Is “should be” passive voice?
"Should be" + a past participle is a modal passive ("The filter should be replaced annually"); "should be" + an adjective, noun or -ing verb is active ("It should be fine," "You should be working").
Recommendation language defaults to “should be” passives because they sound neutral. If a specific person is responsible, say so: “The owner should replace the filter annually.” If the advice is general, the passive is fine.
Three sentences, checked
Each example below was run through our engine (v1.0.0). Amber marks the passive construction; a dotted underline marks a “be + participle” that is an adjective, not a passive.
Passive
The filter should be replaced annually.Be-passive: "should be replaced" — the subject receives the action and no one is named as doing it.
Active
It should be fine by Monday.No “be + past participle” construction here, so the sentence is active.
Active
The owner should replace the filter annually.No “be + past participle” construction here, so the sentence is active.
Related forms
- Is “was” passive?
- Is “is” passive?
- Is “has been” passive?
- Is “have been” passive?
- Is “had been” passive?
- Is “will be” passive?
- Is “can be” passive?
- Is “could be” passive?
See the full list of passive voice verbs and passive voice in all twelve tenses.
Questions people ask
- Is "should be" passive in "it should be noted that"?
- Yes, and it is one of the emptiest passives in business writing. "Note that" or simply stating the point works better.