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You are here: Home / Lessons / Active and passive voice: overview chart

Active and passive voice: overview chart

November 30, 2012 - pdf

Here is a quick overview of the active and passive voice verb forms.

Tense Active voice Passive voice
Simple present tense Verb form: first form of the verb

Examples

They speak English here.

He speaks English.

 

Verb form: is / am / are + past participle form of the verb

Examples

English is spoken here.

English is spoken by him.

 

Present continuous tense Verb form: is/am/are + -ing form of the verb

 

Examples

She is writing a letter.

I am learning my lessons.

You are making a cake.

Verb form: is/am/are + being + past participle form of the verb

 

Examples

A letter is being written by her.

My lessons are being learnt by me.

A cake is being made by you.

 

resent perfect tense Verb form: has/have + past participle form of the verb

 

Examples:

 

I have written a novel.

She has finished the job.

You have written letters.

Verb form: has/have + been + past participle form of the verb

 

Examples:

 

A novel has been written by me.

The job has been finished by her.

Letters have been written by you.

Simple past Verb form: past tense form of the verb

 

Examples:

I wrote a letter.

Ram broke a glass.

You missed the chance.

Verb form: was/were + past participle form of the verb

 

Examples:

A letter was written by me.

A glass was broken by Ram.

The chance was missed by you.

 

Past continuous tense Verb form: was/were + -ing form of the verb

 

Examples

I was learning my lessons.

She was writing a report.

They were making toys.

Verb form: was/were + being + past participle form of the verb

 

Examples

My lessons were being learnt by me.

A report was being written by her.

Toys were being made by them.

 

Past perfect tense Verb form: had + past participle form of the verb

 

Examples

I had finished the project.

She had learned her lessons.

Verb form: had + been + past participle form of the verb

 

Examples:

The project had been finished by me.

Her lessons had been learned by her.

Simple future tense Verb form: will/shall + first form of the verb

 

Examples

I will finish the job.

She will solve the problem.

Verb form: will/shall + be + past participle form of the verb

 

Examples:

The job will be finished by me.

The problem will be solved by her.

Future perfect Verb form: will/shall + have + past participle form of the verb

 

Examples

I will have finished the job.

She will have solved the problem.

 

Verb form: will/shall + have + been + past participle form of the verb

 

Examples

The job will have been finished by me.

The problem will have been solved by her.

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