Passive Voice: Modal Verbs

In a normal sentence, we focus on the person. "The chef can cook the meal." Here, the chef is the hero. In the passive version, we flip the script. "The meal can be cooked." Now, the meal is the hero. We use modal verbs like can, must, should, and might to add extra meaning. These words tell us if something is possible, necessary, or a good idea. When we combine them with the passive voice, we get a very flexible tool. It is like adding different spices to the same base dish. Each modal changes the flavor of the sentence just a little bit. You use this when you want to sound objective or when the "doer" is obvious. For example, in a job interview, you might hear: A decision will be made soon. They don't need to say "We will make a decision." It is already clear who is hiring!

1. 1Creating this structure is like following a simple recipe. You only need four ingredients.
2. 2Start with the Subject. This is the thing receiving the action (e.g., The report).
3. 3Add the Modal Verb. Choose your flavor: can, could, must, should, may, or might.
4. 4Add the word be. This word never changes! It stays exactly as be regardless of the subject.
5. 5Add the Past Participle. This is the third form of the verb (e.g., written, done, fixed).
6. 6So, the formula is: Subject + Modal + be + Past Participle.
7. 7Example: The car (Subject) + must (Modal) + be (be) + washed (V3).
8. 8It’s as easy as assembling a piece of furniture, but with fewer leftover screws.

This pattern is a superstar in several real-world situations.

• Official Rules: Think of signs in a park or a gym. Dogs must be kept on a leash. It sounds official and applies to everyone.
• Giving Advice: Use should to be helpful. The medicine should be taken with food. This focuses on the safety of the patient.
• Uncertainty: Use might or could when you aren't 100% sure. The flight might be delayed. You aren't blaming the pilot; you're just stating a possibility.
• Polite Requests: In a restaurant, you might ask, Can the bill be split? It sounds much more polite than "Can you split the bill?"
• Process Descriptions: When explaining how something is made. The grapes are picked, then they must be crushed.

Don't use this for every single sentence! If you do, you will sound like a robot from a 1970s sci-fi movie.

• Personal Stories: If you are telling a friend about your weekend, use the active voice. "I bought a car" is better than "A car was bought by me." The second one sounds like a police report.
• Intransitive Verbs: Some verbs can't be passive. You can't say "The bed was slept" or "The station was arrived." These verbs don't have an object to move to the front.
• Urgency: In an emergency, be direct. "Call the police!" is better than "The police should be called."
• When the Doer is the Star: If you want to praise someone, use active voice. "Sarah won the prize" is much better than "The prize was won by Sarah."

Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes!

• Forgetting the be: This is the most common trip-up. People say, "The work must done." It sounds like the sentence is missing its skeleton. Always remember: must be done.
• Wrong Verb Form: Using the base verb instead of the past participle. "The house should be paint" is wrong. It must be "The house should be painted."
• Confusion with Tense: Don't try to change be to is or are. "The books can are borrowed" is a big no-no. It is always can be borrowed.
• Overusing 'by': You don't always need to say who did it. "The cake was eaten by the dog" is fine, but usually, "The cake was eaten" is enough. Don't add extra words if they don't add value.

How is this different from the normal passive voice?

Normal Passive: The room is cleaned. (A general fact or habit).

Modal Passive: The room should be cleaned. (An opinion or advice).

Modal Passive: The room must be cleaned. (A strong requirement).

The modal verb adds a "mood" to the passive voice. Without the modal, the sentence is just a flat statement of fact. With the modal, you express necessity, possibility, or permission. It is like the difference between saying "It is raining" and "It might rain." One is a fact; the other is a possibility.