FluencyLab
GrammarHub
Keep the original tense and aspect in the verb be, then add the past participle: passive voice changes focus, not time meaning.
Overview
Keep the original tense and aspect in the verb be, then add the past participle: passive voice changes focus, not time meaning.
Form and rules
The passive keeps the relevant tense/aspect in be and adds the past participle: is made, was being made, has been made.
Continuous passive uses being; perfect passive uses been.
Modal/future passive uses modal/will + be + past participle.
Use passive when the receiver/process/result is more important than the agent or the agent is unknown/unnecessary.
Include by + agent only when identifying the agent adds meaningful information.
A closer look
Use passive when the receiver/process/result is more important than the agent or the agent is unknown/unnecessary.
Include by + agent only when identifying the agent adds meaningful information.
Examples
The data is collected automatically.
The building was being renovated when we visited.
The problem has been fixed.
A decision will be announced tomorrow.
All applications must be submitted online.
Common mistakes
Past continuous passive uses was/were being + past participle.
Present perfect passive is has/have been + past participle.
Ready to practise?
The test combines multiple choice, gap completion, error correction, and sentence building so students have to recognise and produce the grammar, not simply reread the rule.