PASSIVE VOICE

The passive voice is used to show interest in the person or object that experiences an action
rather than the person or object that performs the action. In other words, the most important thing
or person becomes the subject of the sentence.

1. SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

Active Passive
a. Form a. Form
S + V1 + Object Object + is/am/are + past participle + S

b. Function
To express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging situations, emotions and
wishes

c. Example c. Example

(+) She writes the letter. (+)The letter is written by her

(-) He does not write a letter. (-) A letter was not written by him
(?) Does he write a letter? (?)Is a letter written by him?

(+)You eat a bar of white chocolate (+)You eat a bar of white chocolate
(-) I do not plant the mango tree (-) The mango tree is not planted by me
(?)Does she buy the new handphone? (?)Is the new handphone bought by her?
2. Present Continuous Tense

Active Passive
a. Form a. Form
S + am/is/are + Verb-ing + Object Object of the active sentence +
is/are/am + being + past participle +
by + subject of the active sentence.

b. Function
to describe an action that is going on at this moment

c. Example c. Example

(+) I am reading a story (+)A story is being read by me

(-) She is not writing a story (-) a story is not being written by her
(?)Is he writing a letter? (?)Is a letter being written by him?

(+)The letter is being written by her

(+)She is writing the letter. (-) A letter is not being written by him.
(-) He is not writing a letter. (?)Is a new handphone being bought by
(?)Is she buying a new handphone? her?
 3. Present Perfect Tense

Active Passive
a. Form a. Form
S + have/has + Past Object + has/have + been + past
Participle/V3 + Object participle/v3 + by + S
b. Function
Is used to indicate a link between the present and the past. We often more interested
in the result than in the action itself. The time of the action is before now but not
specified.

c. Example
(+) I’ve cut this paper
(-) I haven’t cut this paper
(?) Have I cut this paper?
(+) she has written the letter
(-) she hasn’t written the letter
(?) Has she written the letter?
c. Example
(+) This paper have been cut by me
(-) This paper haven’t been cut by me
(?) Have this paper been cut by
me?
(+) A letter has been written by her
(-) A letter hasn’t been written by her
(?) Has she been written the letter?

4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Active Passive
a. Form a. Form
S + has/have + been + V-ing + Object + Has/have + been + being +V3
Object +S
b. Function
Is used to refer to an unspecified time between ‘before now’and ‘now’.
The process may still be going on or may have just finished.
 c. Example
(+)They have been reading a book
(-)they haven’t been reading a book
for an hour
(?) Have they been reading a book
for an hour?
c. Example
(+) Book has been being read by them
(-) A book haven’t been being read by
them for an hour
(?) Have the book been being read by
them for an hour?

5. Simple Past Tense

Active Passive
a. Form a. Form
S + V2 + Object Object + was/were + past
participle + by + S
b. Function
Is used to talk about a completed action in a time before now.

c. Example c. Example
(+) She wrote a letter (+) A letter was written by her
(-) She wasn’t wrote a letter (-) A letter wasn’t written by her
(?) Was she wrote a letter? (?) Was a letter written by her ?

(+)We cleaned our house (+) Our house was cleaned

yesterday. yesterday
(-)We wasn’t cleaned our house (-) Our house wasn’t cleaned
yesterday yesterday
(?) Was they cleaned my house? (?) Was my house cleaned by
Them ?

6. Past Continuous Tense

Active Passive
a. Form a. Form
S + was/were + Ving + Object Object + was/were + being + V3 + S

b. Function
Describes actions or events in a time before now, which began in the past and is still
 going on at the time of speaking. In other words, it expresses an unfinished or
incomplete action in the past.
c. Example c. Example
i. (+)He was reading the book
(-)he wasn’t reading the book
(?) Was he reading the book?
ii.(+) Rani was growing the flowers
(-) Rani wasn’t growing the flowers
(?) Was Rani growing the flowers?
7. Past Perfect Tense
Active
a. Form
S + had + V3 + Object
b. Function
Is used to make it clear that one event happened before another in the past
c. Example
i.(+) She had written the letters 2
times
(-) She hadn’t written the letter 2
times
(?) Had She written the letter 2
times?
ii.(+) He had broken the vase
(-) He had not broken the vase
(?) Had he broken the vase
i. (+)The book was being read by him
(-) The book wasn’t being read by
him
(?) Was the book being read by him?
ii.(+) The flowers was being grown by
Rani
(-) The flowers wasn’t being grown by
Rani
(?) Was the flowers being grown by
Rani?
Passive
a. Form
Object + had been + V3 + by + S
c. Example
i.(+) The letters had been written by
her 2 times
(-) The letters had not been written
by her 2 times
(?) Had the letter been written by
her 2 times?
ii.(+) The vase had been broken by
him
(-) The vase had not been broken
by him
(?) Had the vase been broken by
him?
8. Simple Future Tense
Active
a. Form
S + will + Bare infinitive + Object
S + be(is/am/are) + going to + bare
infinitive + Object
b. Function
Is used to talk about a plan for the future that we have already thought
c. Examples
i.(+) Tono will finish his project
(-) Tono will not finish his project
(?) Will Tono finish his project ?
ii.(+) Tina will treat you
(-) Tina will not treat you
(?) Will Tina treat you?
9. Future Continuous Tense
Passive
a. Form
Object + will/shall + be + past
participle/V3 + S
c. Examples
i..(+) Tono project will be finished by
him
(-) Tono project will not be finished
by him
(?) Will Tono project be finished by
him ?
ii.(+) You will be treated by Tina
(-) You will not be treated by Tina
(?) Will you be treated by Tina?

Active Passive
a. Form a. Form
S + will + be + present participle/V- Object + will be + being + V3 + S
ing + Object

b. Function
Refers to an unfinished action or event that will be in progress at a time later than now.
c. Example c. Example
i. (+) He will be waiting the package i. (+) The package will be waited by
at 9am him at 9am
(-) I will not be waiting the package (-) The package will not be waited
at 9am by me at 9am
(?) Will I be waiting the package at (?) Will the package be waited by
9am? me at 9am?

ii. (+) They will be performing the ii. (+) The show will be performed by
show tonight them tonight
(-) They will not be performing the (-) The show will not be performed
show tonight by them tonight
(?) Will they be performing the (?) Will the show be performed by
show tonight? them tonight?
 10. Future Perfect Tense
Active Passive
a. Form a. Form
S + will + have + past participle/V-3 + Object + will/shall + have been + past
Object participle + S

b. Function
Refers to a completed action in the future.
c. Example c. Example
i.(+) I will have finished my project i.(+) The project will have been
tomorrow finished by me tomorrow
(-) I will not have finished my project (-) The project will not have been
tomorrow finished by me tomorrow
(?) Will I have finished my project (?) Will the project have been finished
tomorrow? by me tomorrow?

ii.(+) he will have driven the car ii.(+) The car will have been driven by
tomorrow him tomorrow
(-) he will not have driven the car (-) The car will not have been driven
tomorrow by him tomorrow
(?) Will he have driven the car (?) Will the car have been driven by
tomorrow? him tomorrow?
11.Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Active Passive
a. Form a. Form
S + will + have + been + present Object + will have been + being + V3
participle/V-ing + Object +S

b. Function
Is used to project ourselves forward in time and to look back. Refers to events or
actions that are currently unfinished but will finished at some future time.
c. Example c. Example
i.(+) She will have been composing i.(+) The music will have been being
the music for a month. composed by her for a month
(-) She will not have been composing (-) The music will not have been
the music for a month. being composed by her for a month.
(?) Will she have been composing (?) Will the music have been
the music for a month? composed by her for a month?

ii.(+) Dani will have been preparing
the presentation for 3 days
(-) Dani will not have been
preparing the presentation for 3 days
(?) Will Dani have been preparing
the presentation for 3 days?
ii.(+) The presentation will have been
being prepared by Dani for 3 days.
(-) The presentation will not have
been prepared by Dani for 3 days.
(?) Will the presentation have been
prepared by Dani for 3 days?

12.Simple Past Future Tense

Active Passive
a. Form a. Form
S + would + bare infinitive + Object Object + Would Be + V3 + S

b. Function
Used to express the idea that in the past an action or event was predicted, planned,
promised, expected, or obliged to be done in the future of past.
c. Example b. Example
i.(+) My Father would forgive my i.(+) My fault would be forgiven by
fault my father
(-) My Father wouldn’t forgive my (-) My fault wouldn’t be forgiven by
fault my father
(?) Would my Father forgive my (?) Would my fault be forgiven by
fault? my father?
ii.(+) I would write a long story
(-) I wouldn’t write a long story
(?) Would you write a long story?
ii.(+) A long story would be written by
me
(-) A long story wouldn’t be written
by me
(?) Would a long story be written by
me?