Levels & career tracks
Curso básico · A1–A2
Nivel A1.1 — IdentidadNivel A1.2 — Rutinas y entornoNivel A2.1 — Contando el mundoNivel A2.2 — Comparando y proyectandoIntermedio · B1–B2
Level B1.1 — Connecting experiencesLevel B1.2 — Narrating and describing Current levelLevel B2.1 — ArguingLevel B2.2 — NuanceProfesional / Avanzado · C1–C2
Level C1.1 — PrecisionLevel C1.2 — Register and discourseLevel C2.1 — StyleLevel C2.2 — Native masteryInglés técnico y especialización
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The passive voice shifts the focus from who did an action to what happened, or to whom. It's formed with to be + past participle, and "to be" changes according to the tense you need.
Why this matters This lesson connects directly to your progress: it covers form across different tenses; negative and questions; mentioning the agent (or not). Mastering this content lets you move forward confidently, and reinforces patterns you'll use again later. Take time to review every example before moving to the assessment — repetition is what actually locks knowledge in long-term.
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The goals of this lesson.
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You already build active sentences ("She wrote the letter"). This lesson teaches the passive voice, used when the action matters more than who did it ("The letter was written").
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The formula stays the same in every tense: "to be" (conjugated for the tense) + past participle. Only "to be" changes.
| Tense | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present simple | am/is/are + p.p. | It is made here. |
| Past simple | was/were + p.p. | It was made here. |
| Present perfect | have/has been + p.p. | It has been made. |
Examples
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Negate or question the "to be" part exactly as you would in the active voice — the past participle never changes.
Examples
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Use "by + agent" when it's important who did the action. Often, though, the agent is left out entirely — because it's unknown, obvious, or unimportant.
Examples
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Read the text and answer the questions. You can try as many times as you want.
The historic bridge in the city center was built over a hundred years ago. It was designed by a famous European architect, and it has been renovated three times since then. Right now, part of the bridge is being repaired due to structural damage.
The repairs are being funded by the city government, and they are expected to be finished by next summer. A new plaque will be added once the work is completed, explaining the bridge's history to visitors.
1. When was the bridge built?
2. Who designed the bridge?
3. What is being repaired right now?
4. Who is funding the repairs?
5. What will be added once the work is finished?
💪 You've unlocked one of English's most useful structures. Review this lesson, or push toward finishing B1!
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Usa las pistas para completar cada palabra en inglés. Sin calificar — repite las veces que quieras.
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The essentials of this lesson, summarized.
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Key terms to remember.
a written message sent to someone
cartaa building where people live
casathe English language
ingléssomething made or manufactured
productoa written or spoken account of something
informe, reportea structure built to cross a river or road
puente10
Tap the words in the correct order to form the sentence. Ungraded — repeat as many times as you like.
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Tap the correct verb form to complete each sentence. The other options are conjugations from other tenses — on purpose, so you learn to tell them apart.
The have been signed
The was closed due to renovations
The was built in 1990
My was stolen last week
This is made in Ecuador
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Listen to the full dialogue with the speaker buttons first, then fill in the missing words from this lesson's real conversation. Ungraded — repeat as many times as you like.
Who this
It was by the department.
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You need at least 80% to unlock the next lesson. You can retake it as many times as you want — your best score is saved.
1. Which option matches: "The window wasn't broken by the storm."?
2. "The car wasn't fixed properly." — which one is correct?
3. Select the correct match for: "Mistakes were made during the project."
4. Which option matches: "The new policy will be announced tomorrow."?
5. Which option matches: "The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci."?
6. Which option matches: "The book was written by a famous author."?
7. Choose the equivalent of: "The documents have been signed."
8. Choose the equivalent of: "English is spoken in many countries."
9. "Was this painting created by a famous artist?" — which one is correct?
10. "The results will be published next month." — which one is correct?
Review — Lesson 38 What matches: "We wouldn't have enough time if we started now."?
Review — Lesson 38 What matches: "What would happen if the internet disappeared?"?
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You now build passive sentences (The letter was written). Next lesson: essential vocabulary for work, business, and technology.
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Practice this lesson's vocabulary with a word search and flashcards. Ungraded — play as many times as you like.
Tap the first and last letter of a hidden word to find it. Los términos de varias palabras van sin espacios en el tablero (ej. "give up" aparece como GIVEUP).
Elige la respuesta correcta. Si aciertas, la tarjeta queda lista por hoy; si fallas, vuelve a aparecer pronto para reforzarla. Tu progreso se guarda en este dispositivo.