Passive Voice: By + Agent

Imagine you are at a fancy art gallery. You see a beautiful painting. You might say, "Picasso painted this." That is active and direct. But the painting is the main attraction here. So, you say, "This was painted by Picasso." The focus shifts to the art. The word by connects the action to the person. It tells us who is responsible. It is a simple bridge between the verb and the person. Think of it as a grammar spotlight. It shines on the result first, then the creator. Even native speakers use this to sound more professional. It helps you vary your sentence structure.

1. 1Creating this pattern is like following a recipe. You need four main ingredients.
2. 2Start with the object of the active sentence.
3. 3Add the correct form of the verb to be.
4. 4Use the past participle of your main verb.
5. 5Add by followed by the person or thing.
6. 6For example: The cake (Object) + was (Be) + eaten (Past Participle) + by the dog (Agent).
7. 7If you are talking about the future, use will be. For the present, use is or are. Just remember, the past participle never changes. It is the anchor of your sentence.

Use this when the result is the big news. Imagine you are in a job interview. You want to sound humble but effective. You might say, "The sales record was broken by my team." It sounds more collaborative than "My team broke the record."

Use it for creative works too. Songs, books, and films love this structure. "The song was written by Adele." It feels more poetic.

Use it when the agent is a surprise. "The window was broken by a bird!" You expected a ball, but it was a bird.

Use it in formal reports or news stories. "The law was passed by the government." It sounds official and serious.

Do not use by if the agent is obvious. "The thief was arrested by the police." We know the police arrest people. Adding by the police is just extra words.

Avoid it if the agent is unknown. "My bike was stolen." You do not know who did it. So, do not guess with by someone.

Do not use it if the agent is not important. "The house was built in 1990." We care about the date, not the builders.

Also, do not use it for every sentence. Your writing will feel slow and heavy. It is like putting too much salt in a soup. A little bit is perfect. Too much ruins the flavor.

Many people use with instead of by. This is a classic trap. Use by for people or agents. Use with for tools or instruments.

• ✗ The letter was written with John.
• ✓ The letter was written by John.
• ✓ The letter was written with a pen.

Another mistake is using the wrong pronoun. After by, always use the object pronoun.

• ✗ The dinner was cooked by she.
• ✓ The dinner was cooked by her.

Sometimes people forget the verb to be.

• ✗ The bridge built by Romans.
• ✓ The bridge was built by Romans.

Don't worry, even the best of us trip over these. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. Slow down and check your parts.

Compare this to the standard passive voice. Usually, we leave the agent out. "The room was cleaned." This is short and fast. Adding by someone makes it specific.

Compare it to the active voice. "The chef prepared the meal." This is active and energetic. "The meal was prepared by the chef." This is slower and more formal.

Also, watch out for from. We use from for origins, not agents. "I got a gift from Mary." This is not passive. "The gift was sent by Mary." This is passive.