Introduction to the Passive Voice

What is the Passive Voice?

In an Active sentence, the subject does the action (The doctor treated the patient). In a Passive sentence, the focus shifts to the person or thing receiving the action (The patient was treated).

Why and when is it used?

• Object Focus: When the result is more important than who did it.
• Neutrality: Common in Medical and Academic writing to sound objective.
• Unknown Doer: When we don’t know who performed the action.
• Professionalism: To describe processes clearly without focusing on individuals.

2. The 4 Present Tenses

Used for facts, habits, and things happening now.

• Present Simple Passive
  • Rule: Subject + am/ is/ are + Past Participle.
  • Usage: For facts or regular schedules.
  • Examples:
    • General: English is spoken here.
    • Medical: Antibiotic treatment is continued as directed.
• Present Continuous Passive
  • Rule: Subject + am/ is/ are + being + Past Participle.
  • Usage: For actions happening right now.
  • Examples:
    • Situational: The house is being painted this week.
    • Medical: The patient’s vitals are being monitored.
• Present Perfect Passive
  • Rule: Subject + has/ have + been + Past Participle.
  • Usage: For actions recently finished or with current importance.
  • Examples:
    • Academic: The data has been analyzed by the team.
    • Medical: The ear drops have been applied as instructed.
• Present Perfect Continuous Passive
  • Rule: Subject + has/ have + been + being + Past Participle.
  • Usage: For ongoing actions that started in the past (very rare).
  • Example: This problem has been being discussed for hours.

3. The 4 Past Tenses

Used for actions that were completed or ongoing in the past.

• Past Simple Passive
  • Rule: Subject + was / were + Past Participle.
  • Usage: For a finished action at a specific time.
  • Examples:
    • General: The letter was sent yesterday.
    • Medical: Paracetamol was administered for the fever.
• Past Continuous Passive
  • Rule: Subject + was / were + being + Past Participle.
  • Usage: For an action that was “in progress” when something else happened.
  • Examples:
    • Situational: The bridge was being built when I lived there.
    • Medical: The wound was being cleaned when the doctor arrived.
• Past Perfect Passive
  • Rule: Subject + had been + Past Participle.
  • Usage: For an action finished before another past action.
  • Examples:
    • Academic: The theory had been proven before the 1900s.
    • Medical: Her ear had been kept dry for three days before the checkup.
• Past Perfect Continuous Passive
  • Rule: Subject + had been being + Past Participle.
  • Usage: Duration of a past ongoing action before another event.
  • Example: The suspect had been being followed for weeks before the arrest.

4. The 4 Future Tenses

Used for actions that haven’t happened yet.

• Future Simple Passive
  • Rule: Subject + will be + Past Participle.
  • Usage: For future facts or plans.
  • Examples:
    • General: The package will be delivered tomorrow.
    • Medical: A follow-up visit will be scheduled in 5 to 7 days.
• Future Continuous Passive
  • Rule: Subject + will be being + Past Participle.
  • Usage: For actions that will be “in the middle of happening” later.
  • Example: The office will be being renovated all next month.
• Future Perfect Passive
  • Rule: Subject + will have been + Past Participle.
  • Usage: For actions finished by a specific future deadline.
  • Examples:
    • Academic: The project will have been completed by June.
    • Medical: The treatment will have been finished by her next visit.
• Future Perfect Continuous Passive
  • Rule: Subject + will have been being + Past Participle.
  • Usage: For the duration of an ongoing future action.
  • Example: Soon, the car will have been being repaired for over a week.

5. Conditional Passives

Used for “if” situations, possibilities, or hypothetical scenarios.

• Conditional Simple Passive
  • Rule: would / could / should + be + Past Participle.
  • Example: The exam would be passed if the students studied more.
• Conditional Continuous Passive
  • Rule: would / could / should + be being + Past Participle.
  • Example: If the machine were working, the parts would be being made right now.
• Conditional Perfect Passive
  • Rule: would / could / should + have been + Past Participle.
  • Example: If the instructions were clearer, the mistake would have been avoided.

Quick Subject Rule Guide

• AM: Only with “I”.
• IS/ WAS/ HAS: With “He, She, It” and singular objects (The report, The patient).
• ARE/ WERE/ HAVE: With “You, We, They” and plural objects (The reports, The patients).
• HAD/ WILL/ WOULD: These stay the same for all subjects.

Other Useful Links

| Introduction to English Grammar | Noun | Pronoun | Adjectives | Verbs | Adverb | Preposition | Conjunction | Interjection | Articles | Phrases | Clause | Modal Verbs | Tenses | Passive Voice | Gerund