Passive Voice

Different tenses

This is how to form the passive voice

To be + main verb in past participle

past participle = -ed (regular verbs) / 3rd column (irregular verbs)

Examples: The bank was robbed at 10 a.m.The new film will be directed by Spielberg.

Take a look at these sentences. Check the different tenses.

• They take the photos in Africa.

• They are taking the photos in Africa.

• They have taken the photos in Africa.

• They have been taking the photos in Africa.

• They took the photos in Africa.

• They were taking the photos in Africa.

• They had taken the photos in Africa.

• They had been taking the photos in Africa.

• They will take the photos in Africa.

• present simple

• present continuous

• present perfect

• present perfect continuous

• past simple

• past continuous

• past perfect

• past perfect continuous

• future

Now let’s see the forms of the verb “to be” in all these tenses

• am/ is / are

• are / is / are being

• have been

• have been being

• was / were

• was / were being

• had been

• had been being

• will be

• present simple

• present continuous

• present perfect

• present perfect continuous

• past simple

• past continuous

• past perfect

• past perfect continuous

• future

To form the passive voice in the different tenses you need the verb “to be” in the different tenses + the

main verb in the past participle form (–ed/ 3rd column)

• am/ is / are taken

• are / is / are being taken

• have been taken

• have been being taken

• was / were taken

• was / were being taken

• had been taken

• had been being taken

• will be taken

• present simple

• present continuous

• present perfect

• present perfect continuous

• past simple

• past continuous

• past perfect

• past perfect continuous

• future

Now let’s turn all these active sentences into passive sentences.

• They take the photos in Africa.

• They are taking the photos in Africa.

• They have taken the photos in Africa.

• They have been taking the photos in Africa.

• They took the photos in Africa.

• They were taking the photos in Africa.

• They had taken the photos in Africa.

• They had been taking the photos in Africa.

• They will take the photos in Africa.

This is the result. We have the verb “to be” in the different tenses + the past participle of the main

verb “take”

• The photos are taken in Africa.

• The photos are being taken in Africa.

• The photos have been taken in Africa.

• The photos have been being taken in Africa.

• The photos were taken in Africa.

• The photos were being taken in Africa.

• The photos had been taken in Africa.

• The photos had been being taken in Africa.

• The photos will be taken in Africa.

• present simple

• present continuous

• present perfect

• present perfect continuous

• past simple

• past continuous

• past perfect

• past perfect continuous

• future