorrow. Results do not announce — they are announced, so the sentence needs "be". Future passive → |
This form should submit by Friday. | This form should be submitted by Friday. The form does not submit itself — it needs "be" plus the third form. Passive after a modal → |
He hates to blame for everything. | He hates being blamed for everything. He is the one blamed, so the form has to be passive — "being blamed". to be done / being done → |
My phone was stolen yesterday, I got very shocking. | My phone got stolen yesterday and I was shocked. "Shocked" describes how you felt; "shocking" would describe the event. get married, get paid → |
It is said he is the best. | He is said to be the best. Both are possible, but with the person as subject the pattern is "is said to be". It is said that… → |
All 8 passive voice structures
Grouped by CEFR band so you can start where you actually are, rather than at the top.
B2 · Confident
6 structures at this level.
- Active vs PassiveB2Talk about what was done without saying who did it
- Continuous passiveB2Say something is being done right now
- Perfect passiveB2Say something has already been done
- Future passiveB2Say something will be done, without naming who does it
- Passive after a modalB2Give an instruction without naming a person
- get married, get paidB2Use the passive people actually say out loud
C1 · Fluent
2 structures at this level.
Dimmed tiles are structures whose example bank is still being written. The explanation and the mistake are there; the sentences are not, yet.
Reading it is not the same as saying it.
CoCap turns passive voice into practice you can actually do: a Hindi sentence, your English answer, and one correction at a time.
Practise this, free →