THE PASSIVE VOICE

PRESENT
PAST
Example...

Mary designs a beautiful dress.

A beautiful dress is designed by Mary.

 Form
 The passive is formed with the verb to be (in the
appropriate tense) + past participle (of the main verb)
The terrorist was arrested early this morning.
Toyota cars are made in Japan.

NB These examples show that a passive sentence can

be in whatever tense you like. The tense of the verb
to be changes to give different tenses in the passive.

 Page 3
 Let’s review the verb to be

 The Present Simple Tense – AM, IS, ARE

 The Past Simple Tense – WAS, WERE
 The Present Continuous Tense – AM/IS/ARE BEING
 The Present Perfect Tense – HAVE BEEN, HAS BEEN
 The Past Continuous Tense – WAS/WERE BEING
 The Past Perfect Tense – HAD BEEN
 The Future Tense – WILL BE
 With modals – CAN BE, WOULD BE, SHOULD BE, MAY
BE, MUST BE…

 Page 4
 FORMATION (PRESENT)
Subject + present form of the verb to be +
Past Participle (3rd form of irregular verbs)

Charles writes a book.

A book is written by Charles.

Charles cleans the windows.

The windows are cleaned by Charles.
 ACTIVE PASSIVE
I write a book. A book is written by me.
You write a book. A book is written by you.
He writes a book. A book is written by him.

We write a book. A book is written by us.

You write a book. A book is written by you.
They write a book. A book is written by them.
 FORMATION (PAST)
Subject + past form of the verb to be +
Past Participle (3rd form of irregular verbs)

Charles wrote a book.

A book was written by Charles.

Charles cleaned the windows.

The windows were cleaned by Charles
 ACTIVE PASSIVE
I wrote a book. A book was written by me
You wrote a book. A book was written by you
He wrote a book. A book was written by him

We wrote a book. A book was written by us.

You wrote a book. A book was written by you.
They wrote a book. A book was written by them.
 FORMATION (FUTURE)
Subject + will future form of the verb to be +
Past Participle (3rd form of irregular verbs)

Charles will write a book.

A book will be written by Charles.

Charles will clean the windows.

The windows will be cleaned by Charles.
 ACTIVE PASSIVE
I will write a book. A book will be written by me
You will write a book. A book will be written by you
He will write a book. A book will be written by him

We will write a book. A book will be written by us.

You will write a book. A book will be written by you
They will write a book. A book will be written by them
 FORMATION
(PRESENT PERFECT)
Subject + present perfect form of the verb to be
+ Past Participle (3rd form of irregular verbs)

Charles has written a book.

A book has been written by Charles.

Charles has cleaned the windows.

The windows have been cleaned by Charles.
 ACTIVE PASSIVE
A book has been written
I have written a book. by me.
You have written a A book has been written
book. by you.
He has written a book. A book has been written
by him.
We have written a book. A book has been written
by us.
You have written a A book has been written
book. by you.
They have written a A book has been written
book. by them.