Passive Voice

The passive voice can be quite complicated for second language learners.  In general, you should avoid using it, unless you do so purposefully.  There are actually times when you should use the passive voice.

As Woodward English notes, the structure of a sentence in the passive is [Object + To Be + Past Participle of a Transitive Verb].  It is used in English when the person or thing that is receiving the action is more important than the person or thing that is performing the action.

Note that the passive voice uses transitive verbs.

The following websites provide additional information on this topic:

Website	Comments
Language Portal of Canada:  Passive Voice ★★★★☆	This is a great site to begin with, because it offers the simplest explanation. Check out the following resources on the site: Making a passive sentence active  Passive Voice: Always Bad? (Also known as "When It's Good and When It's Bad"  Quizzes - scroll down to the "Grammar and Syntax" section and look for "Grammar and Syntax"
Woodward English ★★★★☆	Passive Voice This website provides a clear explanation of the passive voice. It further provides additional information on the past particple. Finally, it offers students the chance to practice the passive voice
ESL Gold ★★★★☆	Passive Voice This website is similar to Woodward English and offers additional practice quizzes (see the bottom of the screen). The explanations on how to construct the passive voice are very clear.
English Club ★★★★★	Passive Voice For advanced learners, this website offers a more complex explanation of the simple past.  After you've read the explanation, be sure to go to the bottom of the page and click on the "examples" hyperlink. After you've read those examples, click on the "quiz" hyperlink at the bottom of that page.