Changes in passive sentences with reporting verbs

These changes occur when turning an active sentence containing a reporting verb into the passive voice. For the purposes of these notes, we will consider such sentences as divided in 2 clauses: People suspect he is being kept in custody Clause 1 Clause 2 Such sentences can be transformed into the passive in two ways: It is suspected that he is being kept in custody- simply changing the verb in Clause 1 into its corresponding passive tense and pronoun It the subject of the new passive sentence. He is suspected to be being kept in custody- slightly more complicated, but far more natural in English. The subject in Clause 2 becomes the subject of the passive sentence (careful with subject-verb agreement) , the reporting verb in Clause 1 changes voice and the verb in Clause 2 becomes an infinitive. The following chart sums up the changes regarding verb in clause 2 infinitive.

ACTIVE TENSES IN CLAUSE 2

Simple Tenses Present simple: does Future Simple: will do Past Simple: did TO DO

TO HAVE DONE

Perfect Tenses Present Perfect: have done Past Perfect: had done Future Perfect: will have done

TO HAVE DONE

Continuous Tenses Present Continuous: is doing Past Continuous: was doing Future Continuous: will be doing

TO BE DOING

Perfect Continuous Tenses Present Perfect Continuous: has been doing Past Perfect Continuous: had been doing TO HAVE BEEN DOING

PASSIVE TENSES IN CLAUSE 2

Simple Passive Tenses Present Simple Passive: is done Future Simple Passive: will be done

TO BE DONE

Past Simple Passive: was done

TO HAVE BEEN DONE

Perfect Passive Tenses Present Perfect Passive: has been done Past Perfect Passive: had been done Future Perfect Passive: will have been done TO HAVE BEEN DONE

Continuous Passive Tenses Present Continuous Passive: is being done Past Continuous Passive: was being done Future Continuous Passive: will be being done TO BE BEING DONE

Perfect Continuous PassiveTenses Present Perfect Continuous Passive: has been being done Past Perfect Continuous Passive: had been being done TO HAVE BEEN BEING DONE