Verb tenses commonly used in the passive voice

For details about verb tenses in the active voice, see 28a.

Simple tenses (passive voice)

Simple present	*am, is, are* + past participle**
general facts	Breakfast is served daily.
habitual, repetitive actions	The receipts are counted every night.
Simple past	was, were + past participle
completed past actions	He was punished for being late.
Simple future	will be + past participle
future actions, promises, or predictions	The decision will be made by the committee next week.

Simple progressive forms (passive voice)

Present progressive	*am, is, are* + being + past participle**
actions in progress at the present time	The new stadium is being built with private money.
future actions (with leave, go, come, move, etc.)	Jo is being moved to a new class next month.
Past progressive	was, were + being + past participle
actions in progress at a specific time in the past	We thought we were being followed.

Perfect tenses (passive voice)

Present perfect	has, have + been + past participle
actions that began in the past and continue to the present	The flight has been delayed because of storms in the Midwest.
actions that happened at an unknown or un-specific time in the past	Wars have been fought throughout history.
Past perfect	had + been + past participle
actions that began or occurred before another time in the past	He had been given all the hints he needed to complete the puzzle.

note: Future progressive, future perfect, and perfect progressive forms are not used in the passive voice.