1. The Passive is not a tense.
The passive voice
The Passive is not a tense.
The problem is that you need to know all the tenses…
© 2009 by Elsa Maximiano

2. Present Simple Passive
You can have passive verbs in all the different tenses.
Here is an active verb in the present simple: Everybody loves English.
Now let’s change it into the passive voice:
English is
loved
by everybody.
To make the passive use the verb ‘to BE’ in the same tense as the original sentence – here it is the present simple tense
To make the passive, use past participle of the main verb.
If you need to mention who is doing the action, use ‘by’ to introduce it.
‘is loved’ is present simple passive (because ‘is’ is in the present simple).
© EM 2009

3. English teachers are loved by everybody.
The verb ‘to be’ is plural in this sentence to agree with ‘teachers’.
You don’t have to agree with that statement! You’re probably thinking:
‘Some people don’t love English teachers!’
So let’s make that passive!
English teachers are not loved
by everybody.
Make the verb ‘to BE’ negative in the usual way.
‘by …’ may not be necessary. If it’s not important, leave it out.

4. Present Continuous Passive
Let’s look at how the passive works in other tenses.
Here is a sentence in the present continuous:
They are filming the drivers in A4999.
Now let’s change it into the passive voice:
The drivers
are being
filmed in A4999
(by them)
We don’t often use ‘to BE’ in the present continuous tense so this may look unfamiliar!
To make the passive, use the past participle of the main verb.
‘by them’ doesn’t tell us much. There is no need to know who’s filming the drivers.
So you can leave it out.
© EM 2009

5. To make the passive, use the past participle of the main verb.
Past Simple Passive
The police caught a UK driver doing make-up.
Now let’s change it into the passive voice:
A UK driver
was
caught
doing make-up
by the police.
‘to BE’ in the past simple tense is ‘was’ (singular) or ‘were’ (plural)
To make the passive, use the past participle of the main verb.
It is important to know who caught the driver, so you should leave it there.
© EM 2009

6. Present Perfect Passive
They haven’t stopped the accidents yet.
Now let’s change it into the passive voice:
The accidents
haven’t been
stopped
by them
yet.
‘to BE’ in the present perfect tense is ‘has been’ (singular) or ‘have been’ (plural).
In the negative, it’s ‘hasn’t’ or ‘haven’t’ been.
We don’t know who they are, so we can leave it out.
To make the passive, use the past participle of the main verb.
© EM 2009

7. Past Perfect Passive
They had just set up the camera because of the accidents.
Now let’s change it into the passive voice:
The camera
had just been
set up
because of the accidents
To make the passive, use the past participle of the main verb.
‘to BE’ in the past perfect tense is ‘had been’ (singular/plural).
The adverbs used with the present and past perfect, like just, must come between ‘had’ and the verb ‘to BE’
© EM 2009

8. Future Passive The police will pay more attention to the drivers
Now let’s change it into the passive voice:
More attention to the drivers
will be
paid
by the police.
To make the passive, use the past participle of the main verb.
the modal verb will + ‘to BE’ in the infinitive
© EM 2009

9. VERBS THAT ARE NOT PASSIVE
DO NOT USE THESE VERBS IN PASSIVE:
arrive
happen go
appear
occur
become
come
rain
cry
sleep
walk
stay
die
NO: HE WAS DIED.
IT WAS HAPPENED. I WAS STAYED.
YES: HE DIED.
IT HAPPENED.
I STAYED.
© EM 2009