1. Teacher Silvino Sieben
Passive Voice
Teacher Silvino Sieben

2. You are being replaced by a machine.
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3. Form Different tenses of be (is, was, is being, have been, …) +
past participle of the main verb.
This article was written by a well-known journalist.
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4. Form English is spoken here. The house is being painted.
* PP = Past participle
Passive Tense
Structure
Present Simple
am/are/is + PP*
Present Continuous
am/are/is being + PP
Past Simple
was/were + PP
Past Continuous
was/were being + PP
Present Perfect
have/has been + PP
English is spoken here.
The house is being painted.
I wasn’t invited, but I went.
I felt I was being watched.
Has Mary been told?
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5. Form I knew I had been forgotten. You’ll be told soon.
* PP = Past participle
Passive Tense
Structure
Past Perfect
had been + PP*
Will future
will be + PP
Going to future
am/ are / is going to be + PP
Modal verbs
can/ may/should / would/ must
can/ must / should / would / must be + PP
I knew I had been forgotten.
You’ll be told soon.
Who’s going to be invited?
It may be destroyed this week.
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6. Structure Passive: This church was built in 1275.
Active: They built this church in 1275.
Subject
Object
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7. Structure Passive: German is spoken in Germany.
Active: Germans speak German.
Subject
Object
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8. Use We use the passive voice: when the agent is unknown;
My car was stolen last night. (I don’t know who stole my car)
to emphasise the action rather than the agent;
The factory was painted during the war. (We are interested in the factory.)
when the agent is generally understood;
The thief was arrested (by the police).
When we don’t want to say who the agent is/was.
A mistake was made. (Active voice: I made a mistake.)
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9. Use The passive voice is usually used in: Newspapers (/ news);
Formal notices;
Scientific or technical writing.
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