Passive Voice chart.

The following chart includes sentences changed from the *active* to the *passive* in the principal tenses.

Active = They make Fords in Cologne.
Passive = Fords are made in Cologne.
Reference Time = Present Simple

Active = Susan is cooking dinner.
Passive = Dinner is being cooked by Susan
Reference time = Present Continuous

Active = James Joyce wrote "Dubliners".
Passive = "Dubliners" was written by James Joyces.
Reference time = Past Simple

Active = They were painting the house when I arrived.
Passive = The house was being painted when I arrived.
Reference time = Past Continuous

Acive = They have produced over 20 models in the past two years.
Passive = Over 20 models have been produced in the past two years.
Reference time = Present Perfect

Active = They are going to build a new factory in Portland.
Passive = A new factory is going to be built in Portland.
Reference time = Future Intention with *Going to*

Active = I will finish it tomorrow.
Passive = It will be finished tomorrow.
Reference time = Future Simple
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The Formation of the Indicative Mood of the Passive Voice

Tense = Simple Present
Auxiliary = am/is/are
Verb Form = past participle

Tense = Present Continuous
Auxiliary = am/is/are being
Verb form = past participle

Tense = Present Perfect
Auxiliary = have/has been
Verb form = past participle

Tense = Present Perfect Continuous**
Auxiliary = have/has been being
Verb tense = past participle

Tense = Simple Past
Auxiliary = was/were
Verb tense = past participle

Tense = Past Continuous
Auxiliary = was/were being
Verb tense = past participle

Tense = Past Perfect
Auxiliary = had been
Verb tense = past participle

Tense = Past Perfect Continuous**
Axiliary = had been being
Verb tense = past participle

Tense = Simple Future
Auxiliary = will (shall) be*
Verb tense = past participle

Tense = Future Continuous**
Auxiliary = will (shall)/ be / being
Verb tense = past participle

Tense = Future Perfect
Auxiliary = will (shall)/ have been
Verb tense = past participle

Tense = Future Perfect Continuous**
Auxiliar verb = will (shall) have been being
Verb tense = past participle

* The other modal auxiliaries form conjugations in the same way as shown for will and shall.

** The Present Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect Continuous, Future Continuous, and Future Perfect Continuous tenses of the Passive Voice are cumbersome, and are rarely used. Only the more commonly used tenses of the Passive Voice will be discussed below.

Passive Voice

The passive voice is used when focusing on the person or thing affected by an action.
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The Passive is formed: Passive Subject To Be Past Particple

· It is often used in business and in other areas where the object of the action is more important than those who perform the action. ·

For Example: We have produced over 20 different models in the past two years.
· Changes to: Over 20 different models have been produced in the past two years.

· If the agent (the performer of the action) is important, use "by"

· For Example: Tim Wilson wrote "The Flight to Brunnswick" in 1987.

· Changes to: "The Flight to Brunnswick" was written in 1987 by Tim Wilson.

· Only verbs that take an object can be used in the passive.