Scribd
Upload
35 views3 pages

Active Passive Verb Forms

Uploaded by

NarminAlmazna
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
35 views3 pages

Active Passive Verb Forms

Uploaded by

NarminAlmazna
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

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 subject of the sentence and the thing
receiving the action is the object. Most sentences are active.

[Thing doing action] + [verb] + [thing receiving action]

Examples:

Passive Form

In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject 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 know who is doing the action
or if you do not want to mention who is doing the action.

[Thing receiving action] + [be] + [past participle of verb] + [by] + [thing doing action]

Examples:
Active / Passive Overview

Active Passive

Simple Once a week, Tom cleans the Once a week, the house is
Present house. cleaned by Tom.

Present Right now, Sarah is writing the Right now, the letter is being
Continuous letter. written by Sarah.

Simple Past Sam repaired the car. The car was repaired by Sam.

Past The salesman was helping the The customer was being helped
Continuous customer when the thief came by the salesman when the thief
into the store. came into the store.

Present Many tourists have visited that That castle has been visited by
Perfect castle. many tourists.

Present Recently, John has been doing Recently, the work has been
Perfect the work. being done by John.
Continuous

Past Perfect George had repaired many cars Many cars had been repaired by
before he received his George before he received his
mechanic's license. mechanic's license.

Past Perfect Chef Jones had been preparing The restaurant's fantastic dinners
Continuous the restaurant's fantastic dinners had been being prepared by Chef
for two years before he moved to Jones for two years before he
Paris. moved to Paris.

Simple Future Someone will finish the work by The work will be finished by 5:00
WILL 5:00 PM. PM.

Simple Future Sally is going to make a A beautiful dinner is going to be


BE GOING TO beautiful dinner tonight. made by Sally tonight.

Future At 8:00 PM tonight, John will be At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes will
Continuous washing the dishes. be being washed by John.
WILL

Future At 8:00 PM tonight, John is At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes are


Continuous going to be washing the going to be being washed by
BE GOING TO dishes. John.

Future Perfect They will have completed the The project will have been
WILL project before the deadline. completed before the deadline.
Future Perfect They are going to have The project is going to have been
BE GOING TO completed the project before completed before the deadline.
the deadline.

Future Perfect The famous artist will have The mural will have been being
Continuous been painting the mural for over painted by the famous artist for
WILL six months by the time it is over six months by the time it is
finished. finished.

Future Perfect The famous artist is going to The mural is going to have been
Continuous have been painting the mural being painted by the famous artist
BE GOING TO for over six months by the time it for over six months by the time it is
is finished. finished.

Used to Jerry used to pay the bills. The bills used to be paid by Jerry.

Would Always My mother would always make The pies would always be made
the pies. by my mother.

Future in the I knew John would finish the I knew the work would be finished
Past work by 5:00 PM. by 5:00 PM.
WOULD

Future in the I thought Sally was going to I thought a beautiful dinner was
Past make a beautiful dinner tonight. going to be made by Sally tonight.
WAS GOING TO

You might also like