Active vs Passive Voice: When to Use Each in Daily English

Priya Sharma

Priya Sharma writes English learning guides for ESL students. Pune-based language enthusiast.

Visual representation of the voice · not a photographic portrait

Quick answer: Use active voice most of the time, where the doer comes first: "Maria wrote the email." Use passive voice when the doer is unknown, obvious or unimportant: "The email was sent." Build the passive with a form of "be" plus the past participle.↗ Share on X

Use the active voice most of the time: the person or thing doing the action comes first ("Maria wrote the email"). Use the passive voice only when the doer is unknown, unimportant, or obvious, or when you want to focus on the thing that received the action ("The email was sent at 9 a.m."). To build the passive, use a form of be plus the past participle of the verb: *is cleaned*, *was built*, *will be delivered*. That one rule covers almost every case you will meet in daily English.

Below you will find a simple way to spot each voice, a table for every common tense, and real examples from work, school, and everyday life.

What is the difference between active and passive voice?

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Every action has two parts: someone who does it and something that receives it.

• Active voice: the doer is the subject. → *The chef cooks the pasta.*
• Passive voice: the receiver is the subject. → *The pasta is cooked by the chef.*

Both sentences say the same thing. The difference is the focus. The active sentence is about the chef. The passive sentence is about the pasta.

A quick test: ask "Who did it?" If the answer is at the start of the sentence, it is active. If the answer comes later with "by," or is missing, it is passive.

How do you change an active sentence into a passive one?

Follow these four steps:

1. Find the object (the thing receiving the action). In *"Tom fixed the car,"* the object is *the car*.

2. Move the object to the front. → *The car…*

3. Add the right form of "be" + the past participle. *Fixed* is past tense, so use *was* + *fixed*. → *The car was fixed…*

4. Add "by + doer" only if it matters. → *The car was fixed by Tom.* Or just: *The car was fixed.*

Important: only verbs with an object can become passive. "She sleeps" has no object, so there is no passive form. You cannot say "is slept."

What does the passive look like in each tense?

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This table uses the verb *clean* (past participle: *cleaned*) and the verb *write* (past participle: *written*).

Notice the pattern: only the form of be changes. The main verb is always the past participle.

Which past participles cause the most mistakes?

Regular verbs just add *-ed*: *clean → cleaned*, *open → opened*. Irregular verbs are the problem. Here are ones you will use often:

A common mistake is using the simple past instead of the participle: ❌ *"The letter was wrote."* ✅ *"The letter was written."*

When is the active voice the better choice?

Use active voice when the doer matters and you want clear, direct sentences. It is shorter and easier to follow.

• ❌ *A decision was made by the manager to close early.*
• ✅ *The manager decided to close early.*

• ❌ *The ball was kicked by the boy.*
• ✅ *The boy kicked the ball.*

In emails, messages, and conversation, active voice sounds more natural and more confident. If you are not sure which to use, choose active.

When does the passive voice actually work better?

The passive is not wrong. It is a tool. Use it in these four situations:

1. You do not know who did it.

*My bike was stolen last night.* (You do not know the thief.)

2. The doer is obvious.

*He was arrested.* (Of course the police did it.)

3. The doer is not important.

*Rice is grown in many countries.* (Who grows it does not matter here.)

4. You want to sound polite or avoid blame.

*A mistake was made in your bill.* sounds softer than *We made a mistake in your bill.*

You will also see the passive a lot in news, science, and official notices:

• *The road will be closed on Saturday.*
• *Passengers are asked to keep their bags with them.*
• *Payment must be received by Friday.*

What are the most common mistakes learners make?

Here are the errors teachers see again and again:

Verbs like *happen*, *arrive*, *die*, *sleep*, and *come* never take the passive, because they have no object.

How can you practice in five minutes a day?

Short, daily practice works better than one long study session. Try this routine:

1. Day 1 — Spot it. Read one short news article. Underline every "be + past participle." Count them.

2. Day 2 — Flip it. Take five active sentences from your day ("I washed the dishes") and make them passive ("The dishes were washed").

3. Day 3 — Flip it back. Take five passive sentences from signs or notices and make them active. *"Shoplifters will be prosecuted"* → *"We will prosecute shoplifters."*

4. Day 4 — Choose. Write three short messages to a friend or coworker. For each sentence, ask: "Does the doer matter?" If yes, use active.

5. Day 5 — Irregular review. Say the ten verbs from the participle table out loud, then make one passive sentence with each.

Repeat the cycle each week with new sentences.

Can you check yourself with a quick quiz?

Change these to passive. Answers are below.

1. Someone cleans the rooms every morning.

2. They are painting the kitchen.

3. The teacher gave us homework.

4. People will hold the meeting online.

5. Someone has eaten my sandwich!

Answers:

1. The rooms are cleaned every morning.

2. The kitchen is being painted.

3. We were given homework. (Or: Homework was given to us.)

4. The meeting will be held online.

5. My sandwich has been eaten!

Notice that "someone," "they," and "people" disappear. When the doer is vague, the passive lets you drop it.

Your next step

Write down three things that happened to you today, first in active voice and then in passive voice. For example: *"My boss sent me an email"* → *"I was sent an email by my boss."* Then read both versions out loud and ask which one sounds more natural. Most of the time it will be the active one — and knowing *why* is what makes your English sound clear and confident.

FAQ

Is the passive voice wrong?

No. It is a tool. It works well when you do not know who did the action, when the doer is obvious, or when you want to sound polite, as in "A mistake was made."

Why can't I say "It was happened"?

Only verbs with an object can be passive. "Happen" has no object, so you just say "It happened." The same is true for arrive, die, sleep and come.

How do I form the passive in the future?

Use "will be" plus the past participle: "The report will be written." With going to, say "The report is going to be written."