Present simple passive

Level and focus

Level: B1
Category: Passive voice

Use the present simple passive to focus on an action, result or process rather than the person who performs it.

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to: form am/is/are + past participle and decide when a by-agent is useful.

Form

subject + am/is/are + past participle

• English is spoken here.
• The rooms are cleaned every day.
• Coffee is grown in Brazil.

Add by + agent only when the agent is important or informative.

• The website is updated by the communications team.
• The product is tested by independent experts.

When to omit the agent

Do not use a by-agent when it is:

• unknown: The suspect's identity is not released.
• obvious: The classrooms are cleaned every evening.
• unimportant: The results are published every Friday.

Agent or instrument?

Use by for a person, group or organisation that performs the action.

• The concert is organised by the students' union.

Use with for an instrument or tool.

• The door is opened with a key.

Examples

• The museum is visited by thousands of tourists every year.
• These shoes are made in Portugal.
• The menu is translated into Spanish by a professional translator.
• The post is delivered every morning.

Common mistakes

• not English is speak here; use English is spoken here.
• not The rooms is cleaned; use The rooms are cleaned.
• not The post is delivered by people; usually use The post is delivered.
• not opened by a key; use opened with a key.

Quick check

1. Is the focus on the action/result rather than the doer?
2. Do I need am, is or are?
3. Is the main verb a past participle?
4. Does the by-agent add genuinely useful information?