Active / Passive Verb Forms

Sentences can be active or passive. Therefore, tenses also have "active forms" and "passive forms." You must
learn to recognize the difference to successfully speak English.
Active Form
In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subect of the sentence and the thing receiving the action is
the obect. !ost sentences are active.
[Thing doing action] + [verb] + [thing receiving action]
E"amples#
Passive Form
In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subect of the sentence and the thing doing the action is
optionally included near the end of the sentence. You can use the passive form if you think that the thing receiving
the action is more important or should be emphasized. You can also use the passive form if you do not kno$ $ho
is doing the action or if you do not $ant to mention $ho is doing the action.
[Thing receiving action] + [be] + [past participle of verb] + [by] + [thing doing action]
E"amples#
Active / Passive Overview
%ctive &assive
Simple &resent 'nce a $eek, Tom cleans the house. 'nce a $eek, the house is cleaned by Tom.
&resent
(ontinuous
)ight no$, Sarah is writing the letter. )ight no$, the letter is being written by
Sarah.
Simple &ast Sam repaired the car. The car was repaired by Sam.
&ast (ontinuous The salesman was helping the customer
$hen the thief came into the store.
The customer was being helped by the
salesman $hen the thief came into the store.
&resent &erfect !any tourists have visited that castle. That castle has been visited by many
tourists.
&resent &erfect
(ontinuous
)ecently, *ohn has been doing the $ork. )ecently, the $ork has been being done by
*ohn.
&ast &erfect +eorge had repaired many cars before he
received his mechanic,s license.
!any cars had been repaired by +eorge
before he received his mechanic,s license.
&ast &erfect
(ontinuous
(hef *ones had been preparing the
restaurant,s fantastic dinners for t$o years
before he moved to &aris.
The restaurant,s fantastic dinners had been
being prepared by (hef *ones for t$o years
before he moved to &aris.
Simple -uture
WILL
Someone will finish the $ork by .#// &!. The $ork will be finished by .#// &!.
Simple -uture
BE GOING TO
Sally is going to mae a beautiful dinner
tonight.
% beautiful dinner is going to be made by
Sally tonight.
-uture
(ontinuous
WILL
%t 0#// &! tonight, *ohn will be washing
the dishes.
%t 0#// &! tonight, the dishes will be being
washed by *ohn.
-uture
(ontinuous
BE GOING TO
%t 0#// &! tonight, *ohn is going to be
washing the dishes.
%t 0#// &! tonight, the dishes are going to
be being washed by *ohn.
-uture &erfect
WILL
They will have completed the proect
before the deadline.
The proect will have been completed before
the deadline.
-uture &erfect
BE GOING TO
They are going to have completed the
proect before the deadline.
The proect is going to have been
completed before the deadline.
-uture &erfect
(ontinuous
WILL
The famous artist will have been painting
the mural for over si" months by the time it
is finished.
The mural will have been being painted by
the famous artist for over si" months by the
time it is finished.
-uture &erfect
(ontinuous
BE GOING TO
The famous artist is going to have been
painting the mural for over si" months by
the time it is finished.
The mural is going to have been being
painted by the famous artist for over si"
months by the time it is finished.
1sed to *erry !sed to pay the bills. The bills !sed to be paid by *erry.
2ould %l$ays !y mother wo!ld always mae the pies. The pies wo!ld always be made by my
mother.
-uture in the
&ast
WOULD
I kne$ *ohn wo!ld finish the $ork by .#//
&!.
I kne$ the $ork wo!ld be finished by .#//
&!.
-uture in the
&ast
WAS GOING TO
I thought Sally was going to mae a
beautiful dinner tonight.
I thought a beautiful dinner was going to be
made by Sally tonight.