Future Passives

by Teng Sam An

(ix) Future: WILL

Active: SUBJECT + WILL + VERB 1 + OBJECT

Passive: SUBJECT + WILL + BE + VERB 3 + BY AGENT

For examples

• Active: I will finish the research report soon.
• Passive: The research report will be finished (by me) soon.
• Active: She will accept our last proposal.
• Passive: Our last proposal will be accepted (by her).

 

(x) Future: BE GOING TO

Active: SUBJECT + BE GOING TO + VERB 1 + OBJECT

Passive: SUBJECT + BE GOING TO + BE + VERB 3 + BY AGENT

For examples

• Active: The government is going to build a new airport.
• Passive: A new airport is going to be built by the government.
• Active: The government is going to decrease the inflation rate.
• Passive: The inflation rate is going to be decreased by the government.

 

(xi) Future Continuous

Active: SUBJECT + WILL + BE + VERB-ING + OBJECT

Passive: SUBJECT + WILL + BE + BEING + VERB 3 + BY AGENT

For examples

• Active: We will be discussing essay writing this time next year.
• Passive: Essay writing will be being discussed (by us) this time next year.
• Active: They will be setting up a new branch office in Singapore next year.
• Passive: A new branch office will be being set up (by them) in Singapore next year.

 

(xii) Future Perfect Simple

Active: SUBJECT + WILL + HAVE + VERB 3 + OBJECT

Passive: SUBJECT + WILL + HAVE + BEEN + VERB 3 + BY AGENT

For examples

• Active: I will have finished our group assignment by Friday.
• Passive: Our group assignment will have been finished (by me) by Friday.
• Active: I will have downloaded new songs by noon.
• Passive: New songs will have been downloaded (by me) by noon. 

Past Passives

Sam An Teng

(v) Past Simple

Active: SUBJECT + VERB 2+ OBJECT

Passive: SUBJECT + WAS/WERE + VERB 3 + BY AGENT

For examples

• Active: She invited friends for dinner last night.
• Passive: Friends were invited (by her) for dinner last night.
• Active: They cleaned their house before new year.
• Passive: Their house was cleaned (by them) before new year.

 

(vi) Past Continuous

Active: SUBJECT + WAS/WERE + VERB-ING+ OBJECT

Passive: SUBJECT + WAS/WERE + BEING + VERB 3 + BY AGENT

For examples

• Active: She was drawing a picture.
• Passive: A picture was being drawn (by her).
• Active: We were cutting the grass when you called.
• Passive: The grass was being cut (by us) when you called.

 

(vii) Past Perfect Simple

Active: SUBJECT + HAD + VERB 3 + OBJECT
Passive: SUBJECT + HAD + BEEN + VERB 3 + BY AGENT

For examples

• Active: They had sold a company before setting up a new one.
• Passive: A company had been sold (by them) before setting up a new one.
• Active: He had finished the food when we arrived.
• Passive: The food had been finished (by him) when we arrived.

 

(viii) Past Perfect Continuous

Active: SUBJECT + HAD + BEEN + VERB-ING + OBJECT

Passive: SUBJECT + HAD + BEEN + BEING + VERB 3 + BY AGENT

For examples

• Active: The police had been investigating them for long.
• Passive: They had been being investigated by the police for long.
• Active: They had been selling a lot of drug before arrested.
• Passive: A lot of drug had been being sold by them before arrested. 

Present Passives

Sam An Teng
 

(i) Present Simple

Active: SUBJECT + VERB 1 + OBJECT

Passive: SUBJECT + AM/IS/ARE + VERB 3 + BY AGENT

For examples

• Active: He designs a new logo.
• Passive: A new logo is designed by him.
• Active: They visit their parents.
• Passive: Their parents are visited by them.

 

(ii) Present Continuous

Active: SUBJECT + AM/IS/ARE + VERB-ING + OBJECT

Passive: SUBJECT + AM/IS/ARE + BEING + VERB 3 + BY AGENT

For examples

• Active: She is finishing the homework.
• Passive: The homework is being finished by her.
• Active: They are building a new house.
• Passive: A new house is being built by them.

 

(iii) Present Perfect Simple

Active: SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + VERB 3 + OBJECT

Passive: SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + BEEN + VERB 3 + BY AGENT

For examples

• Active: We have launched new courses this year.
• Passive: New courses have been launched (by us) this year.
• Active: He has upgraded the software.
• Passive: The software has been upgraded by him.

 

(iv) Present Perfect Continuous

Active: SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + BEEN + VERB-ING + OBJECT

Passive: SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + BEEN + BEING + VERB 3 + BY AGENT

For examples

• Active: He has been designing this application for years.
• Passive: This application has been being designed (by him) for years.
• Active: They have been constructing a new bridge since last year.
• Passive: A new bridge has been being constructed (by them) since last year.

Passive Voice

Sam An Teng  

Passive voice is a form of sentence that focus on the action rather than the doer or performer. The subject in passives sentences receives the action (while the subject in active sentences perform the action).


We use passive form when:

• we don’t don't know who/what does the action;
• we don’t want to tell/show who/what does the action;
• who/what does the action is not important;
• or we want to focus only on action.

For examples,

• Active: Navy wrote a letter.
• Passive: A letter was written by Navy.

In the active sentence, Navy (the subject) performed the action (wrote), and a letter (the object) received the action. However, in passive sentence, the a letter (which is now the subject) received the action, and Navy (the agent) becomes object of preposition (by) and is called "agent". See the diagram below: 

NOTE:

[1] The subject in active sentence does the action. It becomes object of preposition or agent in passive sentence.

[2] The subject in passive sentence receive the action. The subject in passive sentence is the object in active sentence. 

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