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Active and Passive Verb Forms

Sentences can be either active or passive. In active sentences, the subject performs the action, while in passive sentences, the subject receives the action. The passive form is used when the recipient of the action is more important or needs to be emphasized, or when the performer of the action is unknown or unspecified. Passive verbs have the same tenses as active verbs.

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56 views3 pages

Active and Passive Verb Forms

Sentences can be either active or passive. In active sentences, the subject performs the action, while in passive sentences, the subject receives the action. The passive form is used when the recipient of the action is more important or needs to be emphasized, or when the performer of the action is unknown or unspecified. Passive verbs have the same tenses as active verbs.

Uploaded by

Heythem Fraj
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Sentences can be active or passive.

Active Form

In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence and the
thing receiving the action is the object. Most sentences are active.

[Thing doing action] + [verb] + [thing receiving action]

Examples:

Passive Form

In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the sentence
and the thing doing the action is optionally included near the end of the sentence.
You can use the passive form if you think that the thing receiving the action is more
important or should be emphasized. You can also use the passive form if you do not
know who is doing the action or if you do not want to mention who is doing the action.

[Thing receiving action] + [be] + [past participle of verb] + [by] + [thing doing action]

Examples:
Active and Passive Overview :

N.B. Passive verbs have the same tenses as active verbs

Tense Active Passive

Once a week, Once a week, the house is cleaned by


Simple
Tom cleans the Tom.
Present
house.

Present Right now, Sarah is Right now, the letter is being written by
Continuous writing the letter. Sarah.

Sam repaired the The car was repaired by Sam.


Simple Past
car.

The salesman was The customer was being helped by the


helping the salesman when the thief came into the
Past
customer when the store.
Continuous
thief came into the
store.

Present Many tourists have That castle has been visited by many


Perfect visited that castle. tourists.

Present Recently, John has Recently, the work has been being


Perfect been doing the done by John.
Continuous work.

George had Many cars had been repaired by


repaired many cars George before he received his
Past Perfect before he received mechanic's license.
his mechanic's
license.

Chef Jones had The restaurant's fantastic dinners had


been preparing the been being prepared by Chef Jones for
Past Perfect restaurant's two years before he moved to Paris.
Continuous fantastic dinners for
two years before he
moved to Paris.

Simple Someone will The work will be finished by 5:00 PM.


Future finish the work by
will 5:00 PM.

Simple Sally is going to A beautiful dinner is going to be


Future make a beautiful made by Sally tonight.
be going to  dinner tonight.

Future At 8:00 PM tonight, At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes will be


Continuous John will be being washed by John.
will washing the dishes.

Future At 8:00 PM tonight, At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes are going


Continuous John is going to be to be being washed by John.
be going to washing the dishes.

They will have The project will have been


Future
completed the completed before the deadline.
Perfect
project before the
will
deadline.

They are going to The project is going to have been


Future have completed before the deadline.
Perfect completed the
be going to project before the
deadline.

The famous The mural will have been being


Future artist will have painted by the famous artist for over six
Perfect been painting the months by the time it is finished.
Continuous mural for over six
will months by the time
it is finished.

The famous artist is The mural is going to have been being


Future going to have been painted by the famous artist for over six
Perfect painting the mural months by the time it is finished.
Continuous for over six months
be going to by the time it is
finished.

Jerry used to The bills used to be paid by Jerry.


Used to
pay the bills.

My mother would The pies would always be made by my


Would
always make the mother.
Always
pies.

Future in the I knew John would I knew the work would be finished by


Past finish the work by 5:00 PM.
Would 5:00 PM.

Future in the I thought Sally was I thought a beautiful dinner was going to


Past going to make a be made by Sally tonight.
Was Going beautiful dinner
to tonight.

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