From Active to Passive: How to Rewrite Sentences

Rewriting active sentences in passive voice is one of the most useful grammar skills in English. It helps you understand sentence structure, control focus, write more formally when needed, and avoid common grammar mistakes in tests, essays, reports, and workplace writing.

The basic idea is simple: in an active sentence, the subject does the action. In a passive sentence, the subject receives the action. But when you actually rewrite sentences, several things change at the same time: the object moves, the verb form changes, the doer may become a by-phrase, and the tone of the sentence may become more formal or neutral.

• Active: The assistant printed the documents.
• Passive: The documents were printed by the assistant.

The action is the same, but the sentence now focuses on the documents, not the assistant. This is why active-to-passive rewriting is not only a grammar exercise. It is also a way to change what the reader notices first.

What active-to-passive rewriting means

To rewrite an active sentence in passive voice, you usually take the object of the active sentence and make it the subject of the new sentence.

• Active: The chef cooked the meal.
• Passive: The meal was cooked by the chef.

In the active sentence, the chef is the subject and does the action. In the passive sentence, the meal becomes the subject, but it receives the action. This is the key change.

If you already know the general difference between active and passive voice, rewriting becomes easier because you understand why the sentence changes, not just how it changes.

Here are three quick examples:

• Active: The company hired two designers. → Passive: Two designers were hired by the company.
• Active: Someone opened the back door. → Passive: The back door was opened.
• Active: The teacher corrected the essays. → Passive: The essays were corrected by the teacher.

Notice that the passive sentence does not always need by someone. If the doer is unknown or unimportant, English often leaves it out.

Step 1: Find the object of the active sentence

The first step is to find the object. This is the word or phrase that receives the action in the active sentence.

Ask this question:

Subject + verb + what / whom?

• The artist painted what? → the portrait
• The manager called whom? → the client
• The storm damaged what? → the roof

Now we can rewrite:

• Active: The artist painted the portrait. → Passive: The portrait was painted by the artist.
• Active: The manager called the client. → Passive: The client was called by the manager.
• Active: The storm damaged the roof. → Passive: The roof was damaged by the storm.

This is why it is useful to understand transitive and intransitive verbs. Transitive verbs take objects and can often become passive. Intransitive verbs do not take direct objects, so they usually cannot be rewritten in passive voice.

Step 2: Move the object to subject position

After you find the object, move it to the beginning of the sentence. It becomes the new subject.

• Active: The technician repaired the laptop.
• Object: the laptop
• Passive start: The laptop...

Now continue with the passive verb:

• Passive: The laptop was repaired by the technician.

Here are more examples:

• Active: The students cleaned the classroom. → Passive start: The classroom... → Passive: The classroom was cleaned by the students.
• Active: The director approved the plan. → Passive start: The plan... → Passive: The plan was approved by the director.
• Active: Someone deleted the file. → Passive start: The file... → Passive: The file was deleted.

The new subject must agree with the form of be. This means singular subjects usually take is or was, while plural subjects usually take are or were.

Do not keep the old object after the passive verb. Once the object moves to the front, it should not appear again as an object.

• ❌ “The laptop was repaired it by the technician.”
• ✅ “The laptop was repaired by the technician.”

• ❌ “The classroom was cleaned it by the students.”
• ✅ “The classroom was cleaned by the students.”

Step 3: Change the verb into passive form

The passive verb form is:

be + past participle

The tense is shown by the form of be. The main verb becomes the past participle.

• repair → was repaired
• write → was written
• send → was sent
• choose → was chosen
• build → was built

Many students make mistakes because they move the object correctly but do not change the verb correctly. If you need a broader overview of forms, review passive voice verb forms, because tense control is the hardest part of active-to-passive rewriting.

Present simple

• Active: They clean the office every day.
• Passive: The office is cleaned every day.

• Active: The company sells these products online.
• Passive: These products are sold online.

Past simple

• Active: The mechanic fixed the car.
• Passive: The car was fixed by the mechanic.

• Active: The workers painted the walls.
• Passive: The walls were painted by the workers.

Present perfect

• Active: The team has completed the task.
• Passive: The task has been completed by the team.

• Active: Someone has changed the password.
• Passive: The password has been changed.

Future with will

• Active: They will announce the results tomorrow.
• Passive: The results will be announced tomorrow.

• Active: The school will send the certificates next week.
• Passive: The certificates will be sent next week.

Step 4: Add or remove the by-phrase

The old active subject becomes the agent in passive voice. If you include it, use by.

• Active: The architect designed the building.
• Passive: The building was designed by the architect.

But do not add the by-phrase automatically. In many passive sentences, the agent is not needed.

Use by when the doer gives useful, surprising, or necessary information:

• The song was written by a ten-year-old child.
• The bridge was designed by a local engineer.
• The mistake was found by a student, not by the teacher.

Do not confuse by with with. In passive sentences, by usually introduces the doer. With usually introduces a tool, instrument, or material. This is explained in more detail in the guide to prepositions in passive voice.

• ✅ “The letter was written by Emma.” Emma did the action.
• ✅ “The letter was written with a fountain pen.” The pen was the tool.
• ❌ “The letter was written by a fountain pen.” This sounds as if the pen acted like a person.

Active to passive tense table

When rewriting sentences, keep the original tense. Do not change past simple into present simple or present perfect into past simple unless the meaning also changes. The tense should stay the same, but the verb structure becomes passive.

Here are three important points from the table:

• The past participle stays the same: checked, written, sent, built.
• The form of be changes according to the tense.
• The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence.

With continuous forms, remember to add being:

• ❌ “The machines are checked now” if you mean the action is happening right now.
• ✅ “The machines are being checked now.”

• ❌ “The road was repaired when I passed.” if you mean the repair was in progress at that moment.
• ✅ “The road was being repaired when I passed.”

Rewriting questions, negatives, and modals

Active-to-passive rewriting becomes more challenging when the sentence is a question, a negative sentence, or a modal sentence. The same rules still apply, but word order matters more.

Rewriting questions

In passive questions, the auxiliary verb goes before the subject.

• Active: Did they approve the plan?
• Passive: Was the plan approved?

• Active: When will they publish the article?
• Passive: When will the article be published?

• Active: Why did they cancel the meeting?
• Passive: Why was the meeting cancelled?

Notice that the passive question uses the passive auxiliary pattern:

• Was the plan approved?
• Will the article be published?
• Has the report been checked?

Rewriting negative sentences

In negative passive sentences, not usually goes after the first auxiliary verb.

• Active: They did not invite us.
• Passive: We were not invited.

• Active: The company has not paid the invoice.
• Passive: The invoice has not been paid.

• Active: They will not change the rules.
• Passive: The rules will not be changed.

Rewriting modal sentences

With modal verbs, use this passive pattern:

modal + be + past participle

• Active: You must complete the form.
• Passive: The form must be completed.

• Active: They should review the instructions.
• Passive: The instructions should be reviewed.

• Active: We can solve the problem quickly.
• Passive: The problem can be solved quickly.

Modal passive structures are common in rules, instructions, workplace policies, academic English, and formal notices. For more examples, see passive modal verbs.

Sentences you cannot rewrite naturally

Not every active sentence can become a natural passive sentence. Passive voice usually requires a direct object. If the verb does not take a direct object, passive rewriting often creates an incorrect sentence.

1. Intransitive verbs

• ❌ “The accident was happened yesterday.”
• ✅ “The accident happened yesterday.”

• ❌ “The airport was arrived at by the tourists.”
• ✅ “The tourists arrived at the airport.”

• ❌ “The bed was slept by the child.”
• ✅ “The child slept in the bed.”

2. Linking verbs

Verbs such as be, seem, become, and feel usually do not form passive voice in the normal active-to-passive way.

• ❌ “Happy was seemed by her.”
• ✅ “She seemed happy.”

• ❌ “A doctor was become by him.”
• ✅ “He became a doctor.”

3. Sentences where passive sounds unnatural

Some passive sentences are grammatically possible but stylistically poor. If active voice is clearer, use active voice.

• Heavy: “A decision was made by the team to restart the project.”
• Clearer: “The team decided to restart the project.”

• Heavy: “A suggestion was made by Anna during the meeting.”
• Clearer: “Anna suggested something during the meeting.”

Good rewriting is not about forcing every sentence into passive voice. It is about knowing when passive voice is possible and when it is useful.

Common active-to-passive rewriting mistakes

Here are the most common mistakes students make when rewriting active sentences in passive voice.

1. Forgetting be

The past participle cannot usually stand alone in passive voice. You need the correct form of be.

• ❌ “The window broken yesterday.” → ✅ “The window was broken yesterday.”
• ❌ “The documents signed this morning.” → ✅ “The documents were signed this morning.”
• ❌ “The room cleaned before the guests arrived.” → ✅ “The room was cleaned before the guests arrived.”

2. Using the wrong participle

Passive voice uses the past participle, not the base verb.

• ❌ “The email was send this morning.” → ✅ “The email was sent this morning.”
• ❌ “The report was write by the assistant.” → ✅ “The report was written by the assistant.”
• ❌ “The money was stole from the office.” → ✅ “The money was stolen from the office.”

3. Repeating the object

When the object becomes the subject, do not repeat it later in the sentence.

• ❌ “The cake was eaten it by the children.” → ✅ “The cake was eaten by the children.”
• ❌ “The car was repaired it yesterday.” → ✅ “The car was repaired yesterday.”
• ❌ “The file was deleted it by mistake.” → ✅ “The file was deleted by mistake.”

4. Choosing the wrong form of be

The passive subject controls the form of be.

• ❌ “The letters was sent yesterday.” → ✅ “The letters were sent yesterday.”
• ❌ “The letter were sent yesterday.” → ✅ “The letter was sent yesterday.”
• ❌ “The answers is checked automatically.” → ✅ “The answers are checked automatically.”

5. Placing adverbs awkwardly

Adverbs often go between the auxiliary and the past participle, or at the end of the sentence. This is a common issue in adverb placement in passive voice.

• ✅ “The contract was carefully reviewed.”
• ✅ “The contract was reviewed carefully.”
• ❌ “The contract carefully was reviewed.”

• ✅ “The issue has been fully explained.”
• ✅ “The issue has been explained fully.”
• ❌ “The issue has fully been explained.” This may sound awkward in many contexts.

6. Using passive when active is better

Passive voice is useful, but it can make writing heavy if the doer is important and known.

• Too heavy: “The final answer was given by Maria.” → Clearer: “Maria gave the final answer.”
• Too indirect: “The mistake was noticed by the editor.” → Clearer: “The editor noticed the mistake.”
• Too formal: “The new rule was explained by the teacher.” → Clearer: “The teacher explained the new rule.”

Homework: active to passive practice

1. Rewrite Active Sentences in Passive Voice

Rewrite each active sentence in passive voice. Use a by-phrase only when it sounds useful.

1. The technician repaired the computer.
2. Someone stole my bicycle.
3. The company will announce the results tomorrow.
4. The teacher has checked the homework.
5. The storm damaged several houses.
6. A famous writer wrote this story.
7. They are cleaning the windows now.
8. The chef prepared the soup.
9. The committee approved the proposal.
10. People speak English in many countries.

2. Choose the Correct Passive Form

Choose the correct passive form for each sentence.

1. The message ___ yesterday. (sent / was sent / was send)
2. The rooms ___ every morning. (clean / are cleaned / was cleaned)
3. The project ___ next month. (will finish / will be finished / will finished)
4. The documents ___ already. (have signed / have been signed / have been sign)
5. The bridge ___ right now. (is repaired / is being repaired / has repaired)
6. The answer ___ carefully. (should check / should be checked / should checked)
7. The report ___ before the meeting started. (had been printed / had printed / was print)
8. The new rules ___ soon. (are going to announce / are going to be announced / announced)
9. The office ___ by the manager yesterday. (was locked / locked / was lock)
10. The emails ___ automatically every night. (send / are sent / are send)

3. Spot the Error

Some of the following passive sentences contain mistakes. Find and correct any errors:

1. The package was delivered this morning.
2. The window broken last night.
3. The report was write by an expert.
4. The meeting will be postponed.
5. The accident was happened yesterday.
6. The files have been deleted.
7. The form must completed today.
8. The letters were sent yesterday.
9. The car was repaired it by the mechanic.
10. The contract was carefully reviewed.

FAQ: rewriting active sentences in passive voice

1. How do you change active voice to passive voice?

Find the object of the active sentence, move it to the subject position, change the verb to be + past participle, and add a by-phrase only if the doer is important.

2. What is the formula for active to passive rewriting?

The basic pattern is: active object + be + past participle + by + active subject. For example, “The chef cooked the meal” becomes “The meal was cooked by the chef.”

3. Do I always need to include by in passive voice?

No. Use by only when the doer is important, surprising, or necessary. If the doer is unknown, obvious, or unimportant, the by-phrase is usually omitted.

4. Can every active sentence become passive?

No. Passive voice normally needs a direct object. Sentences with verbs like happen, arrive, sleep, and die usually cannot be rewritten in passive voice naturally.

5. What happens to the tense in passive voice?

The tense stays the same, but it appears in the form of be. For example, present simple becomes is / are done, past simple becomes was / were done, and present perfect becomes has / have been done.

6. How do you rewrite modal sentences in passive voice?

Use modal + be + past participle. For example, “You must complete the form” becomes “The form must be completed.”

7. What is the most common mistake in active-to-passive rewriting?

The most common mistake is forgetting the verb be. Learners often write “The letter sent yesterday” instead of the correct passive form: “The letter was sent yesterday.”

8. When should I not rewrite a sentence in passive voice?

Do not rewrite a sentence in passive voice if active voice is clearer, more direct, or more natural. If the doer is important and known, active voice is often the better choice.