Tenses in Passive VoiceBy Piret Lehiste

Present Simple Passive

• Used for scientific facts, permanent truths• Used for habitual or customary actions• Used for future reference (for timetables)

E.g. The biggest eggs in the world are laid by whale sharks.

Tennis is played every Tuesday.French is spoken in Quebec.

Present Simple Passive

Positive:Am / is / are + III pf. (past participle)TV is watched.

Negative:Am / is / are not + III pf.TV is not watched.

Question:Is TV watched?

Present Simple Passive

Time expressions to use with the Present Simple:

always, usually, normally, sometimes, often, every day, every year, seldom, rarely, at weekends, on Saturdays, etc.

E.g. Dinner is always served at 7 p.m.The house is usually cleaned at

weekends.

Present Continuous Passive

• Used for actions happening right now or in progress at the moment of speaking

E.g. This sentence is being read right now.A new supermarket is being built in the city centre.

Present Continuous Passive

Positive:Am / is / are + being + III pf.TV is being watched.

Negative:Am / is / are + being + III pf.TV is not being watched.

Question:Is TV being watched?

Present Continuous Passive

Time expressions to use with the Present Continuous:

now, at the moment, at present, today, etc.

E.g. Grammar is being learnt at the moment.

Football is not being played now.My car is being fixed today.

Present Perfect Passive

• Used for actions beginning in the past and continuing to the present moment• Used for actions which happened at an

unspecified time in the past but have present effects

E.g. All the food has been eaten. There is nothing left.

She has been forgiven by now.

Present Perfect PassivePositive:Have / has + been + III pf.TV has been watched.

Negative:Have / has not + been + III pf.TV has not been watched.

Question:Has TV been watched?

Present Perfect Passive

Time expressions to use with the Present Perfect:

already, since, just, yet, for 5 years, never, etc.

E.g. The kitchen hasn’t been cleaned yet.The bridge has been closed for repairs

since last month.

Past Simple Passive

• Used to talk about an activity that began and ended at a particular time in the past

E.g. The entire world was once ruled by the dinosaurs.

The light bulb was invented by Edison.

Past Simple Passive

Positive:Was / were + III pf.TV was watched.

Negative:Was / were not + III pf.TV was not watched.

Question:Was TV watched?

Past Simple Passive

Time expressions to use with the Past Simple:

yesterday, last year, in the past, etc.

E.g. This novel was written in the 19th century.

Last night I was woken up by a loud noise.

Past Continuous Passive

• Used to talk about actions in progress in the past• Used to talk about actions which were in

progress when something else happened

E.g. The room was being cleaned when they arrived.

When I entered, a nice tune was being played.

Past Continuous Passive

Positive:Was / were + being + III pf.TV was being watched.

Negative:Was / were not + being + III pf.TV was not being watched.

Question:Was TV being watched?

Past Continuous Passive

Time expressions to use with the Past Continuous:

while, this time yesterday, etc.

E.g. Pancakes were being made this time yesterday.

The accident happened when the room was being painted.

Past Perfect Passive

• Used with reference to ‘an earlier past’, that is to describe the first of two or more actions

E.g. Dinner had been prepared by the time he reached home.

When all lights had been switched off, she left the office.

Past Perfect Passive

Positive:Had + been + III pf.TV had been watched.

Negative:Had not + been + III pf.TV had not been watched.

Question:Had TV been watched?

Past Perfect Passive

Time expressions to use with the Past Perfect:

already, for, since, by the time, after, etc.

E.g. Homework had already been finished before I could help.

The book hadn’t been translated by its deadline.

Future Simple Passive

• Used to make predictions about the future or about people’s plans• Used for promises or on-the-spot decisions

E.g. The story will be told if you want to hear it.

The winners will be announced next week.

Future Simple Passive

Positive:Will + be + III pf.TV will be watched.

Negative:Will not + be + III pf.TV will not be watched.

Question:Will TV be watched?

Future Simple Passive

Time expressions to use with the Future Simple:

tomorrow, next year, soon, in the future, etc.

E.g. Dinner will be served soon.The work will be finished by tomorrow.