Form of Passive Voice
Present Continuous, Past Continuous, Past Perfect
A. Basic Form Passive Voice
Subject (S) + Be + Past Participle
Learnenglish.britishcouncil.org tells that we use the passive voice to change the focus of the sentence.
My bike was stolen. (passive – focus on my bike)
Someone stole my bike. (active – focus on someone)
wallstreetenglish.com describe that the Most Common Uses of the Passive Form
The passive form is used to:
- describe an action when we are interested mainly in the object and not who did it. For example:
The Cathedral was built in the 14th Century.
The roads are cleaned once a week.
- describe processes
The grapes are picked in September.
Then they are packaged and sent to shops.
- describe the artist of a song, book, painting, film, etc.
The Gioconda was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.
E.T. was directed by Steven Spielberg.
- make formal and polite statements by being indirect
Visitors are kindly asked to turn off their phones in the waiting area.
The payment has not yet been made.
B. Present Continuous
1. Active Form: S + is/are + Present Participle + O
2. Passive Form: S + is / are being + Past Participle + Object
Is for singular subject.
- Is: He, she, it, cat, Rudi, Angel,
are for plural subject.
- are: they, we, you, I (exception), Angel and Rudi, Cats
3. Past Participle
In Indonesia, commonly called as V3.
- Give
Infinitive: Give
Past Simple: gave
Past Participle: given
- Ship
Infinitive: Ship
Past Simple: Shipped
Past Participle: Shipped
4. Example:
Active Sentence: We are shipping the goods.
a. We: Subject
b. Are: verb
C. Shipping: Present Participle
c. The goods: Object
.
Active Sentence: We are shipping the goods.
Passive Sentence: The goods is being shipped by us.
a. The goods: Subject.
b. is being: Verb
c. Shipped: Past Participle
d. By us: Agent
C. Past Continuous
1. Active Form: S + was / were + Present Participle + O
2. Passive Form: S + was / were being + Past Participle + Object
was for singular subject.
- was: He, she, it, cat, Rudi, Angel, I
Were for plural subject.
- Were: they, we, you, Angel and Rudi, Cats
3. Past Participle
In Indonesia, commonly called as V3.
- Do
Infinitive: Do
Past Simple: Did
Past Participle: Done
- Pay
Infinitive: Pay
Past Simple: Paid
Past Participle: Paid
4. Example:
Active Sentence: John was doing the report.
a. John: Subject
b. Was: verb
C. doing: Present Participle
c. The report: Object
.
Active Sentence: John was doing the report.
Passive Sentence: The report was being done by John.
a. The report: Subject.
b. was being: Verb
c. done: Past Participle
d. By John: Agent
D. Past Perfect
1. Active Form: S + had + Past Participle + O
2. Passive Form: S + was / were being + Past Participle + Object
Had for all kind of subject.
Had: He, she, it, cat, Rudi, Angel, I, Were: they, we, you, Angel and Rudi, Cats
3. Past Participle
In Indonesia, commonly called as V3.
- Serve
Infinitive: Serve
Past Simple: Served
Past Participle: Served
- Interview
Infinitive: Interview
Past Simple: Interviewed
Past Participle: Interviewed
4. Example:
Active Sentence: Rudi had served lunch.
a. Rudi: Subject
b. Had: verb
C. Served: Past Participle
c. Lunch: Object
.
Active Sentence: Rudi had served lunch.
Passive Sentence: Lunch had been served by Rudi.
a. Lunch: Subject.
b. Had Been: Verb
c. Served: Past Participle
d. By Rudi: Agent
Sources:
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/intermediate-to-upper-intermediate/passives
https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/passive.htm
https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/passive.html
www.merriam-webster.com
www.wallstreetenglish.com
