Examples: PASSIVE VOICE

1. Present Tense

Active : Maria sweeps the floor every morning.

(S) (V1) (O)

Passive : The floor is swept by Maria every morning.

(O) (to be) (V3) (by) (S)

Formula: Object + to be (is, am, are) + V3 + (by Subject)

Note: Use (is, am, are) for the to be because it is applied in present
tense form.
2. Past Tense
Active : Maria swept the floor yesterday.
(S) (V2) (O)

Passive : The floor was swept by Maria yesterday.

(O) (to be) (V3) (by) (S)

• Formula: Object + to be (was, were) + V3 + (by Subject)

• Note: Use (was, were) for the to be because it is applied in past

tense form.
3. Future Tense
Active : Maria will sweep the floor tomorrow.
(S) (will) (V1) (O)

Passive : The floor will be swept by Maria yesterday.

(O) (will be) (V3) (by) (S)

• Formula: Object + will be + V3 + (by Subject)

• Note: Use (will be) because it is applied in future tense form.

4. Present Continuous
Active : Maria is sweeping the floor now
(S) (to be) (Ving) (O)

Passive : The floor is being swept by Maria now.

(O) (to be) (being) (V3) (by) (S)

• Formula: Object + to be + being + V3 + (by Subject)

• Note: Use (is, am, are) for the to be because it is applied in present
continuous tense form and don’t‘ forget to add “being” after the to
be.
5. Past Continuous
Active : Maria was sweeping the floor last night.
(S) (to be) (Ving) (O)

Passive : The floor was being swept by Maria last

night. (O) (to be) (being) (V3) (by) (S)

• Formula: Object + to be + being + V3 + (by Subject)

• Note: Use (was, were) for the to be because it is applied in past

continuous tense form.
6. Present Perfect Tense
Active : Maria has swept the floor .
(S) (have/has) (V3) (O)

Passive : The floor has been swept by Maria.

(O) (have/has been) (V3) (by) (S)

• Formula: Object + have/has been + V3 + (by Subject)

• Note: Use (have/has) depends on the subject (they we I you=

have), (he she it= has) followed with been
7. Past Perfect Tense
Active : Maria had swept the floor .
(S) (had) (V3) (O)

Passive : The floor had been swept by Maria.

(O) (had been) (V3) (by) (S)

• Formula: Object + had been + V3 + (by Subject)

TIPS
• Identify the Subject, Predicate, and Object of the
sentence.
• Identify the tenses.
• Switch the Subject and the Object.
• Change the verb into V3.
 LET’S TRY !
Change these active sentences into passive.
1. Some people watch TV at night.
2. The President has announced the new regulation.
3. Queen sang Bohemian Rhapsody in the last performance.
4. The police are stopping some drivers.
5. She will send the letter tomorrow morning.
6. The teachers were teaching some students.
7. We had made mistakes in our lives.
 EXERCISE.
Look at the picture and write a passive sentence (tense
is free).