This deep dive covers The Passive Voice within The passive, superlatives and en + present participle for GCSE French. Revise The passive, superlatives and en + present participle in Core Grammar Toolkit for GCSE French with 15 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 2 of 6 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📋 The Passive Voice
The passive voice is used when the subject of the sentence is acted upon rather than performing the action. English: "The cake is eaten" rather than "Someone eats the cake."
⭐ Passive Structure
Subject + être (in any tense) + past participle (agrees with subject) + par + agent (optional)
The past participle behaves exactly like an adjective — it must agree in gender and number with the subject.
| Tense | Structure of être | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | est / sont | Le gâteau est mangé par les enfants. | The cake is eaten by the children. |
| Perfect | a été / ont été | La lettre a été écrite par le directeur. | The letter was written by the headteacher. |
| Imperfect | était / étaient | Les règles étaient respectées. | The rules were respected. |
| Future | sera / seront | Les résultats seront publiés en août. | The results will be published in August. |
| Conditional | serait / seraient | Le problème serait résolu. | The problem would be solved. |
La décision a été prise par le gouvernement.
The decision was taken by the government.
- Subject: La décision (feminine singular)
- prise = past participle of prendre, agrees feminine singular → pris + e
- Agent introduced by par: par le gouvernement
Les nouvelles règles seront annoncées demain.
The new rules will be announced tomorrow.
- Subject: Les nouvelles règles (feminine plural)
- seront = future of être (elles form)
- annoncées = feminine plural agreement of the past participle (annoncé + es)
- No agent given here — that is perfectly acceptable in French
Les élèves étaient encouragés à participer.
The pupils were (being) encouraged to take part.
- Imperfect passive conveys an ongoing or habitual past state
- Subject: Les élèves — could be masculine or mixed → encouragés (masculine plural)
⭐ French Prefers on + Active Voice
In everyday French speech, the passive is often avoided by using on + active verb. Both are correct, but on + active sounds more natural in conversation, while the full passive construction is more formal and typical of written French.
| Passive (formal/written) | on + active (natural spoken) | English |
|---|---|---|
| Le gâteau est mangé. | On mange le gâteau. | The cake is eaten. / People eat the cake. |
| La porte a été fermée. | On a fermé la porte. | The door was closed. |
| Les résultats seront publiés. | On publiera les résultats. | The results will be published. |
Practice questions for The passive, superlatives and en + present participle
Which sentence correctly uses the passive voice in French?
Which past participle form correctly completes this passive sentence? 'Les lettres ont été _____ par la secrétaire.'