Passive Voice: All Tenses and Modals
To make any passive, put the verb 'be' in the tense or modal you need and add the past participle. Change 'be' for the time; the participle never changes. For example, 'is cleaned', 'was being cleaned', 'has been cleaned', 'will be cleaned'.
Level: B2. You already know the simple passive (is made, was built). Now you build the passive in every tense and after every modal. The trick is small: only the form of be changes; the past participle stays the same.
The rule
In the passive voice, the thing that receives the action becomes the subject. The pattern is always be + past participle (the third form of a verb: done, made, seen, written). To move the passive through time, you change only the be part; the participle never moves.
So clean gives you is cleaned (present), was cleaned (past), has been cleaned (present perfect), will be cleaned (future), must be cleaned (modal). The word cleaned is the same every time. Learn the be forms and the whole system follows.
Two shapes trip learners up. The continuous passive adds being: is being cleaned, was being cleaned. The perfect passive adds been: has been cleaned, had been cleaned, will have been cleaned. After a modal (can, must, should, may, will) or going to, use the base be: can be cleaned, should be cleaned, is going to be cleaned.
If you want to name the doer, add by + agent at the end: The novel was written by a teenager. You leave it out when the doer is unknown, obvious, or simply not important — which is most of the time.
Passive forms across tenses
| Tense / form | Active | Passive (be + participle) |
|---|---|---|
| Present simple | cleans | is cleaned |
| Present continuous | is cleaning | is being cleaned |
| Past simple | cleaned | was cleaned |
| Past continuous | was cleaning | was being cleaned |
| Present perfect | has cleaned | has been cleaned |
| Past perfect | had cleaned | had been cleaned |
| Future (will) | will clean | will be cleaned |
| Future perfect | will have cleaned | will have been cleaned |
| Going to | is going to clean | is going to be cleaned |
| Modal (present) | must clean | must be cleaned |
| Modal perfect | should have cleaned | should have been cleaned |
| Infinitive | to clean | to be cleaned |
| Gerund | cleaning | being cleaned |
There is no future continuous or perfect continuous passive in normal use (will be being cleaned is avoided). For those meanings, speakers reword the sentence.
Example sentences
- English is spoken in many countries.Present simple passive: a general fact.
- The bridge is being repaired at the moment.Present continuous passive: being + participle.
- The letters were sent yesterday.Past simple passive.
- The house was being painted when we arrived.Past continuous passive: an action in progress.
- The report has been finished.Present perfect passive: been + participle.
- The work had been completed before the deadline.Past perfect passive: an earlier past action.
- The results will be announced tomorrow.Future passive: will be + participle.
- All the tickets will have been sold by Friday.Future perfect passive: will have been.
- A new library is going to be built next year.Going to passive: is going to be + participle.
- This form must be signed by both parties.Modal passive: must be + participle, with the doer named.
- The parcel should have been delivered by now.Modal perfect passive: should have been + participle.
- The window needs to be cleaned.Passive infinitive: to be + participle.
- I don't like being interrupted.Passive gerund: being + participle after a verb.
- Mistakes were made during the project.The doer is hidden on purpose.
- The novel was written by a teenager.By-agent names who did it.
- Your car can be fixed by Friday.Modal passive with can.
- The plan is being reviewed by the committee.Present continuous passive with a by-agent.
- Nothing can be done now.Modal passive with an impersonal subject.
- The museum has been visited by millions of people.Present perfect passive, result relevant now.
- The patient is being treated in hospital.Present continuous passive, no doer needed.
- The documents will have been checked by Monday.Future perfect passive, deadline in view.
- The accident might have been avoided.Modal perfect passive showing past possibility.
- Breakfast is served from seven to ten.Present simple passive for a routine.
- The suspect was being questioned all night.Past continuous passive over a long period.
- These rules have to be followed by everyone.Semi-modal 'have to' passive: have to be + participle.
Common mistakes
- ❌ The bridge is repairing now. → ✅ The bridge is being repaired now. The continuous passive needs being + participle, not the -ing form of the verb.
- ❌ The report has finished. → ✅ The report has been finished. The perfect passive needs been; has finished is active and means the report did the finishing.
- ❌ The work will done tomorrow. → ✅ The work will be done tomorrow. After will and modals, you still need be before the participle.
- ❌ This must be sign by you. → ✅ This must be signed by you. Use the past participle (signed), never the base verb, after be.
- ❌ The window needs to be clean. → ✅ The window needs to be cleaned. Clean here is an adjective; the passive infinitive is to be cleaned.
- ❌ An accident was happened. → ✅ An accident happened. Happen has no object, so it has no passive at all.
A short conversation
A: Has the kitchen been cleaned yet? B: It’s being cleaned right now. It should be finished in an hour. A: Good. The guests will be shown around at six. B: Don’t worry — everything will have been done by then.
Usage notes
- When to choose the passive. Use it when the doer is unknown (My bike was stolen), obvious (The thief was arrested), unimportant (The road is being resurfaced), or when you want a formal, impersonal tone (reports, science, news). In science and process writing the passive is standard: The sample was heated to 90°C.
- The get-passive. In informal speech, get often replaces be: My phone got stolen, He got promoted. It stresses the event or a sudden change and is more common in conversation than in writing.
- Verbs with two objects. Give, send, offer, tell have two possible passive subjects: They gave me a prize → I was given a prize or A prize was given to me. The person is the more natural choice.
- No passive without an object. Intransitive verbs (arrive, happen, die, fall, sleep) cannot be passive — there is nothing to become the subject.
Compared with…
- Simple passive (present and past) is where this started: be in the present or past + participle, is made / was built. This lesson adds every other tense and the modals. See Passive Voice: Present and Past Simple.
- Reporting passive is a special formal pattern for rumours and beliefs: It is said that… and He is said to…. It uses the passive of reporting verbs plus a clause or a to-infinitive. See Reporting Passive (It is said that / is said to).
- Causative have/get something done looks passive but means you arranged a service: I had my car repaired (someone did it for me), not My car was repaired (plain passive). See Causative: Have/Get Something Done.
Quick recap before you practise.
Practice
Passive forms practice
Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.
Hint: has + been + past participle
Show answer
has been finished — Present perfect passive: has been + participle.
Hint: be + past participle after the modal
Show answer
be signed — After a modal use be + participle: must be signed.
4 Put the words in order to make a future passive sentence.
Show answer
The results will be announced tomorrow . — Future passive: subject + will be + past participle.
5 Match each tense to its passive form of 'clean'.
- present simple
- past continuous
- present perfect
- future (will)
Show answer
- present simple → is cleaned
- past continuous → was being cleaned
- present perfect → has been cleaned
- future (will) → will be cleaned
Only the form of be changes; the participle 'cleaned' stays the same.
Quiz
Passive forms quiz
12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.
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is being repaired — Present continuous passive: is being + past participle.
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has been finished — Present perfect passive: has been + participle.
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The letters will be sent tomorrow. — After will, use be + participle: will be sent.
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must be worn — Modal passive: must be + participle (worn).
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An accident was happened. — 'Happen' has no object, so it has no passive: say 'An accident happened'.
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will have been checked — Future perfect passive: will have been + participle.
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The house was being painted when we arrived. — Past continuous passive: was/were being + participle.
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to be cleaned — Passive infinitive: to be + past participle (cleaned).
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My bike has been stolen. — Present perfect passive: has been + participle (stolen).
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The parcel should have been delivered by now. — Modal perfect passive: should have been + participle.
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being interrupted — Passive gerund: being + past participle.
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The novel was written by a teenager. — Name the doer with by + agent: was written by a teenager.
Recap cheat-sheet
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| simple | am/is/are/was/were + participle | is cleaned, was built |
| continuous | be + being + participle | is being cleaned |
| perfect | have/has/had + been + participle | has been cleaned |
| future / modal | will / modal + be + participle | will be cleaned, must be done |
| doer | add by + agent when it matters | written by a teenager |
Next
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All English grammar topics
Every grammar point in order, from your first sentence to advanced structures. Pick one and go straight to it. New lessons go live every day, so topics marked Coming soon fill in over the next weeks.
Grammar path
A1 30 topics · 30 ready
- 01 Verb 'To Be' in the Present (am, is, are)
- 02 Subject Pronouns: I, You, He, She, It, We, They
- 03 Present Simple: Affirmative and the -s Ending
- 04 Present Simple: Negatives and Questions (do/does)
- 05 Articles: a / an and When to Use Each
- 06 The Definite Article 'The': When to Use It
- 07 Zero Article: When to Use No Article
- 08 Plural Nouns: Regular and Irregular Forms
- 09 This, That, These, Those (Demonstratives)
- 10 Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her
- 11 Possessive 's and s' (Showing Belonging)
- 12 There Is / There Are (Saying What Exists)
- 13 Have Got: Talking About Possession
- 14 Can and Can't for Ability
- 15 Present Continuous (am/is/are + -ing)
- 16 Imperatives: Giving Orders and Instructions
- 17 Adjectives: Position and Basic Use
- 18 Prepositions of Place: in, on, at
- 19 Prepositions of Time: in, on, at
- 20 Question Words: What, Where, When, Who, Why, How
- 21 How Much vs How Many
- 22 Countable and Uncountable Nouns
- 23 Some and Any: Which One to Use
- 24 Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, them
- 25 Adverbs of Frequency and Their Position
- 26 Like, Love, Hate + -ing (Expressing Preferences)
- 27 Would Like: Polite Wants and Offers
- 28 Making Requests: Can, Could, May I
- 29 Past Simple of 'To Be' (was / were)
- 30 Let's and Shall We: Making Suggestions
A2 25 topics · 25 ready
- 31 Past Simple: Regular Verbs and -ed Spelling
- 32 Past Simple: Irregular Verbs (go, see, have)
- 33 Past Simple: Negatives and Questions (did)
- 34 Comparative Adjectives (bigger, more expensive)
- 35 Superlative Adjectives (the biggest, the most)
- 36 Going To: Plans and Predictions
- 37 Will: Predictions, Decisions and Offers
- 38 Present Continuous for Future Arrangements
- 39 Present Perfect for Experience (ever / never)
- 40 Present Perfect with just, already, yet
- 41 Present Perfect vs Past Simple
- 42 Have To and Don't Have To (Obligation)
- 43 Should and Shouldn't for Advice
- 44 Could: Past Ability and Polite Use
- 45 Much, Many, A Lot Of
- 46 A Few, A Little, Few, Little
- 47 Adverbs of Manner (quickly, well, hard)
- 48 Verb + -ing or Verb + to (Introduction)
- 49 Zero Conditional (Facts and Rules)
- 50 First Conditional (Real Future Possibility)
- 51 Prepositions of Movement (to, into, through)
- 52 Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, hers
- 53 Past Continuous (was/were + -ing)
- 54 Too and Enough (Degree)
- 55 Order of Adjectives Before a Noun
B1 27 topics · 27 ready
- 56 Past Continuous vs Past Simple
- 57 Used To and Would for Past Habits
- 58 Present Perfect Continuous (have been -ing)
- 59 Present Perfect: Simple vs Continuous
- 60 Past Perfect (had + past participle)
- 61 Second Conditional (Unreal Present/Future)
- 62 Third Conditional (Unreal Past)
- 63 Reported Speech: Statements (Backshift)
- 64 Reported Questions
- 65 Reported Commands and Requests
- 66 Passive Voice: Present and Past Simple
- 67 Must and Mustn't (Strong Obligation)
- 68 May, Might, Could for Possibility
- 69 Defining Relative Clauses (who, which, that)
- 70 Non-Defining Relative Clauses (with commas)
- 71 Gerunds and Infinitives: Full Verb Patterns
- 72 Verbs Where -ing vs to Changes Meaning
- 73 Future Continuous (will be -ing)
- 74 So and Such (Emphasis)
- 75 As...As Comparisons (equality)
- 76 Question Tags (isn't it? do you?)
- 77 Phrasal Verbs: Separable and Inseparable
- 78 Linking Words: because, so, although, but
- 79 Infinitive of Purpose (to / in order to)
- 80 Indirect Questions (Can you tell me...)
- 81 Make, Let, Allow, Help (Causatives Intro)
- 82 Be Used To and Get Used To (+ -ing)
B2 25 topics · 25 ready
- 83 Narrative Tenses for Storytelling
- 84 Past Perfect Continuous (had been -ing)
- 85 Mixed Conditionals
- 86 Wish and If Only (Regrets and Wishes)
- 87 Wish/If Only + would (Complaints)
- 88 Passive Voice: All Tenses and Modals You are here
- 89 Reporting Passive (It is said that / is said to)
- 90 Causative: Have/Get Something Done
- 91 Reduced Relative Clauses (Participles)
- 92 Modals of Deduction: Present and Past
- 93 Needn't Have vs Didn't Need To
- 94 Future Perfect (will have done)
- 95 Participle Clauses (-ing / -ed / having done)
- 96 Advanced Comparatives (far/much + er, the more)
- 97 Conditional Alternatives: unless, as long as, provided
- 98 Advanced Determiners: each, every, either, neither
- 99 Intensifiers and Adverbs of Degree
- 100 Advanced Contrast: despite, in spite of, however
- 101 Advanced Linkers: therefore, moreover, consequently
- 102 Advanced Article Use (generalisations, names)
- 103 Verb + Preposition and Adjective + Preposition
- 104 Relative Clauses: whose, where, when, quantifier + whom
- 105 Subject-Verb Agreement: Tricky Cases
- 106 Emphatic Do (I do like it)
- 107 Would for Past Habits (Formal Narrative)
C1 18 topics · 18 ready
- 108 Inversion with Negative Adverbials
- 109 Inversion in Conditionals (Had I known)
- 110 Cleft Sentences (It was... / What I need is...)
- 111 Fronting and Emphasis (Word Order)
- 112 Subjunctive and Mandative (I suggest he be)
- 113 Ellipsis and Substitution (so, do, one)
- 114 Hedging and Cautious Language
- 115 Nominalisation (Academic Noun Style)
- 116 Advanced Discourse Markers (Spoken & Written)
- 117 Advanced Passive (passive + infinitive, get-passive)
- 118 Advanced Comparative Structures (no sooner...than)
- 119 Future in the Past (was going to / would)
- 120 Advanced Modals (may well, might as well, would rather)
- 121 Advanced Reported Speech (Reporting Verbs + Patterns)
- 122 Advanced and Idiomatic Phrasal Verbs
- 123 Collocation and Colligation (Natural Combinations)
- 124 Advanced Concession (much as, whatever, however + adj)
- 125 Absolute and Non-Finite Clauses (Formal)