Verb tenses commonly used in the passive voice
See also Survey of tenses (active voice)
| Simple tenses (passive voice) |
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Simple present |
am, is, are + past participle |
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• general facts • states of being • habitual, repetitive actions |
Meals are served by students in the hotel management program. |
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Simple past |
was, were + past participle |
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• completed past actions • facts or states of being in the past |
He was punished for being late. |
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Simple future |
will be + past participle |
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• future actions, promises, or predictions |
The chair will be elected by the committee next week. |
| Simple progressive forms (passive voice) |
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Present progressive |
am, is, are + being + past participle |
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• actions in progress at the present time • future actions (with leave, go, come, move, etc.) |
The new stadium is being built with private money. Jo is being moved to a new class next month. |
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Past progressive |
was, were + being + past participle |
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• actions in progress at a specific time in the past |
We thought we were being followed. |
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Future progressive |
Not used in the passive voice |
| Perfect tenses (passive voice) |
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Present perfect |
has, have + been + past participle |
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• repetitive or constant actions that began in the past and continue to the present • actions that happened at an unknown or unspecific time in the past |
Wars have been fought throughout history. |
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Past perfect |
had + been+ past participle |
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• actions that began or occurred before another time in the past |
He had been given all the hints he needed to complete the puzzle. |
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Future perfect |
Not used in the passive voice |