Series ID: EDKS-BASIC-ZH-0055 · Lesson No.055 · B1-Direction Passive Voice
Passive Voice in Everyday English | 日常英语被动语态
The meeting was cancelled. Your order has been shipped. This form must be completed.
会议被取消了。你的订单已经发出。这张表必须填写。
The passive voice changes the focus. Instead of starting with the person or organisation doing the action, English can start with the thing affected by the action.
被动语态的核心不是“把主动句机械翻转”，而是改变信息重点：我们更关心发生了什么，而不是谁做的。
Chinese Edition Hub · 中文版入口 · ← Lesson No.054 · Reported Speech for Everyday Information
The passive map | 被动语态路线
- be + past participle
- present simple passive
- past simple passive
- present perfect passive
- future passive
- modal passive
- by + agent
- unknown/unimportant agent
- notices and services
- products and processes
- active vs passive focus
- Mandarin 被 transfer
1. Core form | 核心结构
be + past participle
- is made
- was cancelled
- has been sent
- will be delivered
2. Active sentence | 主动句
The company sent the email.
Focus: the company.
3. Passive sentence | 被动句
The email was sent.
Focus: the email/action result.
4. Why use passive? | 为什么用被动？
- doer unknown
- doer unimportant
- doer obvious
- result/process more important
5. Unknown doer | 不知道谁做的
- My bike was stolen.
We may not know who stole it.
6. Unimportant doer | 谁做的不重要
- The road was closed yesterday.
The closure matters more than the person who closed it.
7. Obvious doer | 谁做的很明显
- The patient was taken to hospital.
The exact staff involved may be unnecessary in the sentence.
8. Present simple passive | 一般现在被动
am/is/are + past participle
- English is spoken in many countries.
- The form is checked automatically.
- Tickets are sold online.
9. Present simple process | 日常流程
- The order is packed.
- The label is printed.
- The parcel is collected.
10. Past simple passive | 一般过去被动
was/were + past participle
- The meeting was cancelled.
- The files were deleted.
11. Past event | 过去事件
- The road was repaired last year.
- The room was cleaned this morning.
12. Present perfect passive | 现在完成被动
has/have been + past participle
- Your order has been shipped.
- The problem has been fixed.
- The documents have been uploaded.
13. Future passive | 将来被动
will be + past participle
- The package will be delivered tomorrow.
- The results will be announced next week.
14. Modal passive | 情态动词被动
modal + be + past participle
- The form must be completed.
- The ticket can be changed.
- The file should be saved.
15. Can be… | 可以被……
- The booking can be changed online.
- This button can be used to reset the system.
16. Must be… | 必须……
- ID must be shown at the entrance.
- The form must be signed.
17. Should be… | 应该……
- The door should be kept closed.
18. By + agent | by + 执行者
- The book was written by George Orwell.
- The room was cleaned by the hotel staff.
Add the agent only when it matters.
19. Do not add by-agent automatically | 不要每句都加 by
Natural:
The meeting was cancelled.
Unnecessary:
The meeting was cancelled by the organisers. — only useful if the organiser identity matters.
20. Active vs passive focus | 主动与被动重点
- The technician fixed the machine. → technician focus
- The machine was fixed. → machine/result focus
21. Notices | 通知
- The lift is being repaired. — recognition of continuous passive
- The entrance is closed.
- Photography is not permitted.
22. Service updates | 服务更新
- Your payment has been received.
- Your booking has been confirmed.
- Your order has been dispatched.
23. Product information | 产品信息
- This product is made in Italy.
- The bottle is made from recycled plastic.
24. Made of vs made from | 材料表达
- made of wood → material still recognisable
- made from recycled paper → material transformed
Natural usage varies by context, so learn common combinations.
25. Processes | 流程
First, the form is checked. Then the information is entered into the system. Finally, a confirmation email is sent.
26. Recipes and manufacturing | 食谱与制造
- The ingredients are mixed.
- The mixture is heated.
- The product is packed.
27. Instructions vs passive description | 指令 vs 被动描述
- Mix the ingredients. → instruction
- The ingredients are mixed. → process description
28. News-like information | 新闻式信息
- A new station was opened last month.
- Several flights were cancelled.
29. Agent unknown in incidents | 事故中执行者未知
- The window was broken overnight.
30. Agent deliberately omitted | 有意省略执行者
Passive can avoid naming the person responsible:
- A mistake was made.
This can be useful but may also hide responsibility. Read critically.
31. Critical reading: who is missing? | 批判阅读：谁被省略了？
When a passive sentence describes responsibility, ask whether the missing agent matters.
32. Present continuous passive recognition | 现在进行被动认识
am/is/are being + participle
- The road is being repaired.
- The system is being updated.
Useful B1 recognition; do not overuse.
33. Past continuous passive recognition | 过去进行被动认识
- The room was being cleaned when we arrived.
Recognition is enough at this stage.
34. Passive questions | 被动问句
- When was the building built?
- How is this product made?
- Has the file been sent?
35. Passive negatives | 被动否定
- The form wasn’t signed.
- The order hasn’t been shipped yet.
36. Irregular past participles | 不规则过去分词
- write → written
- make → made
- build → built
- send → sent
- take → taken
- choose → chosen
37. Do not use past simple after be | be 后要过去分词
- The letter was wrote. ✗
- The letter was written. ✓
38. “Happen” is not normally passive | happen 不用普通被动
- The accident happened yesterday. ✓
- The accident was happened yesterday. ✗
39. “Arrive” is not normally passive | arrive 不用普通被动
- The train arrived late. ✓
- The train was arrived late. ✗
Only transitive verbs that can take an object normally form this basic passive.
40. Active object becomes passive subject | 宾语变被动主语
Active: They repaired the road.
Passive: The road was repaired.
41. No object, no normal passive | 没有宾语通常不能这样变被动
People arrived. has no object to move into subject position.
42. Mandarin transfer: 被 | 被 是桥，但不是一一对应
- 门被关上了。 → The door was closed.
But English passive appears in many neutral processes where Chinese may not use 被.
43. Mandarin can omit agent without passive marking | 中文可直接省执行者
English often uses passive morphology where Chinese simply presents the affected thing or result.
44. Mandarin transfer: 是 + 过去分词直译错误 | 不要机械用 is
- The meeting is cancelled yesterday. ✗
- The meeting was cancelled yesterday. ✓
The be verb still carries tense.
45. Reading practice A: order process | 阅读 A
After an online order is placed, the payment is checked automatically. The items are collected from the warehouse and packed. A shipping label is printed, and the parcel is sent to the delivery company. When the parcel has been shipped, the customer is sent a confirmation message.
- What is checked first?
- What happens after packing?
- When is the customer contacted?
46. Reading practice B: service update | 阅读 B
The 8:20 train was cancelled because of a technical problem. Passengers were advised to use the 8:40 service. Tickets could be used on the later train without an additional charge.
- What was cancelled?
- What were passengers advised to do?
- What could be used?
47. Writing practice: active → passive | 改写
Change five sentences when the result/object should be the focus.
48. Speaking practice: explain a process | 解释流程
Use passive language to explain:
- how an online order is processed
- how a form is checked
- how a parcel is delivered
49. Error clinic | 常见错误
| Error | Better English |
|---|---|
| The letter was wrote. ✗ | The letter was written. ✓ |
| The accident was happened. ✗ | The accident happened. ✓ |
| The meeting is cancelled yesterday. ✗ | The meeting was cancelled yesterday. ✓ |
| The form must completed. ✗ | The form must be completed. ✓ |
50. First weak link diagnosis | 第一个卡点诊断
- I forget be → passive form problem.
- I use wrong participle → verb-form problem.
- I make intransitive verbs passive → transitivity problem.
- I always add by-agent → focus problem.
- I cannot choose active/passive → information-priority problem.
51. Retrieval lab | 提取练习
- 会议被取消了。 → ______
- 订单已经发出。 → ______
- 这张表必须填写。 → ______
- 这条路去年修好了。 → ______
- 这个产品是用再生塑料制成的。 → ______
Suggested answers: The meeting was cancelled. / The order has been shipped. / This form must be completed. / The road was repaired last year. / This product is made from recycled plastic.
52. Seven-day training cycle | 七天训练
| Day 1 | present passive | 一般现在 |
| Day 2 | past passive | 过去 |
| Day 3 | perfect/future passive | 完成将来 |
| Day 4 | modal passive | 情态 |
| Day 5 | active vs passive focus | 信息重点 |
| Day 6 | process descriptions | 流程 |
| Day 7 | real-world notice/process task | 综合 |
53. Self-test | 自测
Build present/past/perfect/future/modal passives; identify by-agent; choose active vs passive; correct irregular participles; explain why happen/arrive are not used in the normal passive; describe one process and one service update.
54. For parents and teachers | 给家长和老师
Teach passive voice through notices, updates, processes and product information rather than sentence flipping alone.
Ask “What should the sentence focus on?” before changing active to passive.
For Mandarin speakers, 被 is a helpful bridge but English uses passive more broadly in neutral information and process language.
55. Final real-world challenge | 最终真实任务
- Use present and past passive.
- Use present perfect and future passive.
- Use three modal passives.
- Describe a process.
- Interpret five public notices.
- Choose when to omit the agent.
- Identify one passive that hides responsibility.
- Correct five form errors.
- Explain active vs passive focus.
- Write a 120-word process explanation.
Next: Lesson No.056 | 下一课
The next lesson integrates B1 reading and writing: read a connected text, take notes, identify structure, summarise it, respond to it and build a multi-paragraph piece from the information.
Lesson No.056 · B1 Reading and Writing Integration · B1 阅读写作整合
Reference floor: British Council B1 Intermediate · British Council B1–B2 Grammar.
