Past Simple Passive Form: How to Use With Example Sentence + Short Story

1. What is the Past Simple Passive?

Form = (was / were + past participle)

e.g. was helped, were carried, was told, etc.

2. When do we use the Passive form - Example Situation

We use the Passive form when we:

• want to focus on result of the action not who did it,

• do not know who did the action,

• do not need to mention who / it's not necessary.

  
  

Related post

• 👉 The Complete Guide to the Passive form in English

Watch and Learn! For English grammar story video lessons that bring this content to life, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

🎥 Check out the YouTube video with voice narration for listening practice:

• 👉 The Lost Painting - ESL Mystery Story With Past Simple Passive

📚Read the short story below. As you read, try to identify examples of the Past

Simple Passive.

📚The Lost Painting - A Past Simple Passive Short Story

In a quiet town by the sea, an old art gallery was hidden away on a narrow street.

The gallery was known for its collection of rare and beautiful paintings, but there was one painting that was always talked about more than the others.

It was called "The Midnight Sun," and it was painted by a famous artist many years ago.

One day, the gallery opened as usual, but something strange was discovered. The painting was gone! The alarm was not triggered, and the doors were locked, so no one could understand how it had been stolen.

Immediately, the police were called, and an investigation was started.

Fingerprints were taken, and the gallery was carefully examined, but no clues were found.

The whole town was shocked by the news, and people were afraid that "The

Midnight Sun" would never be seen again.

Days passed, and rumours spread. Some said the painting was sold on the black market, while others believed it was hidden in a secret location.

However, after weeks of searching, the painting was unexpectedly returned. It was found in a small box, wrapped in an old cloth, and left at the gallery's doorstep. No one knew who had taken it or why it had been brought back.

The mystery of "The Midnight Sun" was never solved, but the painting was once again displayed in the gallery, where it was admired by all who visited.

This story uses the Past Simple Passive to emphasise the actions that happened to the painting without focusing on who performed the actions, this is typical for stories involving mysteries or events where the subject is unknown or unimportant.

Examples of Past Simple Passive from the story:

was hidden

was known

was (always) talked

was called

was painted

was discovered

was gone

was not triggered

were locked

were called

was started

were taken

was (carefully) examined

were found

was sold

was hidden

was (unexpectedly) returned

was found

was (never) solved

was (once again) displayed

was admired

4. How to use the Past Simple (Passive Form) - Example Sentence

1. 'Sunflowers' was painted by Van Gogh.

2. The criminal was arrested by the police last night.

3. 'Norwegian Wood' was written by Haruki Murakami.

4. These cookies weren't made by Kate.

5. Were these instructions given by our big boss?

6. The dog was run over by a car.

7. When was the bicycle stolen?

(Note: we use 'by" + 'person' who did the action)

Related post

• 👉 Present Simple Passive - 3 Ways to Use + Examples

• 👉 Future Simple Passive - Uses + Example Sentences

  
  

5. How do we form a Past Simple Passive ?

i) How to form the Past Simple Passive (Positive):

✔️(positive)

[was / were + past participle + by]

e.g. see

- I was seen (by)

- you / we / they / were seen (by)

- he / she / it was seen (by)

Need to review?

• 👉 What is Past Participle - How to Use + Example Sentences 

✔️ (negative) + short form

- [was not / were not + past participle + by]

- I was not / wasn't seen (by)

- you / we / they were not / weren't seen (by)

- he / she / it was not / wasn't seen (by)

✔️ Yes / No Questions, Short Answers

- Was I seen (by)...?

- Were you / we / they seen (by)...?

- Was he / she / it seen (by)...?

✔️ Short Answers (positive) & (negative)

- Yes, I was.

- Yes, you / we / they were.

- Yes, he / she /it was.

- No, I was not / wasn't.

- No, you / we / they were not / weren't.

- No, he / she /it was not / wasn't .

​​✔️Past Simple Passive - (wh-Questions)

[Wh-Q + was / were + subject + past participle ]

Who

When

Where was / were + subject + past participle ...?

How

What

📌Quick Recap!

6. Why do we use the Past Simple Passive - Example Sentence

We use Passive form when we want to focus :

(a) on the result of an action and not the person / thing that did the action.

✔️Past Simple (active)

Here, we focus on the 'person' (baker of the cake):

e.g. Leila baked the chocolate cake.

| |

(Subject) (object)

✔️ Passive Past Simple

- Here, we focus on the 'cake'

(subject)

|

e.g. The chocolate cake was baked by Leila.

|

(object)

(Note: we use 'by" + 'person' who did the action)

✔️ We do not know who did the action:

e.g. The houses were damaged in the typhoon.

✔️ We do not need to mention who / it's not necessary:

e.g. The soldiers were killed in battle.

7. Compare Passive Past Simple vs Past Simple - Example Sentence

Note!

the position of the date/year can be:

✅ in the middle,

✅ at the beginning*

✅ at the end

• Singapore was founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles.

• In 1819, Singapore was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles.

• Singapore was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819.

  
  

Past Simple: Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore in 1819.

(Passive) ➡️ One of my bags was stolen at the marketplace.

(Past Simple) Someone stole one of my bags at the marketplace.

(Passive) ➡️ The wedding table was beautifully decorated.

(Past Simple) The wedding planner decorated the table beautifully.

(Passive) ➡️ The injured cyclist was taken to hospital.(by the ambulance)

(Past Simple) The ambulance took the injured cyclist to hospital.

🎯Grammar Learning Tip!

We use the Passive Form quite a lot in real life as we may want to focus on different things or which fact is more important - the person or the action!

💬 English Learning Tip!

When practising or reviewing English grammar on your own, you may want to use personal experience in your everyday situation to make your own sentences.

💬 For example you may be drinking coffee and thinking... This coffee is made from top quality Arabica beans. It is served in a 100% recyclable cup. ;-)

8. The Passive Past Simple - Example Sentence

🏞️ Nami works at a beautiful village shop near the mountains.

She's telling the police what she found when she reported for work this morning:

✔️ The main glass door was shattered.

✔️ The floor near the entrance was covered by broken glass everywhere.

✔️ The safe's door was left open.

✔️ Cash was stolen. Some of the items in the shop were taken too.

✔️ A pair of blood stained white gloves were found near the pantry.

✔️ The shop's bicycle was gone.

✔️ She was also informed by the village fruit seller that 2 men on a bicycle were seen speeding towards the pier.

9. Time for your practice.

Change the following active sentences into the Passive Form.

1. Mika did the housework yesterday.

Answer : The housework was done by Mika yesterday.

She:

• polished the mirror

• scrubbed the sink

• wiped the countertop

• washed the toilet

• mopped the floor

• dusted the shelves

  
  

Answer:

1. The mirror was polished.

2. The sink __________________

3. __________________________

4. __________________________

5. __________________________

6. __________________________

   
   

🎬 Final Recap!

We use the Passive Form when we:

✔️want to focus on the result & not who did the action,

✔️don't know who did it,

✔️not necessary to mention who did it.

I hope you feel more confident about how to use the Passive Past Simple form in your everyday English.

❓ FAQ Section Past Simple Passive

1. What is the Past Simple Passive?

The Past Simple Passive is used to talk about actions in the past when the focus is on the result, not the person who did the action.

👉 Example:

• The cake was eaten.(We don’t know who ate it, or it’s not important.)

2. How do you form the Past Simple Passive?

Use this structure:

[Subject + was/were + past participle]

👉 Examples:

• The room was cleaned yesterday.

• The emails were sent in the morning.

3. When should I use the Past Simple Passive?

Use it when:

• The doer is unknown → My phone was stolen.

• The doer is not important → The road was repaired.

• You want to focus on the result → The project was finished on time.

4. What is the difference between active and passive voice?

Active:

• She baked a cake.

Passive:

• A cake was baked (by her).

👉 In passive sentences, the focus is on the action or result.

5. Can I include the person who did the action?

Yes, you can use “by” if it’s important.

👉 Example:

• The painting was created by an artist.

But often, we don’t include it because it’s not necessary.

6. What are common mistakes with the Past Simple Passive?

-Using the wrong verb form

❌ The cake was eat

✅ The cake was eaten

-Forgetting “was/were”

❌ The room cleaned

✅ The room was cleaned

-Using passive when active is clearer

❌ The cake was eaten by me

✅ I ate the cake

7. How can I practise the Past Simple Passive?

Try these ideas:

• Rewrite active sentences into passive

• Describe news events (e.g. “A new shop was opened”)

• Write short mystery stories (great for this tense!)

8. Is the Past Simple Passive used in everyday English?

Yes! It’s very common in:

• News reports → “The suspect was arrested”

• Stories → “The treasure was hidden”

• Formal writing → “The report was completed”

9. What is the past participle?

The past participle is the third form of a verb.

👉 Examples:

• eat → eaten

• write → written

• clean → cleaned

It is used in all passive sentences.

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📚 Further Learning

Want to keep practising your English in fun and natural ways?

Check out these recommended resources:

• 🎧 Try Audible for free – Listen to English stories and improve your comprehension anywhere.

• 🎓 British Council Online English Lessons – Learn with expert teachers.

• 📱 FluentU –Practise English with real-world videos and interactive subtitles.

📚 Continue learning the Passive form

• 👉Present Continuous Passive: How to Use + Example Sentences

• 👉Past Continuous Passive With Fun Mystery-The Missing Necklace

• 👉The Present Perfect Passive : How to Use + Example Sentence

• 👉Past Perfect Passive With Fun StoryMystery of the Vanished Cake:

• 👉Future Perfect Passive Explained + Story With Example Practice

  
  

• 👉Modals (Passive Form): Grammar Story + Practice Exercises

  
  

• 🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel Playlist:

• 🔗 Grammar Challenge - Test Your English Skills

• 🔗 Learn Grammar Through Engaging Stories

• 🔗 English Vocabulary Quiz Series

  
  

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Thank you for reading & Happy Speaking.

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