This active and passive voice guide for C1/C2 advanced learners covers every rule, structure, and transformation you need — from complex tense forms to stylistic choices — plus a 40-question interactive quiz with full explanations so you can test and sharpen your grammar immediately.
Understanding the difference between active voice and passive voice is one of the most important grammar skills at the advanced level. While beginners learn the basic be + past participle formula, C1 and C2 learners must go further: mastering passive forms across all tenses, understanding when to use passive voice for stylistic effect, working with reporting verbs in passive constructions, and avoiding the common errors that even high-level learners make. This lesson covers all of that clearly and systematically.
Whether you are preparing for the Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), the C2 Proficiency (CPE), or simply want to write and speak with greater precision and sophistication in English, mastering active and passive voice at C1/C2 level will transform the quality of your output. Work through each section carefully, then challenge yourself with the quiz below.
📌 Quick Answer: Active vs Passive Voice at a Glance
- Active Voice = the subject performs the action → The committee approved the proposal.
- Passive Voice = the subject receives the action → The proposal was approved (by the committee).
- Advanced Passive = includes modal passives, perfect passives, causative have/get, and passive reporting verbs → The report is said to have been falsified.
Key Rule: At C1/C2 level, choosing between active and passive is not just grammatical — it is a stylistic decision that affects emphasis, formality, and cohesion in writing and speech.
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What Are Active and Passive Voice? Definition and Function for Advanced ESL Learners
In English grammar, voice refers to the relationship between the subject of a sentence and the action expressed by the verb. In the active voice, the grammatical subject is the agent — the entity that performs or causes the action. In the passive voice, the grammatical subject is the patient — the entity that receives or is affected by the action. This distinction exists in every tense of English, and at C1/C2 level, you are expected to control both forms with complete accuracy and strategic awareness.
The function of the passive voice goes far beyond simply avoiding the mention of a subject. Advanced writers and speakers use the passive deliberately: to foreground the result rather than the agent, to adopt a formal or impersonal register (especially in academic and professional writing), to create cohesion by keeping the topic constant across sentences, and to hedge responsibility or distance the writer from a claim. Understanding these functions is what separates a C1/C2 user from a B2 learner.
It is also important to understand that passivisation is not available for all verbs. Intransitive verbs (verbs that cannot take a direct object, such as arrive, sleep, exist) cannot form a passive. Only transitive verbs — those that take a direct object — can be passivised. This rule applies across all tenses and structures.
| Feature | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Subject role | Performs the action (agent) | Receives the action (patient) |
| Verb form | Standard tense form | be + past participle |
| Agent mention | Always explicit as subject | Optional, with by-phrase |
| Register | Neutral / informal / direct | Formal / academic / impersonal |
| Verb type required | Transitive or intransitive | Transitive only |
🔑 Key Point: At C1/C2 level, the passive is not a "weaker" or "more difficult" form — it is a purposefully chosen form. Exam tasks and professional writing both reward candidates who can deploy the passive strategically, not just accurately.
The Core Rules: How to Form and Use Active and Passive Voice Correctly in English
The fundamental formation rule for the passive is consistent across all tenses: take the appropriate form of the auxiliary verb be, and follow it with the past participle of the main verb. The tense information is carried entirely by the auxiliary be, while the past participle remains unchanged. Understanding this principle makes it straightforward to form passives in any tense once you know the tense forms of be.
However, at C1/C2 level, formation alone is not enough. You must also know the rules governing when passive is appropriate or preferred. The passive is strongly preferred: (1) when the agent is unknown — My car was stolen last night; (2) when the agent is obvious or unimportant — The suspect was arrested and charged; (3) when the agent is deliberately withheld for diplomatic or rhetorical reasons — Mistakes were made; (4) in formal written English, especially academic, legal, scientific, and journalistic texts; and (5) to maintain topical continuity — placing known information at the start of a sentence and new information at the end.
You must also know when the passive is inappropriate: avoid it in informal conversation, in narrative where agency matters, in instructions directed at the reader, and whenever the active voice is more direct and natural. Overusing the passive is considered a stylistic weakness at C1/C2 level.
| Tense | Active Form | Passive Form |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | They approve the plan. | The plan is approved. |
| Present Continuous | They are reviewing it. | It is being reviewed. |
| Present Perfect | They have completed it. | It has been completed. |
| Past Simple | They approved the plan. | The plan was approved. |
| Past Continuous | They were reviewing it. | It was being reviewed. |
| Past Perfect | They had approved it. | It had been approved. |
| Future Simple | They will approve it. | It will be approved. |
| Future Perfect | They will have approved it. | It will have been approved. |
| Modal Passive | They should approve it. | It should be approved. |
| Modal Perfect Passive | They should have approved it. | It should have been approved. |
⚠️ Important Exception: The Present Perfect Continuous and Past Perfect Continuous passives (has been being done / had been being done) are grammatically possible but are extremely rare and considered awkward in practice. In real C1/C2 usage, writers almost always avoid these forms by restructuring the sentence.
💡 Practice Tip: When transforming active sentences to passive, always identify the tense of the active verb first, then apply the be + past participle formula using the same tense. This two-step method eliminates most errors.
The 5 Advanced Passive Structures Every C1/C2 Learner Must Know
Beyond basic tense passives, C1/C2 grammar includes several specialised passive constructions that frequently appear in both exam tasks and authentic advanced English. These structures go beyond simple be + past participle and require careful attention to form and meaning.
| Structure Type | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Passive Reporting Verb (present) | It is said/believed/thought + that-clause | It is believed that the economy will recover. |
| Passive Reporting Verb (subject-raised) | Subject + is said/believed + to-infinitive | The economy is said to be recovering. |
| Passive Reporting Verb (past reference) | Subject + is said + to have + past participle | The files are believed to have been deleted. |
| Causative Have | have + object + past participle | She had her car repaired at the garage. |
| Causative Get | get + object + past participle | I need to get this report proofread before submission. |
1. Passive Reporting Verbs: it is said / believed / reported
This structure is used to report information without attributing it to a specific source — making it extremely common in academic writing, journalism, and formal reports. Common reporting verbs used in this pattern include: said, believed, thought, reported, claimed, alleged, known, understood, considered, expected, feared, estimated, assumed.
- Pattern 1 (impersonal): It is reported that the company has filed for bankruptcy.
- Pattern 2 (personal/raised subject): The company is reported to have filed for bankruptcy.
- Past reporting: It was believed that the treaty had been signed in secret.
- Position rule: Pattern 1 uses a dummy it subject; Pattern 2 raises the subject of the subordinate clause to be the main subject.
2. The Perfect Passive Infinitive in Reporting Structures
When the reported event occurred before the time of reporting, English uses the perfect passive infinitive: to have been + past participle. This is a C1/C2 structure that signals the sequence of events clearly and precisely.
- The suspect is alleged to have been involved in the fraud.
- The medication was thought to have been contaminated before distribution.
- The data are known to have been manipulated during the trial.
- Common mistake: Do NOT confuse to have been done (perfect passive infinitive) with to be done (present passive infinitive). The former refers to a past event; the latter to a current or future state.
3. Causative Have and Get
The causative structure is a special passive-like construction where the subject arranges for something to be done by someone else. Have is more formal; get is more informal or colloquial. Both follow the pattern: subject + have/get + object + past participle. Note that the agent (the person who performs the service) is usually omitted unless contextually necessary.
- We are having the entire building renovated this summer.
- I must get this contract checked by a lawyer before signing.
- She had her passport renewed at the embassy.
- Advanced note: Get can also express something unpleasant happening to the subject: He got his wallet stolen. Here, the subject did not arrange it — it happened to them. Context determines meaning.
4. Double Object Passives
Some transitive verbs (such as give, send, offer, show, tell, award, pay, teach, lend) take two objects in the active voice — a direct object and an indirect object. In passive transformation, either object can become the subject of the passive clause. C1/C2 learners must control both possibilities.
- Active: The board awarded the researcher a grant.
- Passive (indirect object as subject): The researcher was awarded a grant by the board. ✓ (more natural)
- Passive (direct object as subject): A grant was awarded to the researcher by the board. ✓ (also correct)
- Style note: The version placing the longer, more complex phrase at the end is usually preferred (end-weight principle).
5. Passive with Modal Verbs (All Forms)
Modal verbs combine with the passive to express obligation, ability, permission, possibility, and deduction about actions performed on the subject. At C1/C2 level, all modal + passive combinations must be controlled, including modal perfect passives for past inference and criticism.
- Present obligation: All applications must be submitted by Friday.
- Past possibility: The document could have been forged.
- Past criticism: The evidence should have been preserved by the police.
- Logical deduction (past): The server must have been hacked overnight.
- Key rule: Modal + perfect passive = modal + have been + past participle. Never insert an extra be: ✗ must have been be done.
Key Differences: Active vs Passive Voice — The Confusing Structures Advanced Learners Always Get Wrong
Active vs Passive: Emphasis and Information Structure
One of the most important distinctions at C1/C2 level is understanding that active and passive are not interchangeable alternatives — they make different choices about what information is most important. English follows the given-new principle: familiar or known information typically comes at the start of a sentence (subject position), while new or important information comes at the end (end-focus). The passive allows the writer to reorder information to align with this principle, which is essential for coherent academic and professional writing.
- Active (agent-focus): Einstein developed the theory of relativity. → focuses on Einstein
- Passive (result-focus): The theory of relativity was developed by Einstein. → focuses on the theory
- Agentless passive: The theory of relativity was developed in the early 20th century. → no agent needed; context makes it clear
Be Passive vs Get Passive: Formality and Meaning
Both be + past participle and get + past participle can form passive constructions, but they differ in register, meaning, and the type of subject they typically accept. Be-passives are neutral-to-formal and describe states or actions. Get-passives are informal, often imply a process of change, and frequently carry a connotation of something unplanned, negative, or achieved with effort.
- She was promoted (neutral/formal) vs She got promoted (informal, implies it was a welcome achievement)
- He was injured (neutral report) vs He got injured (informal, implies accidental or unfortunate)
- Rule: Get-passives are rarely used in academic writing. Avoid them in essays, reports, and formal correspondence.
Stative Passive vs Dynamic Passive
A key C1/C2 distinction is between the stative passive (describing a resulting state) and the dynamic passive (describing an action or process). Both use be + past participle, but they answer different questions. The dynamic passive answers "What happened?" and focuses on the action; the stative passive answers "What is the current state?" and focuses on the result.
- Dynamic (action): The window was broken by the hailstorm. → Something happened
- Stative (state): The window is broken. → Current condition
- Context matters: The shop was closed at 9pm (action — someone closed it) vs The shop is closed (state — it is not open)
Passive Infinitive vs Perfect Passive Infinitive: Time Reference
This is one of the most tested distinctions in C1/C2 grammar. The passive infinitive (to be done) refers to a present or future action; the perfect passive infinitive (to have been done) refers to an action completed before the time of the main verb. Confusing these two creates a serious grammatical error.
- The report needs to be submitted tomorrow. → future action
- The report is believed to have been submitted last week. → past action, before now
- ✗ The files are alleged to be destroyed in 2019. (incorrect — use perfect infinitive for a past event)
- ✓ The files are alleged to have been destroyed in 2019.
🚫 Common Mistakes to Avoid — Active & Passive Voice (C1/C2)
- ✗ The problem was solved by using a new method was proposed. → Two passive clauses incorrectly joined. Use separate sentences or a conjunction.
- ✗ It was recommended to take more exercise. → With recommend, the passive it-construction is followed by that + subject + should: It was recommended that participants should take more exercise.
- ✗ The results must have been be published. → Never add a bare be after a modal perfect: must have been published ✓
- ✗ She was made to feel uncomfortable by. → The by-phrase needs an agent: by the interviewer. Omit by entirely if no agent is given.
- ✗ The car was got repaired. → Get causative is NOT a be-passive. Use: She got the car repaired. (subject + get + object + past participle)
- ✗ Using passive with intransitive verbs: The event was arrived at noon. → Arrive is intransitive — it cannot be passivised.
Active and Passive Voice Quiz for Advanced Learners (C1/C2): 40 Questions with Answers
This active and passive voice quiz includes 40 multiple choice questions covering passive tense formation, passive reporting verbs, causative structures, modal passives, stative vs dynamic passive, and active vs passive choice. Each question includes a detailed explanation so you learn from every answer.
Quiz Instructions: Read each question carefully and select the best answer. After you click, you will see an explanation telling you exactly why the answer is correct.
Finished the quiz? Review every question you got wrong before moving on. If you scored below 75%, re-read the lesson sections on passive reporting verbs, modal perfect passives, and causative structures above before retaking.
Frequently Asked Questions about Active and Passive Voice in English Grammar
What is the difference between active and passive voice in English?
In active voice, the grammatical subject of the sentence is the agent — the entity that performs the action: The government increased taxes. In passive voice, the grammatical subject is the patient — the entity that receives the action: Taxes were increased by the government. The core difference is one of focus and emphasis, not just word order.
At advanced levels, the choice between active and passive is also a stylistic and rhetorical decision. Passive is preferred when the agent is unknown, unimportant, or deliberately withheld, and when formal or impersonal register is required. Examples: The bridge was designed in 1905 (agent unknown/irrelevant); It has been decided that the project will be cancelled (agent withheld).
Can all English verbs be made passive?
No. Only transitive verbs — verbs that take a direct object — can be passivised. Intransitive verbs such as arrive, sleep, exist, occur, disappear, fall, rise cannot form a passive because they have no direct object to become the passive subject. Attempting to passivise them produces ungrammatical sentences: ✗ The accident was occurred; ✓ The accident occurred.
Some verbs that appear transitive are also not passivisable in natural English, particularly stative verbs of measurement or relation: The bag weighs 10kg cannot naturally become 10kg is weighed by the bag. Additionally, reflexive verbs and structures where the "object" is embedded in the verb phrase typically resist passivisation.
What are passive reporting verbs and how do I use them at C1/C2?
Passive reporting verbs (also called impersonal passive constructions) are structures like it is said that, it is believed that, it is reported that. They are used to report information without specifying who said it — making them essential for academic writing, journalism, and formal prose. Common verbs in this pattern include: say, believe, think, report, claim, allege, know, understand, consider, expect, fear, estimate, assume.
There are two main patterns. Pattern 1 uses a dummy it subject: It is believed that the company is insolvent. Pattern 2 raises the embedded subject: The company is believed to be insolvent. When the reported event is in the past (before the reporting time), use the perfect passive infinitive: The company is believed to have been insolvent for years. This time distinction is critical for C1/C2 accuracy.
What is the causative have structure and how is it different from the ordinary passive?
The causative have structure follows the pattern subject + have + object + past participle: She had her hair cut. It means the subject arranged for someone else to perform an action on the object. It is not a simple be-passive — the subject is not the recipient of the action, but the person who commissioned it. The agent (the person who performed the service) is normally omitted.
The informal equivalent uses get: I need to get this essay proofread. The key difference from the ordinary passive is the presence of the object between the verb and the past participle. Compare: Her hair was cut (ordinary passive — who did it is unknown/irrelevant) vs She had her hair cut (causative — she arranged for a hairdresser to do it). Get can also describe unfortunate events that happen to someone: He got his phone stolen.
Is it wrong to use the passive voice in academic writing?
No — the passive is not only acceptable in academic writing, it is frequently preferred and expected. Academic writing values objectivity, impersonality, and focus on findings rather than on the researcher. Passive constructions achieve this: The samples were analysed using gas chromatography is more appropriate in a methods section than We analysed the samples… Passive is also used to describe general states of knowledge: It is widely accepted that…; The phenomenon has been documented in…
However, modern academic style guides (including APA) increasingly recommend using active voice where it improves clarity and directness — particularly in discussion and argument sections. The most sophisticated approach is to vary between active and passive strategically: use passive for methods, results, and reporting; use active for arguments, claims, and recommendations. Overuse of either is a stylistic weakness at C1/C2 level.
Related Grammar Lessons for Advanced Learners
- Reported Speech at C1/C2: Backshift rules, reporting verbs with gerunds and infinitives, and advanced patterns
- Conditionals (Advanced): Mixed conditionals, inverted conditionals, and modal alternatives to if
- Cleft Sentences: Using it is… that and what… is structures for emphasis and focus
- Nominalization in Academic English: Converting verbs and adjectives into noun phrases for formal writing
Mastering active and passive voice at C1/C2 level means going beyond simple transformation — it means understanding the grammar, the function, and the stylistic choices that define sophisticated English. Work through this lesson, complete the full 40-question active and passive voice quiz, and return to review any structures that still feel uncertain.
About the Author
About the Author: Dharma Poudel has completed an MA and MEd in English and has been teaching English for 20 years. He specializes in creating simple, clear grammar lessons for ESL/EFL learners at all levels. His mission is to help learners build confidence through structured explanations and interactive practice materials.