Passive Voice: Modals

In a normal sentence, the subject does the work. In the passive voice, the subject receives the work. When we add modals, we add extra meaning. Modals are words like can, must, and should. They tell us about ability or duty. In the passive, we combine these with be. This shifts the focus to the object. Imagine you are at a restaurant. You do not care who cooks the food. You just want the food cooked! You might say The steak should be grilled. The steak is the focus here. The chef is busy in the kitchen. We do not need to mention him. This grammar makes your speaking more efficient. It is like a shortcut for your brain.

1. 1Building these sentences is like following a recipe. You just need four simple steps.
2. 2Start with the Object of the active sentence.
3. 3Add your chosen Modal Verb (like can or must).
4. 4Always add the word be right after the modal.
5. 5Use the Past Participle (the 3rd form of the verb).
6. 6Let's look at a quick example. Active: You must sign the paper. Passive: The paper must be signed. Notice how must stays the same. We just add be and change sign to signed. It is like a grammar magic trick. If you want to say who did it, add by at the end. For example, The paper must be signed by you. But usually, we leave that part out. It keeps the sentence short and sweet.

You will use this pattern in many real-life spots.

• Rules and Laws: Helmets must be worn. This is very common on signs.
• Giving Advice: The medicine should be taken with water. Your doctor says this often.
• Talking about Possibility: The game might be cancelled. Use this when you are not sure.
• Work Tasks: The emails can be sent tomorrow. This sounds very professional in an office.
• Ordering Food: The pizza could be delivered to my house.

It is perfect for when the "who" is obvious. If you are in a library, everyone knows the rules. You do not need to say The librarian says books must be returned. You just say Books must be returned. It saves time and breath. Think of it as the "efficiency mode" of English.

Do not use this for every single sentence. If you do, you will sound like a robot. A very polite robot, but still a robot.

• Personal Stories: Do not say The coffee was drunk by me. Just say I drank the coffee.
• Active Actions: If the person is the most important part, stay active. My mom made this cake is better than This cake was made by my mom.
• Intransitive Verbs: Some verbs cannot be passive. You cannot say The bed was slept. That just sounds silly.

Use it when you want to be formal or neutral. If you are talking to your best friend about a movie, stay active. If you are writing an email to your boss, go passive. It is all about the vibe of the conversation.

Everyone makes mistakes when learning. Here are the big ones to watch for.

• Forgetting "be": People often say It must done. This is wrong. You need It must be done.
• Using the wrong verb form: Do not use the base verb. The car can be wash is incorrect. It must be The car can be washed.
• Modal confusion: Do not use two modals together. It can might be fixed is a big no-no. Pick one and stick with it.
• Subject/Object flip: Make sure the thing receiving the action is at the start.

Think of the word be as the glue. Without the glue, the sentence falls apart. If you find yourself stuck, just remember: Modal + Be + V3. It is your secret formula for success.

You might confuse this with the simple passive. Simple passive uses am/is/are. For example, The house is cleaned. This is a fact about now. Modal passive adds a layer of meaning. The house should be cleaned is an opinion or advice. The house can be cleaned is about possibility.

It is also different from the active modal. In I can fix it, I am the hero. In It can be fixed, the focus is on the broken item. The modal passive is more "objective." It feels less like a personal attack. If you tell a friend You must clean the room, they might get mad. If you say The room must be cleaned, it sounds like a general rule. It is a great way to avoid arguments!