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Active vs Passive Choice

This lesson concerns one communication choice: when to omit the performer of an action from a passive sentence, and when to add a by-phrase. Omit the agent when unknown, irrelevant to the message or clear from context; name it when specific, unexpected or important for assessing the information. Conversational get-passives and the distinction between agent and instrument or means are also relevant.

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Agentless passives: when the event itself matters

Why omit the performer?

Often the key information is the action or its result, rather than who performed it. English offers the passive for this: place the receiver of the action in subject position without mentioning the performer.

Compare two accounts of one event: Someone broke the window and The window was broken. The first refers to an unknown performer with someone; the second focuses on the window. Both are possible. Choose the one that best conveys the intended message in context.

A window in the staff kitchen was broken over the weekend.

A window in the staff kitchen was broken over the weekend.

The damaged window is the focus. The agent is omitted; the sentence alone does not explain why.

Someone broke a window in the staff kitchen over the weekend.

Someone broke a window in the staff kitchen over the weekend.

The active sentence emphasises that a person did it, without identifying them. This can matter in a discussion of responsibility.

Three reasons to omit the agent

An agentless passive is useful when the performer is unknown (we genuinely do not know who acted), irrelevant (the result or process matters more), or obvious (general knowledge or context already identifies who or what acts).

The reasons differ, but the grammatical treatment is the same: the former object becomes the subject, and the performer is not mentioned.

How to build it

Object becomes subject + be/get + past participle; omit the by-phrase when the agent is unknown, irrelevant or obvious.

subject / S
—
The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
V3 / past participle
—
The third verb form: worked, gone, seen. Used after have/has or in the passive, for example; it is not always the same as V2.
object / O
—
Who or what an action affects: in I read a book, a book is the object.

The missing hikers were finally found late last night.

The missing hikers were finally found late last night.

Which member of the rescue team found them first is unstated and unimportant for this news.

Parcels are usually delivered before noon in this area.

Parcels are usually delivered before noon in this area.

The particular courier varies and does not matter to this account.

Rice is grown in many parts of Southeast Asia.

Rice is grown in many parts of Southeast Asia.

Farmers or farms are generally understood as the growers, without explicit identification.

Form: be/get + past participle without an agent

The mechanics are the same as in a passive with an agent: be, or conversational get, in the appropriate tense plus a past participle. This introduces no new tense; omitting the by-phrase leaves the structure intact.

A common form error is omitting be or using a base verb instead of a past participle. Pay particular attention to irregular verbs: build → built, catch → caught, steal → stolen.

How to build it

Subject, formerly the object + be/get in the appropriate tense or aspect + past participle.

subject / S
—
The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
V3 / past participle
—
The third verb form: worked, gone, seen. Used after have/has or in the passive, for example; it is not always the same as V2.
object / O
—
Who or what an action affects: in I read a book, a book is the object.

The results have already been announced.

The results have already been announced.

Present perfect passive: a completed event with a result relevant now.

My umbrella got left on the train this morning.

My umbrella got left on the train this morning.

A conversational get-passive, with the same basic event meaning as was left but a less formal tone.

When a by-phrase is needed

Omitting the agent is a common choice rather than a compulsory rule. If who or what acted is new, specific or important information for the listener, add a by-phrase as in any other passive.

A by-phrase is useful when the agent is new or unexpected, when the source matters, or when someone asks directly about it. A named source can be authoritative or doubtful; the point is to identify accurately whose action or report it is.

The novel was translated by the same person who translated last year's bestseller.

The novel was translated by the same person who translated last year's bestseller.

The translator’s identity is the main interesting detail; omitting it would lose the message.

The decision was reviewed by an independent panel, not by company managers.

The decision was reviewed by an independent panel, not by company managers.

The contrast between possible performers makes their identity central.

Does the by-phrase add needed information?

By someone or by the staff can sometimes be omitted when context already explains enough. But an indefinite agent is not always redundant: by somebody can stress human intervention, while by the staff can contrast staff with guests.

Check whether removing the by-phrase changes an emphasis relevant to the conversation. If it does, retain it. If it repeats the obvious, a shorter passive may be more useful.

The bill was paid by somebody before we even sat down.

The bill was paid by somebody before we even sat down.

By somebody can emphasise an unexpected act by an unknown person. If only the bill’s status matters, The bill had already been paid before we sat down is enough.

Dinner is cooked by the staff every evening.

Dinner is cooked by the staff every evening.

Omit by the staff if the cooks are already obvious. Retain it when contrasting staff with guests.

Conversational get-passives

Informal speech often uses get in place of be, especially for unexpected, unwelcome or personally significant events: got stolen, got fired, got promoted, got stuck. The basic event meaning is similar, but the tone is more conversational and less formal.

Get does not change the reason for omitting an agent: unknown, irrelevant or obvious remains the same choice in a different register. In formal news, reports or minutes, be is normally more natural.

Our flight got delayed by almost three hours.

Our flight got delayed by almost three hours.

A personally experienced inconvenience is a typical context for conversational get-passive.

The regional office was informed of the delay by email.

The regional office was informed of the delay by email.

In this formal context, neutral be is more natural than get. By email names a means of communication rather than a person performing the action.

Topic boundaries: what this lesson does not practise

The lesson focuses on one reason to choose passive voice: the status of the performer. At least two related choices can look similar but teach different decisions.

Choosing passive voice to maintain a text’s topic is covered separately. So is choosing active voice for a more direct, concise message. Here the focus is whether the performer needs to be named.

An obvious performer does not make a naturally active sentence wrong. In an ordinary first-person account such as I bought a new phone, active voice is entirely appropriate when there is no reason to avoid it.

I bought a new phone last week, and I love it.

I bought a new phone last week, and I love it.

The agent is the narrator, with no reason to hide them. Active voice is natural and outside this lesson’s target.

A quick criterion for your own speech

Before reporting an action, decide what matters now: its result, the receiver or the performer. If you choose passive voice and the performer matters, name it with by. If unknown, obvious or irrelevant, the by-phrase can be omitted.

The same criterion applies to news, everyday stories, official documents and conversational complaints, where get can help. Adapt form to context and register.

The road was closed overnight, but nobody told us who had ordered the closure.

The road was closed overnight, but nobody told us who had ordered the closure.

The performer is unnamed because the speaker lacks that information. This does not mean responsibility is unimportant.

Common mistakes

Incorrect:The parcel was steal from the doorstep.

Correct:The parcel was stolen from the doorstep.

The passive requires past participle stolen rather than base form steal.

Incorrect:The results was announced this morning.

Correct:The results were announced this morning.

Plural results requires agreement with auxiliary were rather than was.

Incorrect:The cathedral was build in the fourteenth century.

Correct:The cathedral was built in the fourteenth century.

Build is irregular; its past participle is built rather than base form build.

Incorrect:The letter was sign by the manager.

Correct:The letter was signed by the manager.

The passive after was requires past participle signed. By the manager identifies who signed the letter.

Incorrect:My phone get stolen last night.

Correct:My phone got stolen last night.

A past get-passive needs got rather than base form get.

Incorrect:It was broken the vase during the move.

Correct:The vase was broken during the move.

The passive subject is the vase; duplicating it with formal it does not form a grammatical English sentence here.

Incorrect:When the fossil was discovered?

Correct:When was the fossil discovered?

In the passive question, put auxiliary was before the subject: When was the fossil discovered?

Sources

The passive as a means of cohesion: the same theme as the subject of several consecutive sentences

What this rule is about: the passive for textual cohesion

One reason to choose the passive is textual cohesion: we want to continue talking about the same subject, even when different people perform the actions. In the passive, the subject that undergoes the action can remain the subject of the next sentence.

Look at several sentences together: what is this paragraph about, and what do you want to say about it next? The passive is a useful way to preserve the theme, but it is not necessary to make all the sentences alike.

Both passages below are grammatically correct. The passive version focuses attention on the mosaic; the active version names the people involved in the work more clearly. The choice depends on what matters more for this paragraph.

The mosaic was uncovered in 2021. It was cleaned over the winter and was put on display last June.

The mosaic was uncovered in 2021. It was cleaned over the winter and was put on display last June.

The mosaic remains the subject of all three predicates: the reader never changes their point of view.

Builders uncovered the mosaic in 2021. A restoration workshop cleaned it over the winter and the museum put it on display last June.

Builders uncovered the mosaic in 2021. A restoration workshop cleaned it over the winter and the museum put it on display last June.

Each sentence has its own subject: builders, workshop, museum. It is grammatically flawless, but the paragraph’s theme is pushed into the background each time.

Known information at the beginning, new information at the end

In neutral exposition, it is often useful to begin with information that is already known and then add new information. This helps the reader see the connection, but it is not a required order for every sentence.

The passive can put a familiar subject at the beginning and a new agent or important detail closer to the end. Beginning with new information is also possible, for example when the focus changes or a contrast is needed.

How to build it

Known information (the paragraph’s theme) as the subject + be + V3 + new information (an adverbial, detail, or by-phrase) at the end

subject / S
—
The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
V3 / past participle
—
The third verb form: worked, gone, seen. Used after have/has or in the passive, for example; it is not always the same as V2.

The bid was submitted in October. It was rejected in December by a board that had never met the team.

The bid was submitted in October. It was rejected in December by a board that had never met the team.

Known information (the bid) comes first; the most interesting point—that the board had never met the team—comes at the end.

The bid was submitted in October. A board that had never met the team rejected it in December.

The bid was submitted in October. A board that had never met the team rejected it in December.

Now the board comes first, while December remains at the end. This version is possible if we want to focus on the board; it still links the sentences to the bid.

The theme chain: how the previous sentence is picked up

To show the connection, you can repeat the name of the subject, use it/they, or pick up the previous action with a related noun. For example, photographed leads to those photographs in the next sentence.

The third method is especially useful in descriptions of processes: the result of one step becomes the theme of the next sentence. In this way, the text moves forward without losing cohesion.

The wreck was located by a survey team in 2016. It was photographed in detail over the next two summers. Those photographs were then used to build a three-dimensional model.

The wreck was located by a survey team in 2016. It was photographed in detail over the next two summers. Those photographs were then used to build a three-dimensional model.

First, the theme is named in full; then it is referred to with it. Those photographs picks up the result of the photography mentioned earlier, even though the word photographs did not appear before.

The complaints were logged in a shared file. They were reviewed at the end of every week.

The complaints were logged in a shared file. They were reviewed at the end of every week.

A plural theme is picked up by the pronoun they, not it; the auxiliary verb also has plural agreement.

The form that keeps the chain together

The passive requires be in the appropriate form and V3. Make be agree with the current subject: the sample was, the samples were. In a new complete sentence, do not omit the auxiliary verb; in coordinated predicates, it can sometimes be shared: It was cleaned and repaired.

Then and finally can conveniently be placed at the beginning or inside the verb group: It was then moved. Longer adverbials often appear at the beginning or end, but other positions are possible: It has since then been used as a museum. Choose a natural word order; these linking expressions do not themselves require question inversion.

The material uses British spelling (analysed, digitised, organised). The American forms analyzed, digitized, organized are equally correct.

How to build it

Theme-subject + be (in the required tense) + (then / later) + V3 + the rest of the sentence

subject / S
—
The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
V3 / past participle
—
The third verb form: worked, gone, seen. Used after have/has or in the passive, for example; it is not always the same as V2.

The lighthouse was automated in 1987 and was left without a keeper for the first time. Since then it has been checked by a team that visits twice a year.

The lighthouse was automated in 1987 and was left without a keeper for the first time. Since then it has been checked by a team that visits twice a year.

The theme does not change. The Past Simple identifies the automation in 1987; the Present Perfect covers the checks from then until now.

The file was renamed on Monday. It was then given a new reference number.

The file was renamed on Monday. It was then given a new reference number.

Then comes between was and given; the word order remains declarative, without inversion.

The by-phrase at the end: how to name the agent without breaking the chain

If the agent is important, you can name them with by while keeping the item as the grammatical subject. A long or new by-phrase is often convenient at the end, but its position depends on which information you want to highlight.

The neutral order is the participle, followed by the by-phrase and other adverbials in a natural sequence. Use this model as a starting point for your own examples. Do not turn it into an absolute ban on other stylistically highlighted positions.

The painting hung in a corridor for forty years. It was identified as a lost portrait by a visiting curator.

The painting hung in a corridor for forty years. It was identified as a lost portrait by a visiting curator.

The theme (the painting) comes first; new and important information about the curator comes at the end.

The bridge was designed in the 1930s. It was rebuilt after the war by engineers from three different countries.

The bridge was designed in the 1930s. It was rebuilt after the war by engineers from three different countries.

The most unexpected detail—the international team—comes at the end, where it has the strongest impact.

When the chain does not need to be maintained

If a new theme begins, it is natural to make it the subject of the next sentence. Do not continue a passive chain mechanically. A refund was applied for by more than sixty passengers may be appropriate in a text about refunds, but More than sixty passengers applied for a refund puts the passengers more clearly in the foreground.

Pay attention to the meaning of the verb. Arrive, happen, and disappear do not form passives in their usual meanings; the theme can be preserved with an active sentence. Collapse meaning “to fall down” is also intransitive, although it has other transitive uses. Some verbs with prepositions allow the passive: The issue was talked about.

Readability is more important than the number of passive sentences. Several passive sentences may be appropriate in a continuous process description; in another text, it may be more natural to alternate different structures.

The evening ferry was cancelled again on Sunday. Dozens of drivers spent the night in their cars at the terminal.

The evening ferry was cancelled again on Sunday. Dozens of drivers spent the night in their cars at the terminal.

The theme really changes from the ferry to the drivers—an active sentence is more natural here than a forced passive.

The footbridge collapsed during the storm and was repaired the following spring.

The footbridge collapsed during the storm and was repaired the following spring.

Collapse means “to fall down” here, so the active voice is used. The same subject links the active collapsed and the passive was repaired.

How this differs from other reasons for choosing the passive

The closest related reason is that the agent is unknown, unimportant, or obvious. In that case, the decision is made within one sentence: is there any point in naming someone? Here, the decision is made between sentences: does the paragraph remain about the same subject? Very often, both reasons apply, but the tests are different.

A simple diagnostic: cover up the neighboring sentences—and if the argument “the passive is appropriate here” disappears, cohesion is the reason at work. In the example “It was discovered in 2019,” the sentence by itself is no better than “A student discovered it in 2019”; it becomes advantageous only next to the preceding sentence about the same manuscript.

A second related topic is the general preference for the active voice for concision and directness. We do not discuss it here: our criterion is narrower and concerns only preserving the theme.

The car was broken into overnight.

The car was broken into overnight.

The sentence on its own focuses attention on the car and does not name a specific agent. Without context, we cannot say for certain whether the agent is unknown or simply not named.

The car had been parked outside the office all week. It was broken into overnight.

The car had been parked outside the office all week. It was broken into overnight.

The same sentence in a chain: now the passive also keeps the car as the theme of both sentences.

Applying this to speech: a quick paragraph check

Before writing a paragraph, name its theme in one word. Then look at the beginning of each sentence: how many times does the theme appear there, either directly or as a pronoun? If it does not appear in consecutive sentences and the subjects are different each time, try the passive.

In conversation, you can pick up a named subject with it or they and add new information. If the new agent is more important, starting with that agent is also natural. Compare both versions for meaning.

— Do you know what happened to the old piano? — It was moved to the church hall last year and it is still played there every Sunday.

— Do you know what happened to the old piano? — It was moved to the church hall last year and it is still played there every Sunday.

The reply picks up the other speaker’s theme with the pronoun it instead of beginning with a new subject (the parish, they).

Common mistakes

Incorrect:The manuscript was discover in a private archive in 2019.

Correct:The manuscript was discovered in a private archive in 2019.

After be, use the third form of the verb: discovered, not the base form discover.

Incorrect:The old benches were taken away in March. They was repaired the following month.

Correct:The old benches were taken away in March. They were repaired the following month.

The theme remains the same (the old benches → they), so the auxiliary verb must also remain plural: were, not was.

Incorrect:The file was renamed on Monday. It then given a new reference number.

Correct:The file was renamed on Monday. It was then given a new reference number.

The auxiliary was is missing from the second sentence in the chain; given is a participle and cannot function as the predicate on its own.

Incorrect:The footbridge collapsed during the storm and was repair the following spring.

Correct:The footbridge collapsed during the storm and was repaired the following spring.

The passive in the second part requires was + V3 repaired. The first action, collapsed, is active; the bridge remains the same theme.

Incorrect:Then was it moved to the new archive.

Correct:Then it was moved to the new archive.

After then, the word order in a declarative sentence is ordinary: the subject comes before the auxiliary verb, with no inversion.

Incorrect:The exhibition was organised last year, and it has been visit by thousands of people since.

Correct:The exhibition was organised last year, and it has been visited by thousands of people since.

After has been, use the third form visited, not the base form visit.

Incorrect:The painting was identify as a lost portrait by a visiting curator.

Correct:The painting was identified as a lost portrait by a visiting curator.

In the passive, use the third form identified after was. By a visiting curator names the agent who did the identifying.

Sources

When active voice makes a message more direct

1. Start with the meaning the reader needs

When it is important to identify the person doing something immediately, active voice is often useful: The manager approved the budget. This is practical advice for clear writing, not a rule that passive voice is always worse.

The passive can appropriately focus on an event or its object: The budget was approved. If the person responsible is clear from the context or is not important at this point, the sentence is clear.

How to build it

Agent (subject) + action + object: Priya checked the invoice.

subject / S
—
The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
object / O
—
Who or what an action affects: in I read a book, a book is the object.

The finance director approved the budget this morning.

The finance director approved the budget this morning.

The sentence begins by identifying who made the decision.

The budget was approved this morning.

The budget was approved this morning.

The sentence begins with the budget and does not name the person who approved it.

2. Name the person responsible when necessary

When describing an error or a decision, the reader may need to know who acted. Mistakes were made does not identify anyone responsible; We made mistakes does. Naming the person or group is useful when this information is needed and known.

Passive voice alone does not prove that someone is avoiding responsibility: the agent may appear in the previous sentence or in a by-phrase. Do not invent an agent merely to make a sentence active.

Mistakes were made during the migration.

Mistakes were made during the migration.

The sentence does not identify who made the mistakes.

We made mistakes during the migration.

We made mistakes during the migration.

The responsible group is named without inventing a number of mistakes.

The admissions panel rejected your application.

The admissions panel rejected your application.

The sentence explicitly identifies who made the decision.

3. Compare a shorter active version with the passive

If the agent appears in a by-phrase, try making it the subject. This often produces a shorter sentence, but the change is not compulsory: the by-phrase may contain important new information at the end.

Preserve the tense, modality, negatives, and the participants' roles. Make the verb agree with its new subject instead of mechanically keeping the original singular or plural form.

How to build it

Object + was/were + V3 + by + agent → agent + V2 + object; V2 is the Past Simple form.

V2 / past form
—
The form used in a Past Simple statement: worked, went, saw.
V3 / past participle
—
The third verb form: worked, gone, seen. Used after have/has or in the passive, for example; it is not always the same as V2.
object / O
—
Who or what an action affects: in I read a book, a book is the object.

The invoice was checked by Priya yesterday. / Priya checked the invoice yesterday.

The invoice was checked by Priya yesterday. / Priya checked the invoice yesterday.

The active version preserves the action and its time while removing was and by.

The invoices are checked by Priya. / Priya checks the invoices.

The invoices are checked by Priya. / Priya checks the invoices.

The new subject, Priya, is singular, so the verb is checks. The number of invoices does not change.

The old bridge was restored by local volunteers.

The old bridge was restored by local volunteers.

If the paragraph is about the bridge, this passive sentence with important information in the by-phrase may be the best choice.

4. Simplify a noun phrase without losing the action

An inspection was carried out can sometimes become inspected, and a decision was made can become decided. This expresses the action more directly. The noun may still be needed if the inspection or decision is the topic.

Preserve the exact meaning. Decided to postpone reports a decision; postponed reports an actual postponement. Do not turn a decision or plan into a completed action.

An inspection of the kitchen was carried out by the health officer. / The health officer inspected the kitchen.

An inspection of the kitchen was carried out by the health officer. / The health officer inspected the kitchen.

In the second version, inspected expresses the action directly.

A decision was made by the board to postpone the launch. / The board decided to postpone the launch.

A decision was made by the board to postpone the launch. / The board decided to postpone the launch.

The rewrite retains the decision without claiming that the change has already taken place.

5. Instructions: name the addressee when it helps

Badges must be worn is a natural way to state a rule. If it is unclear who the rule applies to, specify Visitors must wear badges. An imperative is also possible when addressing someone directly.

Use the base form without to after must and should: must sign. In have to sign, to is part of the construction; do not add another to. Preserve the force of the requirement when rewriting: a polite request does not always express an obligation.

Badges must be worn at all times.

Badges must be worn at all times.

This passive rule is clear at the entrance to a building.

Visitors must wear their badges at all times.

Visitors must wear their badges at all times.

The people addressed are named, and must retains the obligation.

All refunds must be approved by a team leader. / A team leader must approve all refunds.

All refunds must be approved by a team leader. / A team leader must approve all refunds.

Must and all remain, preserving both the obligation and the scope of the rule.

6. Check the result in context

Compare the two versions. Do they describe the same event? Is it clear who acts? Does the sentence continue the paragraph naturally? Choose the active when it really makes the intended meaning clearer.

Do not automatically add somebody, they, or people as a subject. These subjects can be appropriate, but the passive may be better if they distract from an important object. Keep them when another person's involvement is itself important.

The gates are locked at eleven every night.

The gates are locked at eleven every night.

The sentence describes a routine; the person performing the action may be unimportant.

Somebody has moved my bag.

Somebody has moved my bag.

Somebody is appropriate because the sentence focuses on another person's intervention.

Who approved the budget?

Who approved the budget?

In a neutral question with who as the subject, did is unnecessary.

The form must not be signed before Friday. / You must not sign the form before Friday.

The form must not be signed before Friday. / You must not sign the form before Friday.

If the addressee is known, the active version preserves the prohibition with must not and the time restriction.

Common mistakes

Incorrect:The manager approved by the budget this morning.

Correct:The manager approved the budget this morning.

The agent has become the subject, but by has been left in its old position. The by-phrase belongs to the passive construction.

Incorrect:Our lawyers was reviewed the contract last week.

Correct:Our lawyers reviewed the contract last week.

Was has been left over from the passive construction. In the active Past Simple, use the past-tense verb without was or were.

Incorrect:You must to sign the form before Friday.

Correct:You must sign the form before Friday.

Use the base form after must. Passive be signed becomes active sign, not to sign.

Incorrect:The board decided postpone the launch.

Correct:The board decided to postpone the launch.

In this sentence, decided needs to postpone. Decide can also introduce a that-clause: The board decided that the launch should be postponed.

Incorrect:Who did approved the budget?

Correct:Who approved the budget?

The usual subject question is Who approved the budget? The emphatic Who did approve is possible, but did must be followed by the base form approve, not approved.

Sources
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