The Passive Voice
The active and passive are not tenses of verbs, but 'voices'. Both active and passive have different tenses, examples of which are given below. The passive voice is formed by using the verb to be with the past participle. It is a useful form in writing, as it changes the word order in a sentence, which can add variety. It is also frequently used in formal documents.
ACTIVE
to hear (infinitive) I hear (simple present) I am hearing ( present continuous) I heard (preterite/simple past) I was hearing (imperfect/past continuous) I shall hear (future) |
PASSIVE
to be heard (infinitive) I am heard (simple present) I am being heard ( present continuous) I was heard (preterite/simple past) I was being heard (imperfect) I shall be heard (future) |
In the following examples, the word order has changed, but the meaning remains the same.
The rabbit ate the carrots.
The carrots were eaten by the rabbit.
The Vicar of Dibley was reading the lesson.
The lesson was being read by the Vicar of Dibley.
The rabbit ate the carrots.
The carrots were eaten by the rabbit.
The Vicar of Dibley was reading the lesson.
The lesson was being read by the Vicar of Dibley.