Present Simple Passive: Form and

In a normal sentence, we start with the person. We say, "The chef cooks the food." This is active. In the passive, we flip it. The food becomes the star. We say, "The food is cooked." We use the verb to be and a special verb form. This form is called the Past Participle. For most verbs, just add -ed. For others, it gets a bit weird. But don't worry! You will get used to it. It is like learning the steps to a new dance. Once you know the rhythm, you can't stop.

1. 1Building this is like building a sandwich. You need three layers:
2. 2Start with the Subject. This is the thing receiving the action. The letters...
3. 3Add the correct form of am, is, or are. The letters are...
4. 4Add the Past Participle of the main verb. The letters are sent.
5. 5For negatives, just add not. The office is not cleaned on Sundays. For questions, move the be verb to the front. Is the mail delivered every day? It is simple and logical. Just remember: the be verb must match the subject. One apple is eaten. Two apples are eaten.

Use this when the person doing the action is a mystery. For example, "My bike is stolen!" You don't know who did it. Use it for general truths. "Rice is grown in China." Everyone knows people grow it, so we don't need to say it. It is also great for processes. Think of a factory. "The cars are painted by robots." It sounds very official. Use it when the 'who' is just not that interesting. If you are ordering a pizza, you care that the pizza is delivered. You don't need the driver's life story.

Do not use this for personal stories. If you say, "The cake was eaten by me," it sounds like a police report. Just say, "I ate the cake!" It is much more natural. Avoid it when you want to be energetic. Active sentences have more 'punch'. Passive sentences can feel a bit slow. If you are telling a joke, keep it active. Nobody laughs at a passive joke. "A bar is walked into by a man" is just not funny. Use passive for facts, not for fun stories with friends.

The biggest mistake is forgetting the be verb. People often say, "The car washed." This sounds like the car is washing itself! That would be a very smart car. Always say, "The car is washed." Another mistake is using the wrong verb form. Don't say, "The bread is break." Use the past participle: "The bread is broken." Yes, even native speakers mess this up when they are tired. Think of the be verb and the past participle as best friends. They must always go together. If one is missing, the sentence feels lonely.

Don't confuse this with the Present Continuous. "The house is painted" means it happens regularly. "The house is being painted" means the painters are there right now. One is a fact; the other is a live event. Also, watch out for the Past Simple Passive. "The cake is eaten" (it happens every day) vs "The cake was eaten" (it happened yesterday). It is like a grammar traffic light. Green means it is happening now or usually. Red means it already happened. Stay in the green for Present Simple Passive.