ACTIVE AND

PASSIVE VOICE
IN PAST
CONTINUOUS
TENSE
 INTRODUCTION ON ACTIVE AND
PASSIVE VOICE
A transitive verb may be in the
ACTIVE or PASSIVE voice.
 A verb is in the Active Voice when the
subject in the sentence DOES the
action.
 A verb is in the Passive Voice when the
subject is made to RECEIVED the
action.
What is Past Continuous
Tense?
 The past continuous describes actions
or events in a time before now, which
began in the past and was still going
on at the time of speaking. In other
words, it expresses an unfinished or
incomplete action that was
interrupted by another event or
action.
am/is/are + being + past participle
was/were + being + past participle
 Active sentences in the past continuous
tense have the following structure:
Subject + was/were + -ing form of the
verb + object

 Passive sentences in the past continuous

tense have the following structure:
Object of the active sentence +
was/were + being + past participle
form of the verb + by + subject of the
active sentence
 Example of Past Continuous
Tense
(active voice)
Which is :
• Subject + was/were + -ing form of
the verb + object

Example :
• She was writing a novel.
 Example of Past Continuous
Tense
(passive voice)
Which is :
 Object of the active sentence +
was/were + being + past participle
form of the verb + by + subject of
the active sentence

Example :
 A novel was being written by her.
OTHER EXAMPLE OF ACTIVE AND
PASSIVE VOICE
NO ACTIVE VOICE
1 They were saying their
prayers.
2 He was giving a lecture.
3 I was cleaning the
bathroom.
4 They were cleaning the
bedroom.
5 Susan was cleaning the
kitchen and patio.
PASSIVE VOICE
Their prayers were being
said by them.
A lecture was being given
by him.
The bathroom was being
cleaned by me.
The bedroom was being
cleaned by them.
The kitchen and patio were
being cleaned by Susan.
 CHANGING AN INTERROGATIVE
SENTENCE INTO THE PASSIVE

NO ACTIVE PASSIVE
1 Is she writing a letter? Is a letter being written by her?

2 Why were you cheating Why was I being cheated by you?

me?
3 Which book were you Which book was being read by
reading? you?
4 Why was she beating the Why was the child being beaten
child? by her?
5 For what were you making For what was such a noise being
such a noise? made by you?
 CONCLUSION
To change active to passive voice :

o change the position of subject and

object and the verb used must be in
past participle form.
THANK YOU
