Passive in Different Tenses
Simple Tenses
Present Simple Passive
am/is/are + past participle
- Coffee is grown in Brazil.
- These cars are made in Germany.
- English is spoken here.
Past Simple Passive
was/were + past participle
- This book was written in 1920.
- The pyramids were built thousands of years ago.
- I was born in London.
Future Simple Passive
will be + past participle
- The results will be announced tomorrow.
- You will be contacted soon.
- The project will be completed by December.
Continuous Tenses
Present Continuous Passive
am/is/are being + past participle
- The road is being repaired right now.
- New houses are being built in the area.
- I am being followed.
Past Continuous Passive
was/were being + past participle
- The car was being washed when it started to rain.
- We were being watched the whole time.
- The patient was being examined by the doctor.
Note: Future continuous passive (will be being done) is very rare and usually avoided.
Perfect Tenses
Present Perfect Passive
has/have been + past participle
- The letter has been sent.
- All tickets have been sold.
- I have been told the news.
Past Perfect Passive
had been + past participle
- The work had been finished before they arrived.
- The suspect had been arrested earlier that day.
- The cake had been eaten by the time we got there.
Future Perfect Passive
will have been + past participle
- The report will have been written by Friday.
- All guests will have been informed by then.
- The building will have been demolished by next year.
Complete Tense Table
| Tense | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | is/are + pp | It is done. |
| Past Simple | was/were + pp | It was done. |
| Future Simple | will be + pp | It will be done. |
| Present Continuous | is/are being + pp | It is being done. |
| Past Continuous | was/were being + pp | It was being done. |
| Present Perfect | has/have been + pp | It has been done. |
| Past Perfect | had been + pp | It had been done. |
| Future Perfect | will have been + pp | It will have been done. |
Practice Examples
“The documents were being prepared when the power went out. By the time it came back, the deadline had been missed. Now, new documents are being created and they will be submitted tomorrow.”
Different passive tenses in context.
Every active tense has a passive equivalent. The key is always be (in the right tense) + past participle. Practice the present and past passives first before moving to perfect forms.