Welcome to your A2 English grammar lesson on the Present Simple Passive voice! Don’t worry if “passive voice” sounds complicated. We’ll break it down in a simple and friendly way so you can understand and start using it in your everyday English conversations. This lesson will help you understand how the present simple passive is formed and, more importantly, when and why we use it. Let’s get started and make your English even better!

What is the Present Simple Passive Voice?

In English, we have two main voices: active and passive. In the active voice, the subject of the sentence does the action. For example:

• My mother makes delicious cookies. (My mother is the subject, and she does the action of “making”)

In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action. The action is done to the subject. Let’s change the sentence above to passive:

• Delicious cookies are made by my mother. (Cookies are now the subject, and the action “are made” is done to them.)

Notice how the focus changes. In the active sentence, we focus on “my mother” (the doer). In the passive sentence, we focus on “delicious cookies” (what is being done). The Present Simple Passive is simply the passive voice in the present simple tense.

How to Form the Present Simple Passive

Forming the Present Simple Passive is quite easy! You need two things:

1. The verb “to be” in the present simple: This is am, is, or are, depending on the subject.
   • I am
   • He/She/It is
   • We/You/They are
2. The past participle of the main verb: This is usually the third form of the verb. For regular verbs, it ends in -ed (like watched, played, cleaned). For irregular verbs, you need to learn the past participle form (like made, seen, written).

So, the basic structure is:

Subject + am/is/are + past participle

Let’s see some examples:

• Active: People speak English all over the world.
• Passive: English is spoken all over the world.

• Active: They clean the streets every day.
• Passive: The streets are cleaned every day.

• Active: The chef makes the soup in the morning.
• Passive: The soup is made in the morning.

Using “by” with the Passive Voice

Sometimes, we want to say who or what does the action in the passive voice. We use the word “by” for this.

• The book was written by a famous author.
• The cake is eaten by my children very quickly!

However, we often omit “by + agent” in the passive voice when:

• The agent is unknown or unimportant: My car was stolen! (We don’t know who stole it.)
• It’s obvious who the agent is: Houses are built with bricks. (It’s obvious builders build houses.)
• We are focusing on the action, not the doer: Mistakes are made. (It’s a general truth.)

When Do We Use the Present Simple Passive?

The Present Simple Passive is used in several situations. Understanding these situations will help you use it correctly and naturally in your spoken English and writing.

1. To Describe Processes and How Things Are Done

We often use the passive voice to describe processes, instructions, or how things are made or done. This is common when the process is more important than who performs the action.

• Paper is made from wood. (Process of making paper)
• Coffee is grown in Brazil. (Process of coffee cultivation)
• The instructions are explained clearly in the manual. (Process of giving instructions)

2. To Talk About General Facts and Truths

When we talk about general facts, things that are generally believed or known, the passive voice is often used.

• English is spoken in many countries. (General fact)
• It is said that exercise is good for your health. (General belief)
• The Earth is surrounded by an atmosphere. (Scientific fact)

3. When the Agent (Doer of the Action) is Unknown or Unimportant

As mentioned before, we use the passive when we don’t know who did the action, or when it’s not important to say who did it.

• My wallet was stolen. (Unknown agent)
• The window was broken. (Unknown agent)
• The streets are cleaned every morning. (Unimportant who cleans, the action is important)

4. In Formal Writing and News Reports (Simplified for A2)

While formal news reports often use passive voice, for A2 level, we’ll focus on simpler applications. Even in everyday conversation, you might hear passive voice in news snippets or announcements.

• The new school is being built in the city center. (Simplified news-like statement)
• The meeting is scheduled for next week. (Announcement)

Present Simple Passive in Everyday Conversations and Speaking Practice

Let’s see how you can use the Present Simple Passive in your daily conversations to improve your spoken English.

• Asking about processes: “How is this cake made? It’s delicious!”
• Talking about where things come from: “This wine is produced in France, isn’t it?”
• Reporting something you heard: “I was told that the movie is very good.”
• Describing general situations: “In my country, rice is eaten every day.”
• When you don’t know who did something: “The door was left open again!”

Practicing these kinds of sentences will make your English sound more natural and fluent. Don’t be afraid to try using the passive voice in your conversations!

Let’s Practice!

Now it’s time to practice what you’ve learned about the Present Simple Passive. Try these exercises to test your understanding.

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the Present Simple Passive form of the verb in brackets.

1. Coffee ______ (grow) in many parts of South America.
2. This song ______ (sing) by a famous artist.
3. The office ______ (clean) every evening after work.
4. My questions ______ (answer) by the teacher in class.
5. The doors ______ (lock) at night for security.

Exercise 2: Change these active sentences into passive sentences.

1. People speak Spanish in Spain.
2. They make cars in Germany.
3. Someone cleans this room every day.
4. The company sells these products online.
5. The students learn English at school.

Answers to Exercise 1:

1. Coffee is grown in many parts of South America.
2. This song is sung by a famous artist.
3. The office is cleaned every evening after work.
4. My questions are answered by the teacher in class.
5. The doors are locked at night for security.

Answers to Exercise 2:

1. Spanish is spoken in Spain.
2. Cars are made in Germany.
3. This room is cleaned every day.
4. These products are sold online by the company.
5. English is learned at school by the students.

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Keep practicing, and you’ll master the Present Simple Passive in no time! Good luck with your English learning journey!