Choosing between “will resume” and “will be resumed” depends on the subject of your sentence and whether you are using the active or passive voice.
“Will resume” is active, while “will be resumed” is passive. For example, “The meeting will resume at 3 p.m.” is correct when the meeting itself is the subject. “
The meeting will be resumed at 3 p.m.” is also grammatically possible, but it emphasizes that someone will restart the meeting.
The key difference is simple: use “will resume” when the subject performs or undergoes the action naturally, and use “will be resumed” when you want to emphasize the action being done to something.
In everyday English, “will resume” is often the more natural choice for activities, meetings, services, classes, discussions, and events that continue after a pause.
Quick Answer
“Will resume” is active voice and usually sounds more natural when an activity, meeting, service, or event will continue after a pause. “Will be resumed” is passive voice and is used when something will be restarted by someone. In many everyday announcements, “will resume” is the clearer and more natural choice.
Why Do People Confuse “Will Resume” and “Will Be Resumed”?
The confusion happens because both expressions describe something happening in the future after a pause or interruption.
Compare:
The meeting will resume at 2 p.m.
Here, the meeting is the subject, and will resume means the meeting will continue.
The meeting will be resumed at 2 p.m.
Here, the sentence uses the passive voice. It focuses on the fact that someone will restart or continue the meeting.
Both can be grammatically correct, but they do not emphasize the same thing.
What Does “Will Resume” Mean?
“Will resume” is the future form of the verb resume in the active voice.
The basic structure is:
Subject + will + resume + object/complement
Resume means to start again or continue after a pause or interruption.
Examples:
- The class will resume after lunch.
- The meeting will resume at 3 p.m.
- Service will resume tomorrow.
- The discussion will resume shortly.
In these sentences, the activity or event is presented as continuing.
Examples of “Will Resume”
The train service will resume at 6 a.m.
The examination will resume after the break.
Talks will resume next week.
The focus is on what will continue.
What Does “Will Be Resumed” Mean?
“Will be resumed” is the future passive form of resume.
The basic structure is:
Subject + will + be + past participle
Here, resumed is the past participle of resume.
The passive construction emphasizes that an action will be performed on something.
For example:
The negotiations will be resumed next week.
This focuses on the negotiations being restarted.
The person or group restarting them does not need to be mentioned.
You could also say:
The negotiations will be resumed by both parties next week.
The phrase “by both parties” identifies who will perform the action.
Will Resume vs. Will Be Resumed: Comparison Table
| Expression | Voice | Main focus | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| will resume | Active | Something will continue | The meeting will resume at 2 p.m. |
| will be resumed | Passive | Something will be restarted/continued by someone | The meeting will be resumed after lunch. |
| will continue | Active | Something will keep going | The discussion will continue tomorrow. |
| will restart | Active | Something will start again | The system will restart automatically. |
| will be restarted | Passive | Something will be started again by someone/system | The system will be restarted by the technician. |
When Should You Use “Will Resume”?
Use “will resume” when you want to say that an activity, event, service, process, or situation will continue after a pause.
It is particularly natural in announcements and formal notices.
Use it for meetings
The meeting will resume at 4 p.m.
Use it for classes
Classes will resume on Monday.
Use it for services
Bus services will resume tomorrow morning.
Use it for discussions
The discussion will resume after the break.
Use it for negotiations
Negotiations will resume next week.
Use it for activities
The tournament will resume after the rain stops.
In these examples, the subject naturally represents the activity that is continuing.
When Should You Use “Will Be Resumed”?
Use “will be resumed” when you want to emphasize that something will be restarted or continued by a person, group, organization, or other agent.
Examples:
The investigation will be resumed when new evidence becomes available.
The project will be resumed once funding is secured.
The negotiations will be resumed by the two governments next month.
The passive form is especially useful when the person responsible for restarting something is unknown, unimportant, or obvious from context.
Why use the passive voice?
You might say:
The investigation will be resumed next month.
instead of:
The police will resume the investigation next month.
The passive version puts the investigation at the center of attention rather than the police.
10+ Examples of “Will Resume”
- The meeting will resume at 10 a.m.
- Classes will resume next Monday.
- The discussion will resume after the break.
- Train services will resume tomorrow.
- The conference will resume in the afternoon.
- The examination will resume at 1 p.m.
- Talks will resume next week.
- The program will resume after the commercial break.
- Normal operations will resume shortly.
- The game will resume when the weather improves.
- Trading will resume after the holiday.
- The interview will resume after a short break.
These examples use will resume because the subject is the activity or process that will continue.
Examples of “Will Be Resumed”
- The meeting will be resumed after lunch.
- The investigation will be resumed next month.
- The negotiations will be resumed when both sides are ready.
- The project will be resumed once funding is available.
- The trial will be resumed on Tuesday.
- The construction work will be resumed after the inspection.
- The search will be resumed tomorrow morning.
- The discussion will be resumed at a later date.
- The operation will be resumed when conditions are safe.
- The examination will be resumed after the technical problem is fixed.
- The campaign will be resumed after the holiday period.
- The service will be resumed once repairs are complete.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using “will be resume”
❌ The meeting will be resume at 3 p.m.
✅ The meeting will resume at 3 p.m.
✅ The meeting will be resumed at 3 p.m.
After will be, you need the past participle: resumed.
Mistake 2: Using “will resumed”
❌ The class will resumed tomorrow.
✅ The class will resume tomorrow.
After will, use the base form of the verb.
Mistake 3: Using the passive when active is more natural
❌ The meeting will be resumed at 2 p.m.
This is grammatical, but in many ordinary announcements, this is more natural:
✅ The meeting will resume at 2 p.m.
Mistake 4: Confusing “resume” with “resume”
The word resume has two different common uses.
resume /rɪˈzuːm/ = to start again or continue
The meeting will resume shortly.
résumé = a document describing someone’s education and work experience, especially in American English.
Please send your résumé with your application.
The pronunciation and meaning are different.
Mistake 5: Using “resume again”
Because resume already means “start again” or “continue after a pause,” phrases such as “resume again” can be unnecessarily repetitive.
Instead of:
The meeting will resume again tomorrow.
Prefer:
The meeting will resume tomorrow.
Memory Trick
Remember this simple rule:
Will resume = it will continue.
Will be resumed = it will be continued/restarted by someone.
Think of the difference this way:
The meeting will resume.
Focus: the meeting continues.
The meeting will be resumed by the manager.
Focus: the manager restarts or continues the meeting.
If you can identify who or what is performing the action, choosing between active and passive voice becomes easier.
American vs. British English
There is no significant difference between American and British English in the basic use of “will resume” and “will be resumed.”
Both varieties use:
The meeting will resume at 2 p.m.
and:
The negotiations will be resumed next week.
However, “will resume” is often preferred in straightforward announcements because it is shorter, clearer, and more direct.
For example:
Classes will resume on Monday.
This is a natural announcement in both American and British English.
Similar Words and Expressions
Several expressions have meanings similar to resume, but they are not always interchangeable.
Continue
Continue means to keep going.
The meeting will continue after lunch.
This is often the simplest alternative to resume.
Restart
Restart means to start something again, sometimes from the beginning.
The computer will restart automatically.
Unlike resume, restart can suggest starting over rather than simply continuing after a pause.
Reopen
Reopen means to open something again after it has been closed.
The store will reopen tomorrow.
Recommence
Recommence means to begin again. It is more formal than resume.
The negotiations will recommence next month.
Recontinue
Although technically understandable, recontinue is uncommon and usually unnecessary. Use resume or continue instead.
Start again
This is an informal and very clear alternative.
The lesson will start again after the break.
Final Verdict: Will Resume or Will Be Resumed?
Both “will resume” and “will be resumed” can be grammatically correct, but they use different voices.
Use “will resume” when you simply want to say that something will continue after a pause:
The meeting will resume at 3 p.m.
Use “will be resumed” when you want to emphasize that something will be restarted or continued by someone:
The meeting will be resumed by the chairperson.
For most everyday announcements, “will resume” is the more natural and concise choice. The passive form is useful when the action or its result is more important than the person performing it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “will resume” grammatically correct?
Yes. “Will resume” is the simple future form of resume in the active voice.
The meeting will resume at 2 p.m.
Is “will be resumed” grammatically correct?
Yes. “Will be resumed” is the future passive form of resume.
The investigation will be resumed next month.
Which is better: “the meeting will resume” or “the meeting will be resumed”?
“The meeting will resume” is usually more natural when you simply mean that the meeting will continue. “The meeting will be resumed” emphasizes the passive action of restarting or continuing it.
Should I say “classes will resume” or “classes will be resumed”?
“Classes will resume” is generally the more natural choice when making an announcement that classes will start again after a break.
Classes will resume on Monday.
Is “will be resumed” passive voice?
Yes. “Will be resumed” is a passive construction: will + be + past participle. The focus is on what happens to the subject rather than on who performs the action.
What is the difference between “resume” and “continue”?
Both can mean that something keeps going. Resume usually suggests that something stopped or paused first, while continue can describe something that never stopped.
The meeting paused for lunch and will resume at 2 p.m.
The meeting will continue until 5 p.m.
Can I use “resume again”?
It is usually better to avoid “resume again” because resume already expresses the idea of starting again or continuing after a pause.
The meeting will resume tomorrow.
Remember This
Will resume = active voice → something will continue.
Will be resumed = passive voice → something will be restarted or continued by someone.
A quick formula:
Subject + will + resume
The class will resume.
Subject + will + be + resumed
The class will be resumed by the teacher.
When you are writing a simple announcement, “will resume” is often the clearest choice.
Conclusion
The difference between “will resume” and “will be resumed” is mainly a difference in grammatical voice and emphasis. “Will resume” uses the active voice and is commonly used when an event, meeting, class, service, or activity will continue after a pause. It is concise and natural in most announcements.
“Will be resumed” uses the passive voice and highlights the fact that something will be restarted or continued by someone. Both forms are correct when used appropriately, but understanding their focus helps you choose the expression that sounds most natural and communicates your intended meaning clearly.
