Passive Voice: Present Simple

Imagine a sentence like a see-saw. In active voice, the 'doer' sits on the left. They have all the power. In passive voice, we swap seats. The 'receiver' of the action moves to the front. The 'doer' either moves to the end or disappears. Why does this happen? Usually, because we do not know who did it. Or perhaps we just do not care. If your bike is stolen, you care about the bike. You do not know the thief. So, you say My bike is stolen. The focus stays on your missing wheels. The verb be acts like a bridge here. It connects the subject to the action. It tells us when the action happens. Since we are using the present simple, we use am, is, or are. It is simple, clean, and very effective. Yes, even native speakers use this to avoid blame sometimes! "The vase is broken" sounds much better than "I broke the vase."

1. 1Building this pattern is like following a simple recipe. You only need three main ingredients.
2. 2Start with the object that receives the action. This becomes your new subject.
3. 3Add the correct form of the verb be. Use am, is, or are based on your subject.
4. 4Add the past participle of the main verb. This is often the -ed form.
5. 5Let's look at a quick example with the verb write.
6. 6For I: I am chosen.
7. 7For He/She/It: The letter is written.
8. 8For You/We/They: The reports are sent.
9. 9If you want to mention the person, use the word by. For example, The song is sung by Adele. But remember, you do not always need this. Most passive sentences are shorter and punchier without it. Think of the past participle as the 'third form' of the verb. If you are unsure, check a list of irregular verbs. It is the same form you use for the present perfect. Once you master the be + past participle combo, you are golden. It is like learning to ride a bike with training wheels. Once it clicks, you will do it without thinking.

When should you pull this tool out of your grammar kit? Use it for facts that are always true. For example, Coffee is grown in Brazil. We do not need to list every single farmer. It is also perfect for processes. Think about a factory tour. The bottles are cleaned. Then, they are filled with soda. It keeps the focus on the product. Use it when the 'doer' is obvious. The thief is arrested. We know the police did it. No need to say it! It is also great for being polite or formal. In an office, you might say The meeting is scheduled for 10 AM. It sounds more official than I scheduled the meeting. Use it in news headlines too. A new planet is discovered. It sounds exciting and objective. It is like a grammar traffic light. It tells the reader where to look first.

Do not use the passive voice for everything. If you do, you will sound like a robot. Avoid it in personal stories. I ate a giant pizza is better than A giant pizza was eaten by me. The second one sounds weird and clunky. Also, some verbs cannot be passive at all. These are called intransitive verbs. You cannot say The bed is slept. You cannot say The station is arrived. These verbs do not have an object to move to the front. If there is no 'receiver', there is no passive. Keep your sentences active when you want to be energetic. Active voice is fast and direct. Passive voice is slower and more thoughtful. Use it like salt in cooking. A little bit adds great flavor. Too much makes the whole thing hard to swallow.

One big mistake is forgetting the verb be. People often say The car fixed. This is wrong. You must say The car is fixed. Without is, the sentence falls apart. Another mistake is using the wrong verb form. Do not say The cake is bake. You need the past participle: The cake is baked. Watch out for irregular verbs too. The letter is wrote is a common slip-up. It should be The letter is written. Some people also get confused with is and are. Remember to look at your new subject. The apple is eaten, but The apples are eaten. It sounds simple, but your brain might move faster than your pen. Even university students mess this up when they are tired! Just take a breath and check your 'be' verb. It is the glue that holds the passive voice together.

How does this compare to the active voice? In active voice, the subject performs the action. The sun warms the earth. In passive voice, the subject receives it. The earth is warmed by the sun. It is the same meaning but a different focus. Do not confuse it with the present continuous. The car is washing means the car is somehow holding a sponge! The car is being washed is the continuous passive. But for general facts, stick to the simple version: The car is washed every week. It is also different from using adjectives. The door is open describes a state. The door is opened describes an action that someone performs. It is a subtle difference. Think of it like a photo versus a video. One is a still image, the other shows something happening.