🔄 Grammar · Passive & Causative
The Passive Voice
Sometimes the action matters more than the person who did it. Learn how to turn a sentence around with the film The Dark Knight.
Grammar › Passive & Causative › The Passive Voice
The rule in one sentenceAn active sentence starts with the person who does the action; a passive sentence starts with the thing the action happens to, and uses be + the third form of the verb.
About the film
The Dark Knight is a Batman film from 2008, and it was directed by Christopher Nolan. In the first scene, a bank in Gotham City is robbed by men in clown masks. Batman, Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent want to stop crime, but a dangerous new enemy, the Joker, has other plans.
What does it do?
Every action has two sides: the person who does it, and the thing it happens to. An active sentence starts with the person: The Joker’s men rob the bank. A passive sentence starts with the thing: The bank is robbed.
The meaning is the same. Only the starting point changes. We choose the passive when we do not know who did something, when it is not important, or when everybody already knows.
Look at the tiles in pairs. Each pair tells the same story. In the second sentence of each pair, the bank or the film comes first, and the doer moves to the end after by — or disappears completely.
In speech, the be part is often short, especially with not:
Someone took the money from the bank. The money was taken.
Who is “someone”? Nobody knows yet, so the second sentence is better. It keeps the important part: the money is gone.
Visual guide
Teacher Teddy’s illustrated guide to this rule is being drawn — the full swipe-through infographic will appear here soon.
How to make it
active — who does it?
Batman protects the city at night.
The police don’t know the Joker’s real name.
Who made Batman’s new suit?
Use this when the doer is the interesting part.passive — what happens to it?
The city is protected at night.
The Joker’s real name isn’t known.
Put not after the be word.Was the new suit made by Lucius Fox?
Move the be word to the front. Add by only if the doer matters.When to use each one
active — the doer matters
passive — the action matters
Words that help: who did it?
Look at the start of the sentence. Is it a person doing something, or a thing that something happens to?
active → a doer comes first
passive → common patterns
Common mistakes
❌ The bank was rob by men in masks.
✅ The bank was robbed by men in masks.
After the be word, you need the third form: robbed, not rob.
❌ Gotham is attacked from the Joker.
✅ Gotham is attacked by the Joker.
Use “by” for the person who does the action.
❌ Batman’s new suit made by Lucius Fox.
✅ Batman’s new suit was made by Lucius Fox.
Don’t forget the be word: is, was, were…
❌ The robbery was happened in the day.
✅ The robbery happened in the day.
Some verbs, like happen, arrive and die, never change this way.
One more thing
This part is a little harder. You can come back to it later.
In speech, people often use “get” instead of “be”. This is common for bad or sudden things, like accidents. It sounds informal, so keep “be” for writing.
✅ My bike got stolen last week. (spoken)
✅ My bike was stolen last week. (spoken or written)
Practice: choose the right form
Eight questions. Choose one answer. You get the answer, and why.
1. A bank in Gotham ___ by men in clown masks.
The bank does not rob. Something happens to it → was robbed.
2. The Joker’s men ___ the bank.
The men are the doers → robbed.
3. The Dark Knight ___ by Christopher Nolan.
The film comes first, so use was + third form → was directed.
4. Batman’s car ___ in a secret place.
The car does not keep anything. Someone keeps it → is kept.
5. Harvey Dent ___ to put criminals in prison.
Dent is the doer, and “want” is his action → wants.
6. The film ___ in 2008.
A studio released it. The film comes first → was released.
7. The Joker’s real name ___ by anyone.
A name cannot know anything → isn’t known.
8. Batman’s tools ___ by Lucius Fox.
“Tools” is plural → are made.
Your turn
Choose one ending. Then listen to your sentence.
Every sentence here is correct. Pick the one that is true for you. Say it out loud too!
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Now hear it in the film
You have just learned the passive voice with The Dark Knight. Now hear the whole film explained in English.
The full listening episode on the same film — a slow, clear movie review with the language used in real speech, and a free transcript.
IntermediateEpisode 02Watch on YouTube