Core
Recognise core Form I past and present passive patterns.
A
Why this matters لِمَاذَا نَسْتَعْمِلُ الْمَبْنِيَّ لِلْمَجْهُولِ؟
Passive voice foregrounds what happened or what is done when the agent is unknown, obvious or less important.
Develop
Transform active sentences and apply gender/non-human plural agreement.
Stretch
Use derived passive forms and explain information focus and case role.
Communication target: Write a clear notice, report or process using passive forms purposefully.
B
Diagnostic start
Distinguish active and passive vowels and roles.
🔎 Entry Check
0/61. Choose the passive past “The letter was written”.
Form I passive past uses the فُعِلَ vowel pattern.
2. Choose the passive present “The letter is written”.
Passive present uses يُفْعَلُ / تُفْعَلُ.
3. Choose “Smoking is prohibited”.
The passive focuses on the rule, not the unnamed agent.
4. In a passive sentence, the former object…
The affected noun takes the subject-like grammatical role.
5. Choose the passive present of فَتَحَ.
Present passive: يُفْعَلُ.
6. Why use passive voice?
Passive is a meaning choice, not decoration.
1
Passive past: فُعِلَ
Change the internal vowels and make the affected noun the grammatical focus.
| Active past | Passive past | Meaning shift |
|---|---|---|
| كَتَبَ الطَّالِبُ الرِّسَالَةَ. | كُتِبَتِ الرِّسَالَةُ. | The letter/result is foregrounded. |
| فَتَحَ الْمُوَظَّفُ الْبَابَ. | فُتِحَ الْبَابُ. | The agent is omitted. |
| كَسَرَ الْوَلَدُ الزُّجَاجَ. | كُسِرَ الزُّجَاجُ. | The affected item becomes نائب الفاعل. |
| أَعْلَنَتِ الْمَدْرَسَةُ النَّتِيجَةَ. | أُعْلِنَتِ النَّتِيجَةُ. | Derived forms have their own passive vowel pattern. |
Form I pattern: Active فَعَلَ becomes passive فُعِلَ: كَتَبَ ← كُتِبَ، فَتَحَ ← فُتِحَ.
⏪ Passive Past Check
0/41. Passive of سَمِعَ
Past passive pattern.
2. The door was opened
Passive verb + nominative deputy subject.
3. The books were read
Past passive and non-human plural feminine singular agreement.
4. The results were announced
Passive derived form and non-human plural agreement.
2
Passive present: يُفْعَلُ
The passive present is common in notices, processes, formal reports and general statements.
| Active present | Passive present | Use |
|---|---|---|
| يَكْتُبُ الطَّالِبُ الرِّسَالَةَ. | تُكْتَبُ الرِّسَالَةُ. | process/general practice |
| يَفْتَحُ الْمُوَظَّفُ الْبَابَ. | يُفْتَحُ الْبَابُ. | what happens to the door |
| يَمْنَعُ الْقَانُونُ التَّدْخِينَ. | يُمْنَعُ التَّدْخِينُ. | rule/sign |
| يَسْتَعْمِلُ النَّاسُ التِّقْنِيَّةَ. | تُسْتَعْمَلُ التِّقْنِيَّةُ. | formal description |
Form I pattern: Active يَفْعَلُ becomes passive يُفْعَلُ. The subject agreement prefix still matches the affected noun: تُكْتَبُ الرِّسَالَةُ.
⏺️ Passive Present Check
0/41. The door is opened
Present passive.
2. The letter is written
Feminine agreement.
3. The cars are used
Non-human plural takes feminine singular agreement.
4. It is said that…
Common impersonal passive expression.
3
Choose passive for a reason
The passive changes information focus: action and result move forward; agent moves out.
Unknown agent
سُرِقَتِ الدَّرَّاجَةُ.
The speaker does not know who stole it.
Obvious agent
أُعْلِنَتِ النَّتِيجَةُ.
The institution is obvious or not important.
Rule or process
تُفْحَصُ الْحَقَائِبُ عِنْدَ الْمَدْخَلِ.
Formal reporting
يُعْتَقَدُ أَنَّ التِّقْنِيَّةَ سَتَتَطَوَّرُ.
Do not use passive to hide a relevant agent. If who performed the action matters, the active sentence may be clearer.
🎯 Why Passive? Check
0/41. Best for an unknown theft agent
Unknown agent.
2. Best for a rule
Impersonal notice.
3. Best when the teacher is important
Active foregrounds the agent.
4. Best process description
General process.
4
Transform active into passive
A reliable transformation protects verb pattern, agreement and case role.
| Active sentence | Transformation step | Passive result |
|---|---|---|
| كَتَبَ الطَّالِبُ الرِّسَالَةَ. | 1 change verb vowels; 2 remove agent; 3 raise object | كُتِبَتِ الرِّسَالَةُ. |
| يَفْتَحُ الْحَارِسُ الْبَابَ. | 1 يُفْعَلُ; 2 remove agent; 3 match الباب | يُفْتَحُ الْبَابُ. |
| تَسْتَعْمِلُ الشَّرِكَةُ الآلَةَ. | Use derived-form passive stem and feminine agreement | تُسْتَعْمَلُ الآلَةُ. |
| أَعْلَنَ الْمُدِيرُ النَّتَائِجَ. | Passive past + non-human plural agreement | أُعْلِنَتِ النَّتَائِجُ. |
Case awareness: The former object is no longer accusative. As نَائِبُ الْفَاعِلِ, it is nominative in fully marked Arabic.
🔁 Active-to-Passive Check
0/41. Transform: كَسَرَ الْوَلَدُ النَّافِذَةَ.
Passive + feminine agreement + nominative.
2. Transform: يَقْرَأُ الطُّلَّابُ الْكُتُبَ.
Non-human plural feminine singular.
3. Transform: مَنَعَ الْقَانُونُ التَّدْخِينَ.
Past passive.
4. Transform: يَسْتَعْمِلُ النَّاسُ الْهَوَاتِفَ.
Derived passive and non-human plural agreement.
!
Passive misconception clinic
A useful correction explains the form, not only the answer.
Vowels
✗ كَتَبَتِ الرِّسَالَةُ بمعنى was written
✓ كُتِبَتِ الرِّسَالَةُ
Passive past needs internal vowel change.
Present prefix
✗ يَفْتَحُ الْبَابُ بمعنى is opened
✓ يُفْتَحُ الْبَابُ
Passive present begins with ḍamma.
Case role
✗ كُسِرَ الزُّجَاجَ
✓ كُسِرَ الزُّجَاجُ
The deputy subject is nominative.
Agreement
✗ يُكْتَبُ الرِّسَالَةُ
✓ تُكْتَبُ الرِّسَالَةُ
The passive verb agrees with the feminine affected noun.
G
Replayable passive game
Choose passive forms with accurate agreement.
🎮 Active or Passive?
Choose the passive form and preserve agreement.
Press start.
A
Apply the grammar across skills
Grammar becomes useful when it helps you understand and communicate.
📖 Reading workshop
Read notices and reports; underline passive verbs and identify the affected noun that follows.
🎧 Listening workshop
Listen to paired active/passive sentences and decide which information the speaker foregrounds.
🗣️ Speaking workshop
Explain a school process using at least three present passives, then answer who performs one step using an active sentence.
🛠️ Editing workshop
Repair passive sentences with active vowels, wrong gender prefix and accusative former objects.
✍️ Integrated production task
Write a 120–140-word news report, process description or school notice. Include at least five passive verbs and explain one event with an active sentence where the agent matters.
Model: أُعْلِنَتِ النَّتَائِجُ صَبَاحَ الْيَوْمِ، وَنُشِرَتْ عَلَى مَوْقِعِ الْمَدْرَسَةِ. تُسْتَعْمَلُ هَذِهِ الطَّرِيقَةُ لِكَيْ يَطَّلِعَ جَمِيعُ الطُّلَّابِ عَلَيْهَا.
Success checklist: Use two past passives, three present passives, one feminine subject, one non-human plural and correct نائب الفاعل endings where shown.
Plan the verb changes as a timeline, root map or sentence flowchart. Label each form in Arabic.
Draw arrows showing object → نائب الفاعل for each transformed sentence. Write the omitted agent only when it is logically recoverable.
✓
Final mastery check
Recognise and form past and present passives.
⭐ Passive Voice Mastery
0/101. Past passive pattern
Past.
2. Present passive pattern
Present.
3. The door was opened
Passive + nominative.
4. The letter is written
Feminine passive.
5. Smoking is prohibited
Rule.
6. The books are read
Non-human plural feminine + nominative.
7. It is said
Impersonal passive.
8. Former object becomes
Deputy subject.
9. Use passive when
Information focus.
10. Active is clearer when
Keep relevant agent.
Lesson mastery summary
- form the core past passive pattern فُعِلَ;
- form the core present passive pattern يُفْعَلُ;
- identify and agree with نائب الفاعل;
- choose passive or active according to information focus.
Return in 3–7 days and repeat the final check without reviewing first. Retrieval, not recognition alone, builds secure verb control.