Passive Voice in Past Simple
The passive voice in past simple is a fundamental grammatical structure that allows you to describe completed actions in the past whilst focusing on what happened rather than who performed the action. Formed with was/were + past participle, this construction shifts emphasis from the doer to the action itself or its recipient, making it invaluable for historical accounts, reports, and formal descriptions of past events.
What makes past simple passive particularly powerful is its ability to present historical facts, describe processes that occurred in the past, and report events without necessarily identifying the agent. This makes it essential in academic writing, journalism, historical accounts, and professional reports where objectivity and focus on events rather than individuals is crucial for clear, authoritative communication.
The past simple passive also provides diplomatic language for discussing past problems, mistakes, or sensitive situations without directly assigning blame or responsibility. This tactful approach maintains professional relationships whilst still conveying necessary information about what occurred, making it invaluable in business communication, incident reports, and conflict resolution.
Mastering past simple passive voice will significantly enhance your English fluency, enabling you to write more sophisticated historical accounts, create professional reports, discuss past events objectively, and vary your sentence structures for more engaging and polished communication in both academic and professional contexts.
Formation
Structure
Subject + was/were + past participle + (by + agent)
The subject receives the action, and the agent (doer) can be omitted or mentioned with 'by'
Active to Passive Examples:
Active:
Shakespeare wrote Hamlet in 1600.
Passive:
Hamlet was written in 1600 (by Shakespeare).
Active:
They built this castle in 1066.
Passive:
This castle was built in 1066.
All Forms:
- I was invited to the wedding last week.
- You were chosen for the team yesterday.
- The letter was sent on Monday morning.
- We were told to wait in the lobby.
- They were informed about the changes.
Negative and Question Forms
Positive:
- The museum was opened in 1985.
- The documents were signed yesterday.
- Rome was built over many centuries.
Negative:
- The museum was not opened until 1985.
- The documents weren't signed yesterday.
- Rome wasn't built in a day.
Questions:
- Was the museum opened in 1985?
- Were the documents signed yesterday?
- When was Rome built?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ "The house was build in 1995."
✅ "The house was built in 1995."
Use past participle, not base form of verb
❌ "The letters was sent yesterday."
✅ "The letters were sent yesterday."
Match was/were with the subject (plural subjects need 'were')
❌ "This car was made by Germany in 1990."
✅ "This car was made in Germany in 1990."
Use 'in' for countries/places, 'by' for people/companies
❌ "The work was done from John last week."
✅ "The work was done by John last week."
Always use 'by' to introduce the agent (doer)
Was/Were Usage Guide
Use 'WAS':
- I was invited to the party
- He was chosen for the job
- She was born in London
- It was built in 1990
- The book was written by...
Use 'WERE':
- You were told about the meeting
- We were asked to wait
- They were informed yesterday
- The letters were sent by post
- All students were tested
Key Past Participles for Passive Voice
Regular Verbs:
- create → created
- finish → finished
- discover → discovered
- establish → established
Common Irregular:
- build → built
- write → written
- choose → chosen
- find → found
Same Form:
- cut → cut
- hit → hit
- cost → cost
- hurt → hurt
Quick Reference Guide
Remember:
- Formation: was/were + past participle
- Focus: Completed actions in the past, emphasis on what happened
- Tone: More formal and objective than active voice
- Agent: Can be omitted or mentioned with 'by'
- Questions: Move was/were before subject
- Negatives: Add 'not' after was/were
- Agreement: was (I, he, she, it) / were (you, we, they)