Grammar / B2 : Upper Intermediate / The passive voice in all tenses
The passive voice in all tenses
Passive in the passé composé, imperfect, future, conditional...
1. What the Passive Does
The passive voice moves the grammatical object of an active sentence into the subject position, making it the focus of the sentence. The original subject either disappears or becomes a complement introduced by par (by) or, less commonly, de.
Active
Le gouvernement a adopté la loi.The government passed the law.
(Subject: le gouvernement; Agent)
Passive
La loi a été adoptée par le gouvernement.The law was passed by the government.
(Subject: la loi; formerly the object)
The passive is used when the action itself or its recipient is more important than who performed it, or when the agent is unknown, irrelevant, or deliberately withheld.
2. Formation: The Constant Rule
The passive is formed with the verb être conjugated in the required tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. The past participle always agrees in gender and number with the subject of the passive sentence.
Le rapport est rédigé. (masc. sing.); La lettre est rédigée. (fem. sing.)
Les rapports sont rédigés. (masc. pl.); Les lettres sont rédigées. (fem. pl.)
3. The Passive at Every Tense
Any tense of être produces the passive in that tense. The table below shows the full paradigm using inviter (to invite), feminine subject Marie.
| Tense | être form | Passive form | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | est | Marie est invitée. | Marie is invited. |
| Imperfect | était | Marie était invitée. | Marie was being invited / used to be invited. |
| Passé composé | a été | Marie a été invitée. | Marie was invited (completed event). |
| Pluperfect | avait été | Marie avait été invitée. | Marie had been invited. |
| Simple future | sera | Marie sera invitée. | Marie will be invited. |
| Future perfect | aura été | Marie aura été invitée. | Marie will have been invited. |
| Conditional present | serait | Marie serait invitée. | Marie would be invited. |
| Conditional perfect | aurait été | Marie aurait été invitée. | Marie would have been invited. |
| Present subjunctive | soit | ...que Marie soit invitée. | ...that Marie be invited. |
| Past subjunctive | ait été | ...que Marie ait été invitée. | ...that Marie was invited. |
| Imperative | sois / soyez | Sois prêt(e). | Be ready. (rare with passive meaning) |
Distinguishing passé composé from imperfect passive
This contrast is critical and frequently tested. The choice mirrors the active voice distinction between passé composé and imperfect:
(The city was destroyed in 1944.)
La ville était gouvernée par un conseil élu.: ongoing state or repeated situation (imperfect)
(The city was governed by an elected council.)
4. par or de? Introducing the Agent
When the agent is expressed, it is introduced by a preposition. The choice between par and de is not arbitrary.
par: the default: actions and dynamic verbs
Par introduces a concrete agent performing a specific, dynamic action. It is by far the most common choice and always safe.
La décision a été prise par le comité. (The decision was made by the committee.)
Elle a été félicitée par son directeur. (She was congratulated by her manager.)
de : stative verbs and fixed expressions
De is used with certain verbs that express a state, an emotion, or a habitual condition rather than a dynamic action. These verbs tend to describe how the subject is perceived or felt about.
| Verb | Example with de | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| être aimé, adoré, respecté, apprécié | Il est respecté de tous. | He is respected by everyone. |
| être entouré, accompagné | Elle était entourée de ses amis. | She was surrounded by her friends. |
| être couvert, rempli, orné | La table était couverte de fleurs. | The table was covered with flowers. |
| être suivi, précédé | Il était suivi de près. | He was closely followed. |
5. Restrictions: When the Passive Cannot Be Used
Not all verbs can be passivised. French passivisation requires that the verb take a direct object in the active voice. Verbs that only take indirect objects cannot form a passive.
| Category | Active | Passive? |
|---|---|---|
| Direct object verbs (COD) (can passivise) | On a construit ce pont. | Ce pont a été construit. ✓ |
| Indirect object verbs (COI) (cannot passivise) | Elle a parlé à Paul. | *Paul a été parlé. ✗ |
| Indirect object verbs (COI) (cannot passivise) | Il a obéi à ses parents. | *Ses parents ont été obéis. ✗ |
| Reflexive verbs (cannot passivise) | Elle se souvient de lui. | No passive possible ✗ |
| Verbs with être in active (cannot passivise) | Il est allé à Paris. | No passive possible ✗ |
téléphoner à, obéir à, pardonner à, ressembler à, nuire à, succéder à, plaire à
English: "Paul was phoned"; French: impossible passive. Use On a téléphoné à Paul. instead.
6. Passive with Compound Tenses: Avoiding Confusion
In compound tenses, the passive has two past participles in a row: the participle of être (été) plus the main participle. This is a distinctive and sometimes intimidating structure.
(The decision was made quickly.) (passé composé passive)
Tous les dossiers avaient été vérifiés avant la réunion.
(All the files had been checked before the meeting.) (pluperfect passive)
Le projet aurait été accepté si le budget avait été suffisant.
(The project would have been accepted if the budget had been sufficient.) (past conditional passive)
Note that été is always invariable: it is the past participle of être used as auxiliary, not as a main verb. Only the final past participle agrees with the subject.
7. Passive Voice in Negative Sentences
Negation wraps around the conjugated form of être, exactly as with any other verb.
Ces règles ne seront pas modifiées. (These rules will not be changed.)
Il est surprenant que cette erreur n'ait pas été détectée. (It is surprising that this error was not detected.)
8. Alternatives to the Passive
French often avoids the passive where English would use it readily. Three main constructions serve as natural alternatives.
on + active verb (most common)
The indefinite pronoun on performs the action without naming a specific agent. This is the most frequent passive substitute in spoken French.
With on: On a pris la décision. (One made the decision / The decision was made.)
Passive: Le colis sera livré demain.
With on: On livrera le colis demain. (They will deliver the package tomorrow.)
Pronominal / reflexive construction (se faire, se voir, s'entendre)
A group of pronominal verbs convey a passive meaning with an active structure. The most productive are se faire + infinitive and se voir + infinitive.
Elle s'est vu refuser le poste. (She was refused the position.)
Ils se sont entendus critiquer par la presse. (They heard themselves criticized by the press.)
Ce vin se boit frais. (This wine is drunk chilled. / This wine should be drunk chilled.)
Infinitive constructions (formal/written)
In formal and legal writing, infinitives with à or de can convey passive meaning:
Des questions à examiner. (Questions to be examined.)
Il reste beaucoup à faire. (There is much to be done.)
9. Register and Frequency
| Register | Tendency | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Formal written (press, law, academic) | Passive frequent (foregrounds the object, avoids naming agents) | Le rapport a été transmis aux autorités compétentes. |
| Standard written (DELF tasks) | Passive used selectively alongside on | On a adopté plusieurs mesures. / Des mesures ont été adoptées. |
| Spoken / informal | Passive rare: on strongly preferred | On l'a arrêté hier soir. (not Il a été arrêté) |
Lesson Summary
- The passive moves the object to subject position and uses être + past participle. The past participle always agrees with the subject.
- The passive exists at every tense: conjugate être in the target tense and add the agreed past participle.
- Key contrast: passé composé passive (completed event) vs. imperfect passive (ongoing state or habitual situation).
- Agent introduced by par (dynamic actions, default) or de (stative verbs: être aimé de, entouré de, couvert de...).
- Only verbs with a direct object (COD) can be passivised. COI verbs (obéir à, téléphoner à, pardonner à...) cannot.
- In compound passive tenses, été is invariable; only the main past participle agrees with the subject.
- Negation wraps around the conjugated être: n'a pas été, ne sera pas, ne soit pas.
- Main alternatives: on + active verb (most common in speech), pronominal constructions (se faire, se voir, se boire...), infinitive with à (formal writing).
- Formal writing favours the passive; spoken French strongly prefers on.