1. Tenses
in Passive Voice
By Piret Lehiste

2. 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.

3. 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?

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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?

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. Present Perfect Passive
Positive:
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?

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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?

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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?

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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?

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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?

22. 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.