The passive (is made, was built)

The rule for passive voice mistakes

To say what is done to something, use a form of be + the past form of the verb: is made, was built, has been shown, will be decided.

Pattern: be (in the right tense) + past participle: is made, was built, has been shown, will be decided, can be seen.

Used correctly: a correctly formed passive (for example "the bridge was built in 1990", "decisions are made by a small group", "it has been shown").

Use this when the action matters more than who did it, as in formal and academic writing: the bridge was built, decisions are made.

Passive voice mistakes: wrong and right examples

• Wrong The new hospital was open by the mayor last year.

  Right The new hospital was opened by the mayor last year.

• Start with "The report"

  Wrong The committee published the report in May.

  Right The report was published by the committee in May.

More right sentences

• The bridge was built in 1932.
• Most decisions are made by a small group.
• It has been shown that sleep improves memory.

Traps to avoid with passive voice mistakes

• Use the past participle, not the base verb: not "was build" but "was built".
• Do not drop "be": not "This book written in 1990" but "This book was written in 1990".

Skills that train passive voice mistakes

• The passive voice: is made, was built B2
• Participle clauses C1
• Formal register in academic writing C1

Related mistakes

• Relative clause mistakes: who, which, that, whose, where
• Missing subjects: “Is possible that ...” and how to fix it
• Unclear pronouns: it, this and they