Question

his voice the verb phrase always includes a form of be + past participle of the main verb

active voice

passive voice

Answer 1

I think you meant: “In passive voice the verb phrase always includes a form of be + the past participle of the main verb.” Here’s a short, clear comparison of active vs. passive with formation rules and examples.

What they mean
- Active voice: the subject performs the action. Structure: Subject + verb (+ object).
Example: The chef cooks the meal.
- Passive voice: the subject receives the action. Structure: Subject + form of be + past participle (+ optional by‑agent).
Example: The meal is cooked (by the chef).

How to form the passive
1. Move the active sentence’s object into subject position (if there is one).
2. Use the correct form of be to match tense and number.
3. Use the past participle of the main verb.
4. Optionally add “by + agent” (who did the action).

Examples in different tenses
- Simple present: Active: They deliver the letters. → Passive: The letters are delivered (by them).
- Simple past: Active: The manager approved the request. → Passive: The request was approved (by the manager).
- Present continuous: Active: They are building a bridge. → Passive: A bridge is being built (by them).
- Present perfect: Active: She has completed the report. → Passive: The report has been completed (by her).
- Modal: Active: You must finish the form. → Passive: The form must be finished (by you).
- Past continuous: Active: They were cleaning the room. → Passive: The room was being cleaned (by them).

Important notes
- The be verb must agree in tense and number with the new subject (is/are, was/were, has been, will be, etc.).
- Not all verbs can be passivized—only transitive verbs (those that take a direct object).
- The agent (“by …”) is often omitted when it’s unknown, unimportant, or obvious.
- Passive is useful to focus on the receiver of the action, to be formal, or to hide the agent.

If you want, I can convert specific active sentences to passive (or vice versa).