Contents
- Passive Voice in Different Tenses: English Grammar Guide
- What Is the Passive Voice?
- General Formula of the Passive Voice
- Simple Tenses
- Continuous Tenses
- Perfect Tenses
- Perfect Continuous Tenses (and Why They’re Rare in Passive)
- Modal Verbs in the Passive
- Passive Voice in Questions
- Passive Voice with “By + Agent”
- Common Mistakes in Passive Voice
- When to Use (and Avoid) the Passive Voice
- Summary Table of Passive Forms
- Practice Exercise
- Tips for Mastery
- Conclusion
- What is the passive voice, in one sentence?
- How do I form the passive voice in the simple present?
- How do I form the passive in the simple past?
- How is the passive formed in the simple future?
- How do I make the present continuous passive?
- Is the past continuous passive common?
- Why is the future continuous passive rarely used?
- How do I use the passive in the perfect tenses?
- Can I use passive with perfect continuous tenses?
- How do modal verbs work in the passive?
- When should I include the agent with “by” in a passive sentence?
- How do I turn active sentences into passive step by step?
- How do I form passive questions?
- What are the most common mistakes with the passive?
- When is the passive voice preferable to the active?
- How should I teach or learn passive forms efficiently?
- Are there style tips for using passive voice effectively?
- Can every active sentence be turned into a natural passive?
- What quick checklist can I use before finalizing a passive sentence?
Passive Voice in Different Tenses: English Grammar Guide
The passive voice is one of the most essential concepts in English grammar, especially for learners who want to master academic writing, formal speech, or professional communication. Understanding how to form and use the passive voice across different tenses helps you express ideas more flexibly and clearly—especially when the doer of the action is unknown, unimportant, or less important than the action itself.
In this guide, we’ll explore how the passive voice works in all major English tenses, from simple to perfect and continuous forms, with clear formulas, examples, and usage tips.
What Is the Passive Voice?
In an active voice sentence, the subject performs the action.
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Active: The teacher explains the lesson.
In a passive voice sentence, the subject receives the action.
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Passive: The lesson is explained by the teacher.
The focus shifts from who does the action to what happens.
General Formula of the Passive Voice
The passive voice is formed with:
be + past participle (V3)
Depending on the tense, the form of be changes (am/is/are, was/were, be/been/being), but the past participle remains the same.
Simple Tenses
Simple Present
Form: am / is / are + past participle
Example:
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Active: They make cakes here.
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Passive: Cakes are made here.
Usage: Routines, facts, or general truths.
Simple Past
Form: was / were + past participle
Example:
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Active: The company built the bridge in 2010.
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Passive: The bridge was built in 2010.
Usage: Completed actions in the past.
Simple Future
Form: will be + past participle
Example:
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Active: The manager will announce the results tomorrow.
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Passive: The results will be announced tomorrow.
Usage: Future plans or scheduled actions.
Continuous Tenses
The continuous tenses use being in the passive.
Present Continuous
Form: am / is / are + being + past participle
Example:
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Active: The workers are repairing the road.
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Passive: The road is being repaired.
Usage: Actions happening right now or around now.
Past Continuous
Form: was / were + being + past participle
Example:
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Active: They were painting the house.
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Passive: The house was being painted.
Usage: Ongoing past actions, often interrupted by another event.
Future Continuous
Form: will be being + past participle (rare and awkward)
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✗ The report will be being written tomorrow. (grammatically possible but unnatural)
Prefer simple future passive instead:
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✓ The report will be written tomorrow.
Perfect Tenses
Perfect tenses use been in the passive.
Present Perfect
Form: has / have + been + past participle
Example:
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Active: The chef has prepared the meal.
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Passive: The meal has been prepared.
Usage: Recently completed actions or present results.
Past Perfect
Form: had + been + past participle
Example:
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Active: They had finished the project before the deadline.
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Passive: The project had been finished before the deadline.
Usage: Actions completed before another past event.
Future Perfect
Form: will have + been + past participle
Example:
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Active: The engineers will have completed the bridge by 2026.
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Passive: The bridge will have been completed by 2026.
Usage: Actions expected to be completed before a future time point.
Perfect Continuous Tenses (and Why They’re Rare in Passive)
Perfect continuous passives are technically possible but rare and awkward:
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✗ The house has been being painted.
Most writers and speakers avoid this form. Instead, use a simpler alternative: -
✓ The house has been painted.
-
✓ They have been painting the house. (active)
Tip: When a passive perfect continuous feels clumsy, switch to a different tense or to the active voice.
Modal Verbs in the Passive
Form: modal + be + past participle
Examples:
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Active: You must clean the kitchen. → Passive: The kitchen must be cleaned.
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Active: They can deliver the package tomorrow. → Passive: The package can be delivered tomorrow.
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Active: People should respect the law. → Passive: The law should be respected.
Usage: Express necessity, ability, permission, or advice in a more formal or objective tone.
Passive Voice in Questions
Yes/No Questions
Move the auxiliary verb to the beginning.
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Active: Did they complete the task?
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Passive: Was the task completed?
Wh-Questions
Put the question word before the auxiliary.
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Active: Who wrote the letter?
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Passive: Who was the letter written by?
(Alternatively: By whom was the letter written? — more formal.)
Passive Voice with “By + Agent”
In passive sentences, the doer (agent) can be mentioned using by.
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The cake was baked by my mother.
Often, the agent is omitted because it’s unknown or unnecessary.
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The thief was arrested. (We don’t need to say who arrested him.)
Guideline: Include the agent only when it adds important information or clarity.
Common Mistakes in Passive Voice
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Wrong form of “be”
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✗ The book is wrote by her.
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✓ The book is written by her.
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Using base form instead of participle
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✗ The food was cook.
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✓ The food was cooked.
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Unnecessary passive where active is clearer
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✗ The teacher was liked by me.
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✓ I liked the teacher.
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Overloading with agents
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Too many by-phrases can make sentences heavy and hard to read.
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Missing subject-verb agreement
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✗ Mistakes is being corrected.
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✓ Mistakes are being corrected.
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When to Use (and Avoid) the Passive Voice
Use the passive when:
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The doer is unknown or irrelevant.
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My wallet was stolen.
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The action/result matters more than the doer.
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The meeting has been canceled.
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You want a formal or objective tone (reports, academic writing).
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The experiment was conducted in 2025.
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You want to soften blame or be diplomatic.
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A mistake was made.
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Avoid the passive when:
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The sentence becomes long, awkward, or unclear.
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You need directness, energy, or personal involvement.
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The agent is essential for meaning and accountability.
Summary Table of Passive Forms
| Tense | Active Example | Passive Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | They clean the room. | The room is cleaned. |
| Present Continuous | They are cleaning the room. | The room is being cleaned. |
| Simple Past | They cleaned the room. | The room was cleaned. |
| Past Continuous | They were cleaning the room. | The room was being cleaned. |
| Present Perfect | They have cleaned the room. | The room has been cleaned. |
| Past Perfect | They had cleaned the room. | The room had been cleaned. |
| Simple Future | They will clean the room. | The room will be cleaned. |
| Future Perfect | They will have cleaned the room. | The room will have been cleaned. |
| Modal | They must clean the room. | The room must be cleaned. |
Practice Exercise
Convert the following active sentences into passive:
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The police caught the thief.
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They are building a new school.
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Someone has stolen my phone.
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The company will release a new app.
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You should complete the report by Monday.
Suggested Answers:
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The thief was caught by the police.
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A new school is being built.
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My phone has been stolen.
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A new app will be released (by the company).
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The report should be completed by Monday.
Tips for Mastery
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Find the object of the active sentence first—it becomes the new subject in the passive.
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Identify the tense of the main verb; then select the correct be form.
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Keep an eye on subject-verb agreement after you switch subjects.
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Use passive voice mainly in formal contexts (reports, research, news).
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Prefer active voice in everyday conversation for clarity and energy.
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When a passive structure feels awkward, consider a different tense or the active form.
Conclusion
Mastering the passive voice across different tenses helps you write and speak English more effectively. It gives you control over sentence focus—letting you highlight actions, results, or objects rather than people. Whether you’re describing scientific research, formal reports, or news events, the passive voice is a vital tool. By practicing each tense and learning when to use (or avoid) the passive naturally, you’ll communicate with precision and confidence in both active and passive forms.
What is the passive voice, in one sentence?
The passive voice is a structure where the subject receives the action of the verb rather than performing it. It is formed with a form of be plus the past participle (V3) of the main verb, for example, “The letter was written.” The focus shifts from the doer (the agent) to the action or its result, which is useful when the agent is unknown, unimportant, or best left unstated.
How do I form the passive voice in the simple present?
Use am / is / are + past participle. Match the auxiliary to the subject’s number and person:
- Active: “They make cakes.” → Passive: “Cakes are made.”
- Active: “She writes emails.” → Passive: “Emails are written.”
- Active: “I clean the room.” → Passive: “The room is cleaned.”
How do I form the passive in the simple past?
Use was / were + past participle. Choose was for singular subjects and were for plural:
- Active: “The company built the bridge.” → Passive: “The bridge was built.”
- Active: “They sold tickets.” → Passive: “Tickets were sold.”
How is the passive formed in the simple future?
Use will be + past participle. This form is common and natural for announcements, schedules, or promises:
- Active: “The manager will announce the results.” → Passive: “The results will be announced.”
- Active: “They will publish the study.” → Passive: “The study will be published.”
How do I make the present continuous passive?
Use am / is / are + being + past participle. It emphasizes an action in progress:
- Active: “They are repairing the road.” → Passive: “The road is being repaired.”
- Active: “Workers are installing the panels.” → Passive: “The panels are being installed.”
Is the past continuous passive common?
Yes, when describing an action that was ongoing at some moment in the past: use was / were + being + past participle. For example, “The house was being painted when the storm hit.” This helps frame background actions or processes that were interrupted by another event.
Why is the future continuous passive rarely used?
The future continuous passive (will be being + past participle) is grammatically possible but sounds awkward in everyday English. Instead of “The report will be being written tomorrow,” writers usually choose the simple future passive: “The report will be written tomorrow,” which communicates the plan clearly and naturally.
How do I use the passive in the perfect tenses?
Combine a perfect auxiliary with been + past participle:
- Present perfect: “The meal has been prepared.”
- Past perfect: “The project had been finished before the deadline.”
- Future perfect: “The bridge will have been completed by 2026.”
Perfect passives highlight results relative to another time point.
Can I use passive with perfect continuous tenses?
Technically yes (e.g., “has been being painted”), but it is strongly avoided because it is clumsy. Prefer simpler alternatives: “The house has been painted” (present perfect passive) or switch to active: “They have been painting the house.” Clarity and naturalness should guide your choice.
How do modal verbs work in the passive?
Use modal + be + past participle. This structure is common in instructions, rules, and formal writing:
- “The kitchen must be cleaned.”
- “The package can be delivered tomorrow.”
- “The law should be respected.”
When should I include the agent with “by” in a passive sentence?
Use a “by + agent” phrase when the doer adds essential information (e.g., authorship, responsibility, or credibility). “The vaccine was developed by a global research team.” If the agent is obvious, unknown, or irrelevant, omit it: “The meeting was canceled.” Including the agent is optional and context-dependent.
How do I turn active sentences into passive step by step?
- Identify the object of the active sentence (it becomes the new subject).
- Choose the correct form of be to match the target tense and new subject.
- Add the main verb’s past participle (V3).
- Optionally add “by + agent.”
Example: Active “They will publish the report.” → Passive “The report will be published (by them).”
How do I form passive questions?
Invert the auxiliary and subject, just as in other English questions:
- Yes/No: “Was the task completed?”
- Wh-: “When was the policy announced?” or “Who was the book written by?”
Keep the passive chain intact: auxiliary + subject + past participle (with any optional agent).
What are the most common mistakes with the passive?
- Wrong auxiliary: “The book is wrote” → “The book is written.”
- Base form instead of participle: “was cook” → “was cooked.”
- Agreement errors: “Mistakes is corrected” → “Mistakes are corrected.”
- Unnecessary passives: Prefer active when clarity or ownership matters.
When is the passive voice preferable to the active?
Use passive when the action/result is more important than the agent, when the agent is unknown or sensitive, or when you need a formal, objective tone (e.g., reports and academic writing). It is also helpful to avoid assigning blame: “A processing error was detected.” Choose passive strategically; do not overuse it.
How should I teach or learn passive forms efficiently?
Start with the most frequent combinations (simple present, simple past, present perfect, and modals). Build fluency by converting short active sentences into passive, then expand to continuous and perfect forms. Create tense charts, practice with authentic texts (news headlines, reports), and monitor for clarity—if a passive sentence feels heavy, revise or switch to active.
Are there style tips for using passive voice effectively?
Yes. Keep the passive chain short, avoid stacking multiple prepositional phrases, include the agent only when it adds value, and verify subject–verb agreement after you promote the object. In formal genres, passive is expected but still benefits from precise verbs and concise structure. In everyday writing, mix active and passive for balance and readability.
Can every active sentence be turned into a natural passive?
No. Some verbs do not take a direct object (intransitives), so they cannot form a standard passive (e.g., “arrive,” “happen,” “sleep”). Even when a passive is possible, it might feel awkward or overly indirect. Always test for clarity and rhythm: if the passive obscures meaning or slows the sentence, revert to active or rephrase.
What quick checklist can I use before finalizing a passive sentence?
- Does the sentence have a clear subject that receives the action?
- Is the tense of be correct for the timeline and subject?
- Is the past participle accurate and idiomatic?
- Would adding or omitting “by + agent” improve clarity?
- Is passive the best choice for tone, focus, and readability?
If you can answer “yes” to most of these, your passive sentence is likely strong and purposeful.
